Hey all,
In light of Massimo starting his blog, I decided to make my own one. Why you ask?
Well I was talking to Max about his blog and I pretty much go, "Well why don't you try talking about deeper concepts?" And he explains to me that's not his point. So I'm making so many theory and strategy rants now a days hey why not make a blog? I mostly make them in the SH forum and they don't get to everyone so it'll be cool if I can make one everyone can get to.
I'm just going to post random thoughts not assuming they are right but i will speak in confident language.
First post: Manipulation.
In Massimo's first blog post, he talked about how he thought that the reason gabe was so good is because he's good at understanding the psychology of other players. I mean, it's not like this is his only skill; clearly he's superior to most of us in all aspects of the game. But from when I've talked to him it's pretty clear that he is good at and knows the importance of "getting into people's heads" or manipulation, as i point out in this post.
The great thing about manipulation is, unlike deeper concepts you really have to play 600nl+ to even start experimenting with, manipulation is really important for low stakes.
I remember i spent probably 100k hands at 100nl just experimenting with my game. One huge blunder in my game was doing the same thing with good hands as i'd do with bluffs. This is a skill that I'm eventually going to have to use at higher stakes but the amount i have to "balance" my range is directly proportional to how well my opponents are thinking. And awesomely enough, 200nl- opponents barely think!
What is truly important at low stakes is manipulating your opponent; it's a skill that almost no one thinks about, and it's a skill that people should think about a hell of a lot more.
One way, and the easiest way, to manipulate your opponent is bet sizing. Mostly, it's easier to manipulate aggressive opponents because they are going to make moves more. Also, most of the time this is going to be with weaker bets.
Here's a really deep thinking example of manipulation.
I repop J6s because i have played one hand in the 50 at the table, I recognize three of these guys as regs, one of which is villan, who is 21/18/5, 23% WTSD% aggro, and calls way too much when threebet it seems.
The small size of the flop bet is manipulation.
PokerStars Game #9224353205: Hold'em No Limit ($1/$2) - 2007/04/02 - 23:14:31 (ET)
Table 'Lyalya' 6-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: MrNgai ($198 in chips)
Seat 2: lifes3ps ($211.60 in chips)
Seat 4: perschonrs38 ($220.65 in chips)
Seat 5: dNoUnTkSe ($223.25 in chips)
Seat 6: redgrape ($236.35 in chips)
MrNgai: posts small blind $1
lifes3ps: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to redgrape [Jd 6d]
perschonrs38: folds
dNoUnTkSe: raises $6 to $8
redgrape: raises $16 to $24
MrNgai: folds
lifes3ps: folds
dNoUnTkSe: calls $16
*** FLOP *** [5h 3c 4s]
dNoUnTkSe: checks
redgrape: bets $20
I gave my reasoning for threebet pre, and note there are times when you can three bet complete crap.
Here what is my reasoning for betting such a weak bet? Well there are a few reasons.
When he calls my raise pre his range is probably 22-QQ, with AA/KK less of the time. AK and AQ. Versus QQ-AA im completely fucked, but i cant fold ever because i have 33% equity at least most of the time and there are a lot of hands he's flat folding.
So if i bet right here about pot to commit myself what is he going to do? Well he will probably call with almost nothing, concievably he can shove with 22-66, QQ-AA because of my image.
I don't really know exactly how i come to the point i got to, i know i didnt think "well what if i did this?" But i probably thought "well the only thing i have to think about is how do i get to 77-JJ fold."
If i can manipulate this guy to reraise me on the flop with 77-jj, im almost positive i can get him to fold to a push. But the question is is this guy going to commit himself too much? If i bet $20, standard for most guys is to raise 3x that, which would be around $65 if bet $20, which would allow me to shove over him for $135 into about that much pot. Clearly that's a good amount of money to get him to fold, and also it adds around $65 to the pot for me to win, so even if this works slightly less FE and than a pot bet, it's still a better move. Also, betting this weak could make my opponent raise AQ or AK as a semi bluff.
And he falls for my trap.
dNoUnTkSe: raises $54 to $74
redgrape: raises $138.35 to $212.35 and is all-in
dNoUnTkSe: folds
That's an example of small bet sizing manipulation.
Then there is strong bet sizing manipulation.
