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Smart Poker Study Podcast

Sky discusses poker play and study strategies for a variety of No Limit Holdem (NLHE) poker games: LIVE and online cash games, MTT’s and SNG’s for all poker stakes. Hosted by Sky Matsuhashi, poker author, coach & player Please visit and learn more at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com
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Now displaying: May, 2016
Flopzilla | 'The Hand Reading Lab' Part 3 | Smart Poker Study Podcast #068 0
May 31, 2016

http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/pod68

Today I teach you about the most valuable hand analysis tool available, Flopzilla, and how it’s revolutionized my poker game and my hand reading skills.

Podcast Mission (4:25)

My mission for today is to teach you the benefits that I’ve gained from using Flopzilla as well as show you how I use it for the very specific task of hand reading an opponent.

How has Flopzilla benefited my game? (5:00)

Range Visualization

Range & Board Interaction

Future Cards & Effects on Equity

Counting Combos

Utilizing the Statistics & Filters

How can I use Flopzilla to practice hand reading an opponent? (14:50)

Podcast Challenge (24:50)

Here’s my challenge to you for this episode: If you’ve got Flopzilla already, do some hand reading practice with showdown hands you’ve played and that you don’t remember. See how accurate you are in your final assessment of the opponent’s range. If you don’t have Flopzilla yet, either get the ‘Hand Reading Lab’ that comes with a license to use Flopzilla with my offer code “smart” or go to www.Flopzilla.com to download it for a free 7 day trial and do some hand reading practice on the house.

Purchase the Hand Reading Lab with my affiliate offer code

I got the ‘Hand Reading Lab’ and it’s the best poker course I’ve ever experienced and I truly feel it’s worth every penny.

The course contains everything you need to master the skill and art of hand reading:

  • 27 videos
  • Powerful Guides and Exercises
  • A 2-hour Hand Reading Webinar
  • A Hand Reading LIVE Tags video from Red Chip Poker
  • A Flopzilla License
  • A set of custom Flopzilla Ranges to help you hand read opponents and use Flopzilla successfully

Click here and use my affiliate offer code “smart” at checkout to get the Hand Reading Lab course and these two additional bonuses:

  1. Splitsuit’s popular ‘Playing 3bet Pots’ video series
  2. Entry into my Hand Reading Webinar on July 9th at 10am Pacific (just send me your HRL purchase confirmation)

Hosted by Sky Matsuhashi, poker player, poker coach and author. 

Please visit my poker strategy website at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com and sign up for the Smart Poker Study Newsletter for weekly strategy, study and poker play tips.

Discuss poker with like-minded players at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/discuss

Support my show on Patreon!  http://www.patreon.com/smartpokerstudy

Check out my YouTube Poker Training Channel at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/youtube

Contact Smart Poker Study:

Twitter @smartpokerstudy

Email to sky@smartpokerstudy.com

Beginner Poker Skills, Bovada HUD Usage and my Future eBook | Q&A | Smart Poker Study Podcast #067 0
May 27, 2016

http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/pod67

In today’s Q&A, I answer 3 listener Q’s about what beginning players should understand about poker, using a Bovada HUD and the subject matter of my future eBook and other exclusive content.

Question 1 from Dave (1:30)

Sky,
I am a donk. Where do I begin with my studies? I have many, many of the old school books (Sklansky, Caro, Brunson, Malmuth), but so much has changed. I love your podcasts but some of the concepts (esp the math) are over my head. I am going to purchase the Ed miller book ‘The Course’. You have done a great job presenting it! Please HELP.
-Dave

 

Question 2 from Big T (5:50)

Hi Sky,

Thanks again for your answer about pocket pairs a few weeks ago. I am playing them more often now, not always successfully, but it made me win a few big pots I was very happy about!

1- I’m playing online poker only on Bovada, so do I really need a HUD, and if so, why? 

2- Hand review.

There’s one EP raiser, we’ll call him player A. Another short stack player B calls. I 3bet on the button with AQo. The blinds fold and players A and B both call.  So I’m IP, 3way and the flop comes Ac8sQs.  The pot is 2700 chips, A has 2,100 behind, B has 1,000 behind and I have 1,600.  A goes all in (he covers me) and B (short stack) calls.

I KNEW that A had a flush draw. Not sure if it was a reasonable guess but it is what immediately came to my mind (easy to say it was a good guess now).  I suspect that B has a flush draw as well even though I thought he might have called with an Ace…Either way, it doesn’t matter since I think the player who’s covering me is already on a flush draw.  I call, the turn is another spade and I know that I’m out of the tournament. B ends up winning the pot with a better flush than A.

Now that I’m reviewing it, I realize now that A also had a straight draw (it goes fast during the actual game and I hadn’t noticed that).  So, this leaves me with a few questions:

1- Should I risk my tournament knowing that a spade on the turn or river means I’m out? I thought the odds were good, but I’m still not sure I should have called with 2 pair.

2- Is there any other mistake I made?

3- I would probably not call a 3bet preflop with TJs or A3s as my opponents did. Especially not if I were A and didn’t know what B would do.  Am I wrong and should I call 3bets more often when I’m in their position?

Thanks again for your podcast!

