Good Start To Challenge

Good start in all the ways . I'm winning (see widget), red line up, feeling very confident. Also feeling happier in general, knowing that I'm in it for the 30k hand long haul and not fretting over losing 100bbs to carrotsnake, his PF 33 call to my jj shove, etc. And so far my dog lives.

I coached Ian of Monkey Flower's fame this morning (tell me if you don't want this mentioned to the 6 people or so that read it). I actually really enjoyed it, I think basically because he was so enthusiastic and willing to take stuff on board, plus I feel like he's at the exact level where I can give optimum amounts of help...... ie, not knowing too much and not knowing too little either. With his attitude I can't really see how he's going to fail......

But Ian, you sound a lot like Karl Pilkington, and this is basically how I picture you as well.

So coaching got me thinking about poker for the day and definitely helped me in the 3 sessions I subsequently played. I enjoyed thinking and talking about poker so much that I got around to watching Dodgy's video again, and could actually think of stuff to say about it too.

Something I talked a lot about today was having a plan to win the hand once some money's gone in, and this plan should be based on the flop PSR, ie do we raise now or later, call this street fold that street etc, so here's some example hands.

http://weaktight.com/2799815 - so raising at any point here before the river runs the risk of having to raise fold, which is a disaster. So with a PSR of ~ 8, my plan is always to call/ call/ bet big (probably overbet on pure blank) or call/ call/ shove over river bet.

http://weaktight.com/2799830 - more of a standard spot, but I think a lot of people make the mistake of giving up the river on these ace hi boards, which I think on this board specifically would be a huge burning of money.

http://weaktight.com/2799850 - this hand I'm HU with Carrotsnake, and I think VS a player like that it's important to get inside his head. Betting the Ace turn here screams bluff, as this deep with an Ace I should be afraid of the flush out there. Timing and checking it implies some showdown value, and I think in his shoes he should bet turn and river with close to 100% of his range. So then on the river after he checks I can rep a value bet with a turned ace or KQ/KJ type hands.

http://weaktight.com/2799860 - they don't all work

dan