Tonight's debrief

At the end of every session I would review myself so to continue to improve. One of my student has a great way to do this with three simple questions.

1. What went well :
Well not much. I played a couple of pretty well. I can comfort myself at the fact that I can play my third /fourth buy in well still. I felt I lost most hands due to bad luck. Queens lost twice, two pairs met with high two pairs, made my flush but he hit his fullhouse.

2. What can be done better (what went wrong) :
I lost almost 900bb in one session. To a table where I felt I had an edge against every one. I went there wanting to prove a point. Ended up losing badly. I think there has to be a cap where I say enough is enough.

3. What have I learned :
Max 300bb swing per session. Never go to a game holding a grudge. There will be bad swings and variance. Just have to minimise loss during this period.

Despite a bad session, I am actually still up for the week and for the month. I also have to learn that I cannot expect to win back a big chunk within the next session or two. But I target 4 more sessions to get me back on track.

Check raise me punk

Any poker grinder if you ask them what they hate, they will tell you bad beats, slow rolls, lost to fishy plays, etc. But one thing they encounter the most often and makes them cringe is the hated check raise.

Check raise is usually a sign of super strength. Waiting for your c bet then show you what I've got. Some may donk bet with a draw, blocker bet before the expected c bet. But a check raise is saying, bring it on. I am cool with putting more into the pot. I am most likely calling a shove.

Most of the time it is met by a long tank and sigh then a fold. But how do you use the check raise to your advantage? The check raise is the strongest weapon of the player oop (out of position). Lets say you flop a pair and flush draw. Monster. You have the choice of donk betting to try to take down the pot. Odds are you either succeed at taking it down (smallish pot)  or get called and having to continue your story on the turn if you miss. If the villain reraises you on the flop you might have to commit all of your chips on the flop.

Lets say instead of doing that you check and let the villain cbet. You raise. You might take down the pot right there. (bigger pot than the scenario before) it is not easy to call a c bet. Lets say he calls and you miss. You can still check and maybe get a check back because you check raised him before. Or if you feel like it, then open shove the turn.

If this works when you have a monster draw, occasionally you can also do this with air. I stress occasionally. Check raise is a show of strength. However please see the texture of the flop before committing your chips.

Good luck

Ten "Commandments" of Poker - 1. You shall have no other games than poker

The actual Biblical commandment is "You shall have no other gods before me". I am writing a series of the 10 commandments of poker kinda playing around with words of the biblical 10 commandments. So first one is:

1. YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GAMES THAN POKER

Well I have seen a lot of really great poker players do so well in poker, but after a while they disappear from the scene. What happened to them? Some would tell me they lost on casino games like baccarat, blackjack, some bet on horses, sports etc. Almost every poker player has a leak. But the rule is, don't have one, or at least keep it to a drip.

Poker rooms are often in the back areas of casinos, and they purposely design it that while you're waiting for a game, there are many tempting games around you for you to pass your time. GENTING, Malaysia's only legal casino runs poker tournaments once every few months. But they structure it in a way that you will spend 2-3 days at GENTING but play only 2 hours of poker a day. What do you do the rest of the time? They are banking on gambling. Free rooms my ass! I am paying for the rooms everytime I sit down at their tables!

A while back I set myself this rule. NO table games, NO gambling, NO sports betting. Most poker players have a gambler hidden inside. And for us to feel the excitement of gambling, we would bet big amounts, often one bet is like 1-2 buy ins or more. Imagine putting 100-200 big blinds on a hand that we don't have the edge!!! How negative EV is that?!?! We can grind for hours for a 10 big blind profit per hour, but would throw all that at a game that swings 100-200 bb every minute. That is just bad mathematics and poor bankroll management.

Stu Ungar, the best poker player of his time, and arguably the best poker player of ALL TIME, had debts from horseracing and a drug-use lifestyle. Although he would crush any table he played at, his poker winnings was not enough to cover his lifestyle choices and end up he would losing his life due to poor heart condition caused by long term drug use.

Hence boys and girls, YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GAMES THAN POKER, period!

My actual data

I am recently compiling my poker stats to show some potential stakers my results. I am quite surprised and pleased with my stats.

Since March 1st till today June 23rd I have recorded 58 sessions and won 42 sessions, a 72.4% winning rate. In the sessions total I am up about 5100 bb.

More satisfying is in this four months I am playing less sessions but higher profits. With increasing profits of 200 bb more than the previous month.

