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Poker Video: No Limit Hold'Em by tubasteve (Micro/Small Stakes)

Got to say I love this approach to coaching. It's sometimes too easy to hear the correct way of thinking, and think "OK", then for it not to sink in. For real beginners (aka, 'me') there's nothing better than hearing the incorrect answer, which is then developed towards a better way of thinking. This episode's right up there with the whitelime-v-pr1nyraid challenge where they compete to be the best HU coach

the lower the stack to pot ratio, the shallower the stacks play, meaning the less correct it will be for your opponents to try and hit flops since we cut their implied odds. also since the pot is bigger and we have less behind, our decisions become easier as we can commit lighter.

I'm kind of with cobby's first post on this point. Is it really correct to engineer big pots just to simplify the decision OOP?? Surely you're just happy when you get into that spot to have an easier decision, but why go out of your way to get there in the first place?

I used to almost intenionally commit myself to the pot to make AI choices easier, until I realised it's less stress to always aim for small pots in marginal spots, and save big pots for when you're more confident you're ahead.

I'm kind of with cobby's first post on this point. Is it really correct to engineer big pots just to simplify the decision OOP?? Surely you're just happy when you get into that spot to have an easier decision, but why go out of your way to get there in the first place?

our decisions get easier as our opponents make bigger mistakes. not mutually exclusive!

guys, let me simplify this question youre having about raise sizes OOP

the more money behind in stacks means more reverse implied odds. the less money behind in stacks means less reverse implied odds. our reverse implied odds are worst when we are out of position. thus, making a larger pot OOP preflop reduces our reverse implied odds postflop, compensating for the increase of reverse implied odds due to our positional disadvantage.

in the grand scheme of things, though, you can pretty much raise to 3.5bb or a PSR utg as a standard. I do.

Great vid, can't wait for the next ones.

That was a great vid. Having read the thread in 2+2 about CR v DC, I opted to join DC and have been thoroughly impressed; the content in this video is excellent and really illustrates how evaluating your options can improve your decisions.

I do have one question though - when playing yourselves (Baluga and Tuba), how do you ensure that you make the 'correct' decision based on the information in front of you? Early in the video, Tubasteve advocated c/f'ing the 99 on JQx board and Baluga instantly said, no I would bet; it felt like Tubasteve was on autopilot and Baluga snapped Tuba out of it. How do you stop the autopilot option? Do you have a mental checklist before making a decision? Do you ask yourself a question before taking an action?

I feel like I autopilot sometimes and make poor decisions because of it and watching the vid has opened up new thoughts but I need to ensure that I can apply these correctly while playing. Analysing hands in PT or on forums is all well and good but I need to do it consistently at the table!

Also, this vid is tremendous and the format is excellent. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

EDIT: First Post \o/

Don't normally post comments, but this was outstanding - probs the most useful uNL vid Ive ever seen.

Seriously, by the end of this I was stunned speechless by information overload. Now I find out it will cover NL50-NL100 AND full ring...just epic.

I'd actually planned to watch it more for entertainment than info because I was too tired to play. But, after 15min I'd had to pause/rewind 5 times and the half-page notepad I use for noting timestamps was already crammed with info. I'll be re-watching ep1 on the weekend & this just shot to the top of my must watch list for the season.

One of the best videos I've ever seen.

+1
Can't wait for the next ones

Good stuff.

I do have one question though - when playing yourselves (Baluga and Tuba), how do you ensure that you make the 'correct' decision based on the information in front of you? How do you stop the autopilot option? Do you have a mental checklist before making a decision? Do you ask yourself a question before taking an action?

I feel like I autopilot sometimes and make poor decisions because of it and watching the vid has opened up new thoughts but I need to ensure that I can apply these correctly while playing.

EDIT: First Post \o/

Its like boxing or any martial art. In the ring, when you are fighting, you do what you are trained to do. In the ring you wont try any new moves or do anything complicated. You will do the basics that have been hammered into you. Thats why repitition of the basics (keep your gloves up) is so important.

For me its the same with poker. When you are playing you can only do what you have been trained to do. Dont expect to come up with ninja decision trees on the fly. Rather make mistakes, analyse them, watch videos about them, write about them, make them again, analyse them again, rinse repeat. Eventually those things become reflex and your autopilot gets a level up.

So my answer to your Q is level up your autopilot through training away from the table and analysis of your play at it.

Guys, just wanted to say that this is one of the best video's I have seen so far on DC.

Much good karma to both of you for making this.

Its like boxing or any martial art. In the ring, when you are fighting, you do what you are trained to do. In the ring you wont try any new moves or do anything complicated. You will do the basics that have been hammered into you. Thats why repitition of the basics (keep your gloves up) is so important.

For me its the same with poker. When you are playing you can only do what you have been trained to do. Dont expect to come up with ninja decision trees on the fly. Rather make mistakes, analyse them, watch videos about them, write about them, make them again, analyse them again, rinse repeat. Eventually those things become reflex and your autopilot gets a level up.

So my answer to your Q is level up your autopilot through training away from the table and analysis of your play at it.

Sorry but i think this is bad advice (if i understand right what you say ofcourse). Not adjusting on the fly = death imo. Doing anything at the table by reflex is bad.
How do you stop autopilot? Just start thinking. Play less tables for a while and think through every single spot. What's his range? How affect board texture to his range? How affect to your hand? What do you want to achive? What will you do if he call/raise/donk? What will you do if a certain trun/rivercard comes? With what hands will he pay you off? How many streets will he pay? With what hand will he bluff? How's your hand looks like? How would you play the nuts in the spot? How many times have you air in the spot? How should you change your bet size based on the circumstances? And many many many more things to consider just in a single hand, on a single street.
What you can/should do away from the table is thinking about type of hands (beyond session review, leak finding, etc). How can i play a mid suited connector profitably? Where the value come from with them? What kind of board am i looking for with it? What's a good situation with a suited connector? And at the tables you can ask yourself: Is this a good situation to a suited connector? If no (how) can i adjust to keep play profitable? What's his range? How affects board texture........
I hope you get my point!

Outstanding video!

I have just watched Baby Steps and From the Ground up and liked both series. But got to say: This vid is the burner! Watched it twice and still don`t have all the informations sunken in
BalugaWhale is just WOW! Pitty he is so expensive
And Steve of course does a great job too.Your approach to the game is a little different but I believe a pretty solid one to grind yourself through the microstakes.
When i read that you will cover now higher limits and FR i first was sad since i am playing NL25 and don`t think the play on Nl100+ can be applied to it but probably, the now seen given (and the respond of BalugaWhale taken), it will still help me.
I just have the worrie that it might confuse me and that then, back at the nl25 table i mix up concepts which are good for midstakes but not as appropriate (or say: not max. EV) for lowstakes. No need to worry?

So much conceptual stuff jammed in, this needs to be re-watched.

Baluga you do a great job of explaining all the concepts and more
importantly which are the more relevant at the time that leads to
the best course of action.

Q for BalugaWhale and Tubasteve:

2:46 ( -> 12:45 ) 99 on QJ7 flop OOP vs loose passive

I understand why we bet and what to do on the turn(at least I think
I do).

But if he was still loose but more aggro, what's the plan on a (blank)
turn? Say he was the type to sometimes float and bet turn 1/2pot.

Do we just have to give up OOP with horrible
RIO situation with 3rd pair or throw in an occasionally b/f as their floating too much?

Does the board and our position/opponent just make our options limited?