Poker Video: MTT/SNG by AMT (Micro/Small Stakes)

Man, this video was excellent. I never play sit 'n gos, but decided to check this out anyway just for fun while eating my din-dins. It's always nice to watch people do what they're really good at. I wish I had your cool and calm attitude to this game. I almost feel like playing a coupla SNG's myself...

Man, this video was excellent. I never play sit 'n gos, but decided to check this out anyway just for fun while eating my din-dins. It's always nice to watch people do what they're really good at. I wish I had your cool and calm attitude to this game. I almost feel like playing a coupla SNG's myself...

I appreciate the compliments very much, thanks Glad you enjoyed, and good luck on the grind!

I wish I had your cool and calm attitude to this game.

AMT I think he has something there. Maybe ur calm sng attitude is just u being u, but maybe for an episode u guys could get into the mental aspects in keeping sng players off tilt. In cash games people know if u loose 2 or 3 buyins it's time to take a walk for the day. In sngz though we can go through 10 game down swings and that may be standard. Anyway just a thought.

AMT I think he has something there. Maybe ur calm sng attitude is just u being u, but maybe for an episode u guys could get into the mental aspects in keeping sng players off tilt.

This certainly was one thing I really caught on to watching this video. Besides the obvious expert commentaries and gameplay, of course. The extreme coolness and thoroughly analytical approach to all the situations was quite impressive. It's probably one of the most important issues (if not the most important, at least sporadically) in poker. I definitely admit to having very silly tilt-issues, but fortunately I only play for fun and some tiny profit - I already know I lack the mental qualities of a good poker player, but, nevertheless, it certainly would be most enlightening experience to hear how the real pros manage it.

Oh, and by the way, the A7 suited at 19:00 on table two, when villain minbet the river with A4: it was a ubiquitous bad-player blocking bet with extremely weak holdings. He was prepared to pay that one chip and nothing more. At least that's what I immediately thought, and expected you to be good way more than the never you thought there.

31:00 minutes in on the $12 table. A5o in the HJ. You hit the slider to raise , but then folded. Was it close? or were you still just focused on the other table (because you were discussing folding in your SB) or are you just so aggressive that you're first instinct was to hit the raise button

What's the bottom of the range to play there? A8o? Maybe A5 from the CO? Since 3 stacks behind you are similar size and you'd have position on the big stack if he decided to play his hand, is that a good spot to steal with a slightly better hand?

EDIT: Now that I look again. With basically 10BB, were you really thinking of raising to 600? Did you just decide it was push or fold and it was too weak to push?

31:00 minutes in on the $12 table. A5o in the HJ. You hit the slider to raise , but then folded. Was it close? or were you still just focused on the other table (because you were discussing folding in your SB) or are you just so aggressive that you're first instinct was to hit the raise button

What's the bottom of the range to play there? A8o? Maybe A5 from the CO? Since 3 stacks behind you are similar size and you'd have position on the big stack if he decided to play his hand, is that a good spot to steal with a slightly better hand?

EDIT: Now that I look again. With basically 10BB, were you really thinking of raising to 600? Did you just decide it was push or fold and it was too weak to push?

Well, if I did raise to 600 there it would've =a shove; just a different way to generate FE depending on game flow contexts possibly, but shoving is fine when you decide that it's right. Without ante's though, Axo is pretty close from that position IMO. With reasonably tight players behind, the stacks are setup such that I'd like shoving here, but a lot of randoms in these games can call pretty inappropriately widely with these stacks and Axo tends to play crappily against those ranges, so I don't mind folding here either. Also, it's very possibly I was just talking and will fold those close-ish spots when I'm talking about another spot. With ante's I'd definitely shove. With A8 I'd shove, and with A5 from the CO I'd shove. If I was suited with any ace I'd shove, and I'd shove a hand like KT. I'd shove all suited broadway cards and maybe a couple more suited hands wider. For sure shove any pair. It's pretty close but hope that helps think through it as a rough guideline.

AMT I think he has something there. Maybe ur calm sng attitude is just u being u, but maybe for an episode u guys could get into the mental aspects in keeping sng players off tilt. In cash games people know if u loose 2 or 3 buyins it's time to take a walk for the day. In sngz though we can go through 10 game down swings and that may be standard. Anyway just a thought.

I think Maybe my overly calm attitude can occasionally lead to some lazy plays too but if this is something that people would like to see discussed, I think Bones and I would be happy to address it in future videos. This could fall in line with the suggestion that someone had in an earlier episode (episode 1?) that we had a generic Q&A type format as part of the video regiment. Thanks for the suggestions, guys, we'll definitely account for them.