Recently I just got offered to be staked and I am really excited about it and wish to do well so that I can play bigger games and win more money for my investors and myself.

I guess maybe my hard work is starting to pay off. Don't give up because if I can do it, you can too!

Back on track

I started this month on a hot streak. First week of June I was up 1000bb. Then second week I dropped about 400bb. Last 3 sessions I won back 900bb. In between there was a heads up session I lost to my best student so far for 50bb. That session basically hinged on one key hand where my pocket sevens lost to AJ in an all in pot. But otherwise my poker is back on track.

This month did I learn anything? I did. Players have tried to put my on tilt with their words and actions but to no avail. But lately I realised I get tilted when I see a player make a fish call and win. Also when players imply that I am cheap, I get affected also. So I am learning to not let it affect me.

My floating timing has improved and I set a few traps limping big pairs that have paid off. I have some donk bet moves now too haha. I am pretty happy with maximising value and pot control when I need to.

But what has gotten me here thus far? Humility. I am not good enough yet. Still need to improve more.

You reap what you sow

Wise words indeed. It goes with poker as well. I see so many players complain that why they keep losing but never put any effort in improving themselves. Honestly I put more money than effort into poker. I don't know over the years how much I spend on learning from my own mistakes when I could have just studied the game properly through books (which are readily available) or hired myself a coach. But I guess I was lazy or even too proud to learn and I ended up have to learn the hard way.

Thankfully at least I learned and improved. It is only the last 2 years that I have been able to profit from poker. I don't think I have covered my expenses yet but at least I am on my way. So if you're reading this, maybe you're on the right track. At least you are willing to read and learn from others. There are so many mistakes that can be avoided by just learning from others.

Put in the hours, review your hands, critique your own plays, study books, watch videos, learn calculations, etc. It will pay off sooner or later.

Happy fathers' day

How to play big pairs - AA, KK, QQ

Years ago when I was playing poker in Hong Kong, there was this irritating guy, always in a pink polo tee, kept on complaining that why I limp (just call) preflop with big pairs. Something about information blah blah. I really didn't like the guy so I never bothered to listen to him. One day he saw my aces got cracked by 29 of spades. Still I didn't listen to him.

Now I realised he meant well, but I didn't appreciate his tone and attitude. You almost always, ALMOST always have to raise your big pairs. There are a few reasons. 1. is to protect your hand and avoid people limping in with what I call "stupid hands" and crack your pair. ie. J2 and flop comes 22x. 2. Is to build some value into the pot so your premium hands, however rare they come by can make you some decent money. 3. You want those hands that are dominated by your pair to call you. ie. KQ, AQ, QJ, etc. These hands are almost drawing dead if you have a big pair.

The only FEW exceptions to the rule that I accept are:

1. You are almost certain it will be heads up.
One of the main purpose to raise with your pair is to chase away the stupid hands and get one or two to call you with most likely dominated hands. However if you see a guy raised and you are pretty sure no one else is going to call, and you can go heads up with him, then by all means, just call. Heads up with a big pair you will always be the big favourite to win. Also you have hidden your hand strength and more likely to get paid off if your opponent hit something.

2. There is a maniac on the table
Sometimes when you are lucky enough to have a maniac on the table that raises almost every hand, you can slow play your pairs preflop. If he is behind you, let him make the action and most likely many players will call behind him knowing his range is super wide. Then when it comes back to you, you can 3 bet and isolate the fish or just take down a decent pot preflop.

3. Under the gun
I don't recommend doing this always because it often backfires. However if you are under the gun, (next to the big blind), you can limp your big pairs hoping someone raises behind you and you can 3 bet. However if your table is super nitty, (all tight players) then raise. Some people think I don't want to win just the blinds with a big pair. Well, I always say, winning less is better than losing more.

4. You are super short stack
Well when you are losing you want to win back your losses. When you are short stacked and have a big pair, you can try to slow play them to get a big return on your remaining chips. Big pairs usually still hold up but now the risk vs reward is worth slow playing them. The other reason is if you are short stacked, raising usually doesn't get many hands to fold anyways. So just let the cards fall and hope you land on the winning end.

My first major tournament and cash (APT Cebu 2010)

I thought I try my hand on tournament poker too. Mind you, I was still a fish then. But little did I know hahaha. But confident with my recent winnings in Macau and full time exploits in HK, I thought I was a pro.

