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

I think the theory covered in this video is simply great for SNG players. Fundamental stuff that isn't really covered in most vids. Excellent.

I think the theory covered in this video is simply great for SNG players. Fundamental stuff that isn't really covered in most vids. Excellent.

You are just now realizing this?

No but just going over the vids again & still leave me dumbfounded at how clear you make everything.

This series is really good. I'm French and I don't always understand the videos but yours are very well made (with lots of written text) and I understand quite well when you speak (good phrase). Since I started playing seriously, with videos of my first account and now with my new subscription, I finally wins in 2.25$ SNG (ROI 25.9, +144$). I started playing 4 tables and it's good. Thank you for all your help !

Thanks for your kind words and welcome to DC. Hope to see you around the forums.

nice

omfg. rewatched this start to finish for probably the first time since it was filmed. THIS IS GOLD!!!!!

I've just watched the whole series and found it very beneficial. However, at the start of this episode, we see Veloblank's graph on a nice steady rise. I just checked on Sharkscope to see how he progressed after the series, and it became a bit of a rollercoaster. According to SS he's now played 5000 games and his profit is less than it was after the 900 odd games at the start.

This isn't meant to sound mean or critical (honestly!) but I'm just wondering if Veloblank (Or Vandweller) had any thoughts on what went wrong? Everything seemed to be going nicely, but obviously something didn't quite work...any thoughts?

I've blogged (bitched) consistently about this, to the point where I no longer wanted to focus on the negative parts of my game, but to just start working on the parts giving me trouble.

I'll be the first to admit I had trouble with turboes, all the way up to maybe a few months ago. Then I really started having great study sessions, note-taking on certain opponents, and just generally cleaning up my game.

It was more of a psychological thing at Stars where I felt trapped in the $3.40 10-mans and every time I tried $6.50's I just ran badly/played badly at the worst times. I've done that a few times now, then would go off elsewhere to keep playing/working on my game.

If anything, I've learned the importance of just continuing to plug away. 5k games of breakeven poker is more than psychologically draining, it's soul-sapping; made me question many times about continuing to stick with 9 man STTs. That said, I've uncovered many exciting things about the game, as it applies to me and how I can get back into the grind and not get chewed up again. But I know if it happens again, I can fight my way out.

And I never will reset my graph. There's a story behind that mess.

And if you want graph pr0n, I've got graph pr0n...

Stars Turbo 10 Mans http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q308/echecboy/2010-08-01_112252.jpg

Stars 9 Man Regular Speed http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q308/echecboy/2010-08-01_112229.jpg

Stars $6.50's http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q308/echecboy/2010-08-01_112314.jpg

Elsewhere, and currently http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q308/echecboy/2010-08-01_114520.jpg

@velo

First of all, the videos were great, I was pretty much you at the start of vid two when I started watching this, and ICM has really opened me up to a new way of thinking, good job mate.

That aside, have you noticed any specific time of the week/day where the games were more or less softer or harder?

HEM has a great filter that allows you to see your ROI, both raw and EV adjusted over the times of day and the day of the week.

The games are generally better on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, when I could swear I literally hear others paycheck money being deposited and transferred directly to my account.

As far as times, 1600-0000 in EST is probably my primary grind time, although 1300-0000 is not bad either because you catch a lot of the European crowd after their work. During the day it can be a little dried up, grinders and students play a lot during those hours, so it's best to avoid games with a lot of regulars you see.

Not all regulars are great players so you might be ok vs. some, especially micro stakes, but winning regulars can generally be expected to win some equity on average in every tournament you play, so it will effect your ROI.

Really great series! Congrats veloblank. Its crazy to see how much more you know and understand by the final episode.

This final episode is amazing! Every SNG player should watch this many times. I think about these principles alot while playing but ive never really been able to put it into words. Amazing way to explain all this in words!

Im really looking forward to your book vandweller. When is that coming out?

This is indeed very good to watch and I've learned quite a bit. Thank you both for making this. However, I am not sure I quite understand the math at the beginning of Episode Eight. To be honest, I think it's wrong. When you have 25% equity with 4 left in 9player SNG, if you win a headsup, you get his 25% share which makes your equity 50%. So I don't understand where this 12% comes from. I think you probably weighted this twice therefore it's biased. If you are losing 25%, and you are not weighting it, then when calculating winning, it should also be 25% instead of a weighted 12% (I dont care what SNG wizard says, the chips are on the table and we are not talking about how payout structure affects it). I love the straight-shooter talking style of this series, so I am speaking my mind and hopefully not being considered disrespectful. One example, by the same token (or calculation), you should not go all in with AA against KK on the first hand of 9 SNG: -0.11 + 0.11*0.8 is negative EV. This is flat wrong. Or am I missing something obvious?

Oops! I was wrong LOL It did take into account of payout which implied 50% cap for 1st place finish. My bad. Thanks again for the great series.

Time Link to 01:03:49

Wouldn't this level of equity thinking put a halt to playing most hands? It seems like you'd always need to be 80/20+ if you were a chip leader or else be blinded back down to a spot where you are more in a position to gain equity.