Sometimes people are more bluffy to strong bets. You just have to know your opponent. Get in their head, manipulate them.
I know this guy is spewy its just a matter of what size bet he's spewy too. Here i make sure to let this guy have just enough left in the pot to bluff, because K high and A high are nice flops to bluff in threebet pots. i thought it would mess with the guys head.
PokerStars GAME #9259110539: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($1/$2) - 2007/04/05 - 01:27:18 (ET)
Table 'Leukothea V' 6-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: Moneysuckle ($210 in chips)
Seat 2: redgrape ($200 in chips)
Seat 3: Gfresh404 ($300.45 in chips)
Seat 4: rinoo ($371.50 in chips)
Seat 5: tapatapa ($814.50 in chips)
Seat 6: FGators26 ($223.75 in chips)
rinoo: posts small blind $1
tapatapa: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to redgrape [As Ac]
FGators26: raises $6 to $8
Moneysuckle: calls $8
redgrape: raises $24 to $32
Gfresh404: folds
rinoo: folds
tapatapa: folds
FGators26: folds
Moneysuckle: calls $24
*** FLOP *** [Qc 7d 2s]
Moneysuckle: checks
redgrape: bets $50
Moneysuckle: raises $128 to $178 and is all-in
redgrape: calls $118 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [Qc 7d 2s] [9d]
*** RIVER *** [Qc 7d 2s 9d] [6c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Moneysuckle: shows [8h 8d] (a pair of Eights)
redgrape: shows [As Ac] (a pair of Aces)
redgrape collected $408 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $411 | Rake $3
Board [Qc 7d 2s 9d 6c]
Seat 1: Moneysuckle showed [8h 8d] and lost with a pair of Eights
Seat 2: redgrape showed [As Ac] and won ($40
with a pair of Aces
Seat 3: Gfresh404 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: rinoo (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 5: tapatapa (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: FGators26 folded before Flop
Playing passive to manipulate ill address in my next post.
-Danny
In light of Massimo starting his blog, I decided to make my own one. Why you ask?
Well I was talking to Max about his blog and I pretty much go, "Well why don't you try talking about deeper concepts?" And he explains to me that's not his point. So I'm making so many theory and strategy rants now a days hey why not make a blog? I mostly make them in the SH forum and they don't get to everyone so it'll be cool if I can make one everyone can get to.
I'm just going to post random thoughts not assuming they are right but i will speak in confident language.
First post: Manipulation.
In Massimo's first blog post, he talked about how he thought that the reason gabe was so good is because he's good at understanding the psychology of other players. I mean, it's not like this is his only skill; clearly he's superior to most of us in all aspects of the game. But from when I've talked to him it's pretty clear that he is good at and knows the importance of "getting into people's heads" or manipulation, as i point out in this post.
QUOTE:
In other words I think what you're trying to say is he "manipulates" his opponent well, which is the only concept i know of that requires deep thinking, but is just as prevalent (if not more) at low stakes than at high stakes.
In other words I think what you're trying to say is he "manipulates" his opponent well, which is the only concept i know of that requires deep thinking, but is just as prevalent (if not more) at low stakes than at high stakes.
The great thing about manipulation is, unlike deeper concepts you really have to play 600nl+ to even start experimenting with, manipulation is really important for low stakes.
I remember i spent probably 100k hands at 100nl just experimenting with my game. One huge blunder in my game was doing the same thing with good hands as i'd do with bluffs. This is a skill that I'm eventually going to have to use at higher stakes but the amount i have to "balance" my range is directly proportional to how well my opponents are thinking. And awesomely enough, 200nl- opponents barely think!
What is truly important at low stakes is manipulating your opponent; it's a skill that almost no one thinks about, and it's a skill that people should think about a hell of a lot more.
One way, and the easiest way, to manipulate your opponent is bet sizing. Mostly, it's easier to manipulate aggressive opponents because they are going to make moves more. Also, most of the time this is going to be with weaker bets.
Here's a really deep thinking example of manipulation.
I repop J6s because i have played one hand in the 50 at the table, I recognize three of these guys as regs, one of which is villan, who is 21/18/5, 23% WTSD% aggro, and calls way too much when threebet it seems.
The small size of the flop bet is manipulation.