Cebu is a nice place. But the tournament was held at the Shangrila on Mactan. Which is far away from everything else other than the airport. But it was still fun to go. Beautiful beaches, nice food, friendlier people compared to Manila, although I did get mobbed by a bunch of kids trying to steal my wallet and money.

First tournament I went out, second was the NLHE which I got called by a crazy Japanese player who hit the river and knocked me out. The third event I joined was the KO Bounty. I don't really remember the tournament much but I remembered a few key hands.

Sitting across me on our table was this massive chip leader. On his right was the famous Celina Lin, (Pokerstars Pro Asia). The chip leader must have knocked out like 20 people and had at least 15 times more chips than I did. One key hand he open raised 3x, I shoved my 20+bb stack into him with AKo. He tanked and then folded. Then he asked me if I would shove with AK, I just smiled but Celina said, of course! All poker players do that. Grrrr...Celina, why did you have to tell him that hahaha....

Then our table got broken up and it was down to two tables left. I got moved to a table full of what looked like young online grinders from either Australia or the US. Clearly they knew each other and were rooting for one another. One hand on the small blind I had like Ax I can't remember. I open raised and he shoved back on the big blind. I tank folded and showed my ace. He looked at me and said "bad fold" and showed A5o. Smartass.

2 hands later I had KQ of clubs. I think I made a fish play here because they were like how did I win blah blah...I can't really remember the hand but I think I called an all in preflop but flopped a flush draw and hit the river. He had Ace high.

Final table! Woohoo, my first ever final table and I was seated on Celina's right. She is quite a nice pro. Very friendly and accommodating. She had a great presence about her. Anyway 7 spots paid, still 9 of us. I was one of the short stacks. Oh by the way, the massive chip leader who folded to my shove bubbled. Well, he still made money with his 20+ KOs.

Finally I was ITM! (in the money) First ever cash, in an official tournament. Short stack and UTG, I don't know why i just min raise with K9 spades. This Aussie kid from the last table had Aces and min raised me. I didn't have much left so I shoved and we were heads up. Funny thing was I flopped a flush draw but missed. 7th place finish for USD 947. Not bad for my first cash and first major event.

Ahhh, sweet memories.

My first big pot, USD 2k+ (Macau 2010)

Well, USD 2k pot is not a considered huge to most pros but considering my bankroll was just around the same, I doubled my bankroll in one hand, so it was a big deal to me then. Okay, I know poor bankroll management to be playing that high. But it was my first time playing in Macau when poker was just starting off there, so I thought I had to play.

Blinds were HKD 10-25, about USD 1.20-3. I was one the button and I had QQ. everybody limped the 25 to me on the button. Pot was already 175 ish so I raised to 200. Everybody freaking called except one guy folded. Came to the hijack position he shoved all in 295 total. Dang. It was an underraise, so I couldn't reraise. But how could I fold Queens there? So I called and everybody else did too. Pot is now about HKD 2800. 

Flop comes 266. Someone leads out like HKD 400 (yes the game was fishy at the time), I reraised to HKD 1500. Small blind calls, big blind goes all in for like HKD 1900. Donk bettor calls, I am like, no one is folding so I just called, small blind goes all in almost same size. Suddenly the pot is like HKD 10k. 

Turn is another 6. Heads up with the donk bettor. He bets like 5k into the pot with 300 behind. I am like what is going on??? I just called, river blank, check check. Yeah I know I should have put him all in, but anyhew....

Funny thing was all 9 players called preflop except one and he claimed he had 26o. Hahaha.

Poker is NOT a game, it is a SPORT

My dream is one day I can convince my parents especially my mum that I am really good at poker and it is what I enjoy doing, and that it is not a gambling game. Too many people especially where I am from don't understand poker. To them it is a game and it is luck based. But how many pros are out there making a living and some making a KILLING playing poker. We are talking millions of dollars every month! Are they really that lucky? Or are they just better than the rest.

Similarities to sport:
1. Skills are important. The more skills you have the better player you are. There are many footballers in the world, but why is Messi better than the rest? Because he can do almost anything in football. He can dribble, pass, shoot, head, cross, juggle the ball like it is part of his body.

2. Practice makes perfect. The more you practice, the better you get. You learn from experience. But I do know some players who never improve despite playing the game for years.

3. Studying helps. Some people think reading books is a waste of time. I once spent 20 minutes reading one poker book (Mike Caro's poker book of tells) and that same night it saved or made me $2000. Books help you to learn from others' mistakes and speed up your learning process.