(edit: Also, for starters, I go through some important basics for dealing with downswings and anti-tilt stuff in the last episode of Last Man Standing if you haven't checked it out already.

Great video, thanks for your really well articulated thoughts on the hands that you played. Have just a few questions (hope you don't mind)


@ 20:50 mark, bottom r-h game, ur raise from BB with 66 into 2 limpers - who both have >3x stack. You say it's an easy shove into 2 limpers, just wondering if you would fold if there were say 3 limpers (in case u have 1 who will perhaps spite call / call with AK/AQ type hand) ?


@ 41:30 mark, you mention about taking notes. I know alot has been written about notes but what 'situations' do you specifically make a note on in large-ish fields?

@1:24:05 mark, btn raises 3xBB and SB shoves, what's your range to call here ?

I also noticed that your not using a HUD - what's your opinion of HUD's in the 180's ?

Thanks

that was awesome seeing someone take down a 180 man. you were running hot but it was great seeing your thought process in every situation considering game dynamics and different levels

pinotsniffer,

@20:50- More limpers the better Sure, someone might wake up with a hand here, but a) they just limp so much garbage that they fold/that is worse and b) the more limpers, the better the overlay for getting it in heads up vs 2 random overs. Can't complain too much about flips with overlay and short stacks IMO! But really I just think given the stacks and how much money is in the pot, combined with how we're faring vs limp/calling ranges + FE is worth taking it, and more limpers strengthen that with pairs typically.

Re: Note Taking--

Really IMO everything is important. I take lots of 'mental notes', in that I try to just pay attention to things like who is open limping/limping a lot in general, who is extremely aggro, who is donking into the pfr all the time, etc.... Any basic thing that points to weaknesses that might be of value to us.
Then, there are times where I take written notes, which are rather extensive for me given that I haven't used a HUD in some time. Even with a HUD though, I'd take notes any time I could achieve perfect information (seeing opponents hole cards) in a medium or big pot, or when he played a hand weirdly. So like if someone is betting down and jamming his whiffed FD, I'm noting that. People who open jam in level 1 and get called, I tend to note that. Even if you see them in one game later, they tend to take similar lines often and it can really help asses a range in close spots. I can't really go through every scenario of course but hopefully that synopsis helps.
I'd also take notes if we didn't get to see cards in a situation where someone is sizing their bets particularly poorly or seemingly obviously, if there was some timing tell to watch out for, etc....

1:24:05--- Honestly, I recorded this over a week before it was released, so I can't say with too much certainty as I don't have a specific enough recollection of the players ranges and game flow and stuff. Looking at the spot now, though, I'd stay pretty tight actually. Something along the lines of 77+/AJ+/KQ+? Thereabouts.

Re: HUDs- I haven't used a HUD in over a year, but mainly due to technical issues with my systems and stuff, and then I kind of just got into a habit with it. I plan on re-implementing HUD use in the near future for my tournament play. I definitely think it is helpful, especially in SNGs, where preflop stats are more helpful/help us put together a bigger piece of the puzzle since SNGs are often a "preflop game". As long as you're not using it as a crutch, and are trying to evaluate the stats with an even keal/not relying on them too much, and are also taking notes and stuff, I'd recommend HUD use. That said, the odd session without HUD + cutting tables might do a lot of people good IMO.

that was awesome seeing someone take down a 180 man. you were running hot but it was great seeing your thought process in every situation considering game dynamics and different levels

Gotta run hot a little bit to win MTTs! Plus I ran like crap in the 36/180 I tried to load for the vid just before recording+ in the other game(s) recorded so I was totally due


Thanks for the comments/questions thus far, everyone. Glad you all took something away from this.

I can't help but wonder how much difference there would be in a nonturbo. As you stated it comes down to push/fold very early in turbos. Clearly you have mastered this strategy. Would push/fold come later on in a nonturbo or not at all? Could you possibly elaborate on this? Is this a main reason for choosing turbos? Great sweat vid btw! Thanks.

You are able to play more tourneys per hour. Villains tend to make mistakes in the early and mid stage, but even more mistakes in the late game, because most of them have no clue about ICM, that's why we make the most profit in the late game (as we all play perfect late game )

Have really enjoyed the whole series and really like the way AMT goes thru his thought process based on hand/situation/game flow etc. was wondering if you had planned for one of these for the 90 man mtt/sng's, hopefully at the low stakes. If there is better place to ask this question please let me know