NOTES: SSNL Disease #4

SSNL Disease #4

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Why do talented players not move up beyond the small stakes?

1. Getting better reads
2. Playing the turn and river more competently
3. Dealing with situations when you are not the aggressor
...
4. Focusing on the wrong infomation

Small stakes games often don't test players all that much. As a result, aspiring players aren't forced to consider the situation well enough. Your conclusions in a given spot may well be based upon the wrong reasons.

As you're already being successful, you may not go back over these spots and figure out whether or not you had the proper thinking process.

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SYMPTOMS:

- Seizing on any information available.

Anything you can say about Villain is thrown into the mix. i.e. - Villain is 20/15 and 3-bets a lot preflop when considering river play.

- Extrapolating from unrelated spots.

i.e. - Trying to make USE of those preflop numbers in a river spot. Assuming his frequent 3-bets lead to bluffing rivers.

- Dependence on too many assumptions.

- Dropping a lot of terminology.

Do you understand the meaning of the words, or are you just throwing out language? The more you're using buzzwords, the more you need to ensure that you have the basic concepts behind them down solidly. While learning, avoid such terminology.

- Incomplete/bad analysis and then concluding.

Hasty generalizations. Just because he bluffed last time doesn't mean that he's bluffing now. Was he tilting? How was the situation different? Was it a good place to bluff then and is it now?

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COMMON SPOTS FOR MISTAKES:

- Inferring postflop play from preflop stats.

- Worrying about ranges when tendencies are key.

i.e. When making a call with a bluff catcher, it's more important to know how likely your opponent is to actually be bluffing rather than what portion of your range you're holding.

- Calling c-bets with inadequate turn/river thought.

Discussed in previous videos. Always have a plan.

- Rebluffing in spots where you rep very little.

- Failure to estimate for 'odd combinations' in thin spots.

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INFERRING POSTFLOP PLAY:

Who says that 29/22 bluffs a lot preflop?
Who says that 16/13 always has the nuts?

Someone who's loose preflop might be passive postflop. It's easier to play a preflop hand chart than it is to deal with the challenges of the turn.

Someone who's a nit preflop may well overplay his hands postflop. Look at how you used to play. ;)

Observe how people actually PLAY.

Stop characterizing people with broad strokes. Replace numbers with words - having to make a verbal description of a player will both provide fodder for notes and give you more insight into his approach and thinking.

Obtain reads for each street. Preflop play is different from later streets. The deeper you get, the less experience most players will have.

Look for diverging tendencies on each street. Is he c-betting a lot then shutting down on the turn? Tend to believe him on the turn. You can exploit your opponent by folding in a situation where he bets exclusively for value (or nearly so).

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RANGES v TENDENCIES

- Look for HUD stats that are heavilly one directional.

Is a player who is normally passive in this spot betting? The less often he bets in this spot, the more likely he is to be betting for value when he does put money into the pot. The more often he bets in this spot, the more bluff/weak hands are in his range.

- Take notes on players to note their tendencies.

What factors encourage this player to act? Danger cards? Passive actions by their opponent?

- Be detached. Plan for tough spots and remove emotion as much as possible. ALWAYS pause before your decision.

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CALLING C-BETS

Yes, you have a strong hand. You often won't on the river.

- How will you respond as the board runs out?
- Review Villain's turn/river aggression
- Consider his hand reading ability and your range.
- What factors are going into his decision - are there threats on the board, is he just going to fire like a maniac on every street, is he actually trying to put us on a hand?

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POOR REBLUFFING

- Evaluate Villain's abilites and tendencies.

Can he read hands? Does he like to bluff on dry boards?

- Consider your range on this texture.

Is this a spot where you're c-betting everything? Or is your range limited to strong hands? Are you actually repping anything with a c-bet or a reraise?

- Consider how you can win this pot with air.

Spazz raising a flop isn't the only option you have. You can float and keep your range wide, attack on the turn or river...

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ADDRESSING THE UNEXPECTED

** Stop assigning your own ranges/tendencies to your opponent **

How can we account for these seemingly "random" actions by our opponent?

- Consider his numbers: VPIP, barreling frequency...

Is he looser preflop? Then he has more trash in his range. Someone playing 30% of hands is probably playing a lot of random suited cards and weak connectors.

- How ambitious or random is this player?

Is he playing simply because he has a high card in his hand? Any two suited?

- Imagine anything that could add combinations to their range.

Is he tilting? Did he isolate a weak limper? Were there three people in the pot in front of him, giving him some tasty pot odds to chase with trash?

Look to factor MORE hands into their range, not less.

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FIXING THESE ISSUES

- While you're playing, identify situations where you feel that you don't have information.

- Take more specific notes on players.

Make them contextual.
Consider the relevant information.

- Double-check the information - does it support your conclusion? Or are you just spewing out catch phrases?

- PLAN - Do your off-table work to prepare. Identify the leaks in your thinking.