4. Stamina is key. Grinders play long hours and if you play poker long enough you will notice that the most profitable time is late night. The players left are usually losing players trying to fight back their losses so they are tilted and prone to mistakes, or they are tired and similarly vulnerable to making wrong decisions. I once played 30 hours straight and I was 34 years old at the time.

5. Ability to outplay your opponents. If you are a better player than your opponent, you will beat them consistently in the long run. If the Brazilian football team plays 100 times against Taiwan (no offense to my Taiwanese friends), the Brazilians should win most of the time if not all. Maybe once in a while on their worse day, or bad refereeing decision, or bad luck, they might lose, but overall they will crush their opponents consistently.

6. Self discipline is a must. Like any sport, you need to be able to control yourself to be a good player. You may have to make some adjustments to your life, make some sacrifices, and keep your discipline.

Differences to sport:
1. Poker does not discriminate. You can be male or female, young or old, white black yellow or green, if you put the effort, you can be a great poker player.

2. Skills can be maintained for life. Doyle Brunson is a valid poker pro in his day, and even till today when he is 81 years old. You may lose some stamina but you can still be as sharp as a knife if you hone your skills.

3. The sport evolves over time. Football has remained the same over the millennia. The strategies are almost similar. However poker has changed and is constantly changing. If you don't change with the times you will lose out.

I have seen too many players too proud to stop and critique their own play. Stop to seek help or learn to improve. They keep losing but blame it on luck. Well, like any sport, having a coach really helps. Keeps you focused, helps you improve on your weaknesses, etc.

Why does Manchester United make millions a year? Well, football is not a game to them. It is a sport and a business. Well, poker can be a business too, if you're good enough. :D

My first post - a bit about myself

How did I get into poker? Simple answer: ROUNDERS.

If you haven't seen this movie, you should. I have watched it at least 5 times. Although as I progress as a player, I find more and more flaws in the poker strategy and logic of the movie. Teddy KGB, perceived to be this scary shark seem to be making really rookie mistakes. Anyhow, it is still a great movie that got me interested in poker.

1999. The first time I played poker. It was the poker boom and there were many fishes. I guess I was one of the faster swimmers so I still did okay despite being a newbie. I fell in love with the game but online wasn't my thing so I didn't really play that much. Off an on when I had the opportunity, like a business trip to Sydney, I would venture to the limit tables of the poker room and paid my dues. 

In 2005, I was living in Hong Kong when I found a poker group gathering twice or more a week in a small hotel. I started to go there quite often. Surely I was getting pummelled at first but the love of the game kept me going. I later returned to Hong Kong in 2008 and played poker non-stop for 3 months. I actually grinded from HKD 1000 and managed to survive 3 months on that starting bankroll, including my living expenses. Woah, I can make a living on this game!

Soon I would travel the world to play poker. Mostly it was tagged to some business trip of course so that I got my travel expenses covered. (There was a lack of live games where I lived) I would go to the Philippines, Korea, Macau, Australia etc to play poker. Surely I should be able to beat the games there if I could survive playing in Hong Kong right? WRONG. I lost, miserably. Why? A pro such as me still can be beaten like that? Is it variance? Is it luck? 

I hit the books, watched videos, reviewed my game, read Negreanu's blogs a lot. Well, he is my "idol" of poker. I will write an article about him later and how he inspired me. Long story short, I told myself, YOU ARE NOT A GOOD POKER PLAYER. I humbled myself. Why the pros can make millions from the game, and I can barely cover my costs? I must be doing something wrong. One day in Manila, suddenly all the theories and books made sense to me. I could predict the other players cards and moves before it was made. I made the correct bets and bluffs and crushed the table!

I then moved up the tables that night. I bought in 10000 Philippine pesos but cashed out 100,000. That was about USD 2.5k, not a lot but a lot for me at the time. However I must add, when I look back to myself at that point now, I was still a fish then. Maybe I am still a fish now if I look back to myself years from now. But at least I am a growing fish. 

This past 2 years I have been consistently making a living off playing poker. However I easily get side-tracked by other stuff, so this blog is also for me to focus my energies on poker and make sure I don't deviate. Lately I have been coaching a few players as well, so I will use this blog as some sharing of my progress and theirs and drop in some poker tests and theories for them and whoever else is reading this thing. :D