PokerStars Game #9224353205: Hold'em No Limit ($1/$2) - 2007/04/02 - 23:14:31 (ET)
Table 'Lyalya' 6-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: MrNgai ($198 in chips)
Seat 2: lifes3ps ($211.60 in chips)
Seat 4: perschonrs38 ($220.65 in chips)
Seat 5: dNoUnTkSe ($223.25 in chips)
Seat 6: redgrape ($236.35 in chips)
MrNgai: posts small blind $1
lifes3ps: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to redgrape [Jd 6d]
perschonrs38: folds
dNoUnTkSe: raises $6 to $8
redgrape: raises $16 to $24
MrNgai: folds
lifes3ps: folds
dNoUnTkSe: calls $16
*** FLOP *** [5h 3c 4s]
dNoUnTkSe: checks
redgrape: bets $20
I gave my reasoning for threebet pre, and note there are times when you can three bet complete crap.
Here what is my reasoning for betting such a weak bet? Well there are a few reasons.
When he calls my raise pre his range is probably 22-QQ, with AA/KK less of the time. AK and AQ. Versus QQ-AA im completely fucked, but i cant fold ever because i have 33% equity at least most of the time and there are a lot of hands he's flat folding.
So if i bet right here about pot to commit myself what is he going to do? Well he will probably call with almost nothing, concievably he can shove with 22-66, QQ-AA because of my image.
I don't really know exactly how i come to the point i got to, i know i didnt think "well what if i did this?" But i probably thought "well the only thing i have to think about is how do i get to 77-JJ fold."
If i can manipulate this guy to reraise me on the flop with 77-jj, im almost positive i can get him to fold to a push. But the question is is this guy going to commit himself too much? If i bet $20, standard for most guys is to raise 3x that, which would be around $65 if bet $20, which would allow me to shove over him for $135 into about that much pot. Clearly that's a good amount of money to get him to fold, and also it adds around $65 to the pot for me to win, so even if this works slightly less FE and than a pot bet, it's still a better move. Also, betting this weak could make my opponent raise AQ or AK as a semi bluff.
And he falls for my trap.
dNoUnTkSe: raises $54 to $74
redgrape: raises $138.35 to $212.35 and is all-in
dNoUnTkSe: folds
That's an example of small bet sizing manipulation.
Then there is strong bet sizing manipulation.
Sometimes people are more bluffy to strong bets. You just have to know your opponent. Get in their head, manipulate them.
I know this guy is spewy its just a matter of what size bet he's spewy too. Here i make sure to let this guy have just enough left in the pot to bluff, because K high and A high are nice flops to bluff in threebet pots. i thought it would mess with the guys head.
PokerStars GAME #9259110539: HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($1/$2) - 2007/04/05 - 01:27:18 (ET)
Table 'Leukothea V' 6-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: Moneysuckle ($210 in chips)
Seat 2: redgrape ($200 in chips)
Seat 3: Gfresh404 ($300.45 in chips)
Seat 4: rinoo ($371.50 in chips)
Seat 5: tapatapa ($814.50 in chips)
Seat 6: FGators26 ($223.75 in chips)
rinoo: posts small blind $1
tapatapa: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to redgrape [As Ac]
FGators26: raises $6 to $8
Moneysuckle: calls $8
redgrape: raises $24 to $32
Gfresh404: folds
rinoo: folds
tapatapa: folds
FGators26: folds
Moneysuckle: calls $24
*** FLOP *** [Qc 7d 2s]
Moneysuckle: checks
redgrape: bets $50
Moneysuckle: raises $128 to $178 and is all-in
redgrape: calls $118 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [Qc 7d 2s] [9d]
*** RIVER *** [Qc 7d 2s 9d] [6c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Moneysuckle: shows [8h 8d] (a pair of Eights)
redgrape: shows [As Ac] (a pair of Aces)
redgrape collected $408 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $411 | Rake $3
Board [Qc 7d 2s 9d 6c]
Seat 1: Moneysuckle showed [8h 8d] and lost with a pair of Eights
Seat 2: redgrape showed [As Ac] and won ($40
with a pair of AcesSeat 3: Gfresh404 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: rinoo (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 5: tapatapa (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: FGators26 folded before Flop
Playing passive to manipulate ill address in my next post.
-Danny
on June 15, 2007, 6:32 am
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