road from NL100HU -> NL1kHU and PLO200

Hi HU NL/PLH grinders !

This morning I got up and started to browse the poker hands ( if U dont wanna to look at coolers just skip this crap )

Full Tilt Poker $0.50/$1 No Limit Hold’em – 2 players
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

Hero (BB): $193.60
BTN/SB: $417.90

Pre Flop: ($1.50) Hero is BB with A A
BTN/SB raises to $3, Hero raises to $10, BTN/SB raises to $27, Hero raises to $193.60 all in, BTN/SB calls $166.60

Flop: ($387.20) J 4 3

Turn: ($387.20) K

River: ($387.20) 6

Final Pot: $387.20
Hero shows A A (a pair of Aces)
BTN/SB shows K K (three of a kind, Kings)
BTN/SB wins $386.70
(Rake: $0.50)

===

Full Tilt Poker $0.50/$1 No Limit Hold’em – 2 players
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

Hero (BTN/SB): $364.10
BB: $102.20

Pre Flop: ($1.50) Hero is BTN/SB with Q Q
Hero raises to $2, BB raises to $7, Hero raises to $17, BB raises to $102.20 all in, Hero calls $85.20

Flop: ($204.40) 8 3 A

Turn: ($204.40) J

River: ($204.40) 9

Final Pot: $204.40
Hero shows Q Q (a pair of Queens)
BB shows A K (a pair of Aces)
BB wins $203.90
(Rake: $0.50)

Full Tilt Poker $0.50/$1 No Limit Hold’em – 2 players
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

Hero (BTN/SB): $364.10
BB: $102.20

Pre Flop: ($1.50) Hero is BTN/SB with Q Q
Hero raises to $2, BB raises to $7, Hero raises to $17, BB raises to $102.20 all in, Hero calls $85.20

Flop: ($204.40) 8 3 A

Turn: ($204.40) J

River: ($204.40) 9

Final Pot: $204.40
Hero shows Q Q (a pair of Queens)
BB shows A K (a pair of Aces)
BB wins $203.90
(Rake: $0.50)

==

Poker Stars $0.50/$1 No Limit Hold’em – 2 players
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

BTN/SB: $219.40
Hero (BB): $150.00

Pre Flop: ($1.50) Hero is BB with A A
BTN/SB raises to $3, Hero raises to $10, BTN/SB raises to $25, Hero raises to $150 all in, BTN/SB calls $125

Flop: ($300.00) 9 7 K (2 players – 1 is all in)

Turn: ($300.00) 8 (2 players – 1 is all in)

River: ($300.00) T (2 players – 1 is all in)

Final Pot: $300.00
BTN/SB shows J J (a straight, Seven to Jack)
Hero shows A A (a pair of Aces)
BTN/SB wins $299.50
(Rake: $0.50)

=

U can see those hands and think sth like “shit, I have hands like those all the time”, ok whatever …

To jump into the topic about poker psychology I have to use a “how we are thinking – diagram” and after this I will write sth about why our mind should work in good way but it is working in other – bad way.

This “bad thinking” has a bad influence on our game – basically we are starting to play bad in small pots ( small pot are the most important for our winrate )

so …

lets go with this diagram :

Im gonna to use a diagram from LP miniseries about “Emotional control”

Event → Interpretation → Emotion → Action – simple, right ? :)

now let’s back to our AA vs KK crushed:

Event = AA < KK

Interpretation =

equity win tie pots won pots tied
Hand 0: 81.946% 81.71% 00.23% 50371344 142614.00 { AA }
Hand 1: 18.054% 17.82% 00.23% 10986372 142614.00 { KK }

Emotion = Hooooly shit, Im loosing again huge hands over and over and over and over = anger, frustration

Action = steaming, or going into fish tilt or other tilt = we are stop fighting for small pots, we are making to much -EV calldowns, fancy plays ETC.

Why ? beacouse we lost MONEY in situation big hand vs big hand

what I want to achieve?

we have to change our interpretation in big hand vs big hand situation…

lets put our “friend” on shoving/calling shove preflop range →

99+, AQ+ right ? our range for preflop is the same.

Now : How looks like our interpretation of this situation ?

equity win tie pots won pots tied
Hand 0: 84.119% 82.75% 01.37% 399577656 6607650.00 { AA }
Hand 1: 15.881% 14.51% 01.37% 70076772 6607650.00 { 99+, AQs+, AQo+ }

So our emotion is pretty simple : FAIL ! omg im running soooo damn baaad blablabla

but …

In our head is only AA vs ours opponent range but not OUR entire range vs opponents entire range so if our head we will have RANGES not specific hands EQ calcs are changing very much

equity win tie pots won pots tied
Hand 0: 50.000% 45.45% 04.55% 2885555328 289056288.00 { 99+, AQs+, AQo+ }
Hand 1: 50.000% 45.45% 04.55% 2885555328 289056288.00 { 99+, AQs+, AQo+ }

frome huge favorite to perfect coinflip.

conclusion is simple : keep ranges NOT SPECIFIC HANDS in your mind = U will win the same amount and U will loose the same amount = just focus on smaller pots with much thiner edge and make the biggest +EV decissions ever.

Sorry for my english again

best regards
Majster