Big T =)

Question 3 from Firaga (15:00)

Sky,

I will be VERY happy to pledge my support in the near future once I can take care of some personal financial goals.  Can you give any more insight as to what the strategy videos and/or ebooks might cover? I don’t know how far in the future you plan your projects but I am interested in hearing about it.

Also, have you enjoyed using WordPress? I am considering using them for hosting a blog (part of my being accountable for my goals) but I am hesitant to commit to a site.

Also, super quick update. I decided that HUSNG are the best games for me right now. (if you don’t remember, Firaga was the one that asked about which discipline to stick with for future profitability and longevity) HUSNG’s combine my desire to learn cash game concepts (all decisions are based on cEV, not ICM) and hand reading with my knowledge of push/fold poker and turbo/hyper turbo experience.  Early results are favorable but too early to get excited. Thank you very much for your last email!

Best regards, Firaga

Hosted by Sky Matsuhashi, poker player, poker coach and author. 

Please visit my poker strategy website at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com and sign up for the Smart Poker Study Newsletter for weekly strategy, study and poker play tips.

Discuss poker with like-minded players at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/discuss

Support my show on Patreon!  http://www.patreon.com/smartpokerstudy

Check out my YouTube Poker Training Channel at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/youtube

Contact Smart Poker Study:

Twitter @smartpokerstudy

Email to sky@smartpokerstudy.com

HAND Reading and Percentage Form | 'The Hand Reading Lab' Part 2 | Smart Poker Study Podcast #066 0
May 24, 2016

http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/pod66

I teach you hand reading using my H.A.N.D. acronym, and how understanding percentage form can lead to better hand reading by assigning more accurate pre-flop ranges.

Podcast Mission (3:30)

My mission for today is to teach you the basic steps of hand reading through my H.A.N.D. acronym.  I’ll also dive into what percentage form is and how it is a crucial part of hand reading.  Take the time right now to answer these questions for yourself before we get to the meat of the today’s podcast:

  1. What steps are involved in hand reading?
  2. How can percentage form help with hand reading?

The H.A.N.D. Reading Steps (4:05)

History

Assign

Narrow

Destroy (or Ditch)

How can percentage form help with hand reading? (13:15)

Podcast Challenge (16:45)

Here’s my challenge to you for this episode:  Practice learning percentage form.  When you know that 5% of hands is 77+ and AK, or that 20% of hands is all pp’s, all broadways and 65s+, then you’ll be a much stronger hand reader.   Start up your favorite poker calculating software like Flopzilla or Pokerstove or Equilab, and make a list of all the hands that fall under each % category: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50 and 60%.  Commit to memorizing these and practice it in your hand history reviews or when you’re actually at the poker table.  If you can get these down, you’ll be far more accurate hand reader than your competition.

Hosted by Sky Matsuhashi, poker player, poker coach and author. 

Please visit my poker strategy website at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com and sign up for the Smart Poker Study Newsletter for weekly strategy, study and poker play tips.

Discuss poker with like-minded players at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/discuss

Check out my YouTube Poker Training Channel at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/youtube

Contact Smart Poker Study:

Twitter @smartpokerstudy

Email to sky@smartpokerstudy.com

SNG Tight is Right, Recording LIVE Hands and Changing Plans | Q&A | Smart Poker Study Podcast #065 0
May 20, 2016

http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/pod64

In today's Q&A, I answer 3 listener Q’s about the “tight is right” SNG philosophy, recording LIVE hands for later review, the profitability of cash vs SNG games and changing your plans mid-hand.

Question 1 from Rob (1:15)

Hi Sky. I totally get the tight is right philosophy of the early levels of a SNG. The early levels can easily amount to only 20 – 30 hands and in that small sample, we don’t always get a decent playable hand in position. On top of that, it is rare to get a playable hand in position with the action folded to you. So for most of the lower levels I’m playing fold’em hold’em and almost always get into a short stack scenario. Any suggestions for the above scenario?

Question 2 from Chris (3:35)

Hi Sky,
I have been listening to your podcasts and find them entertaining and informative. I would like more info on playing live as so far I have found that you focus a lot on online. I play exclusively live and would like better ideas on how to take better notes on hands to be able to study later.
Thanks, Chris

Question 3 from Firaga (9:30)

Good morning! I have two questions for you:
1) When you develop a plan for the flop that involves your plan for further streets, how important is it that you stick to that plan in the middle of the hand, even when presented with clear evidence that your plan may not have been a good plan? Then he goes into an example hand.
2) Prior to Black Friday, I was a winning regular in SNG tournaments, but I also played a lot of cash games. I left poker and returned recently to find SNG traffic is at a crawl compared to what it used to be, and my cash game is way behind the curve. My biggest concern is that long-term, there is more profitability in cash games than SNG's, and that playing in SNG's to build my bankroll will damage my development as a cash-game player. Do you think there is any benefit to playing both regularly (not in the same session, maybe alternating weekly) or do you think it would be better to specialize in one and mix in an occasional sprinkling of the other for variety? Am I worried for no good reason?
I would appreciate any advice you might have.
Best regards, Firaga
 

Hosted by Sky Matsuhashi, poker player, poker coach and author. 

Please visit my poker strategy website at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com and sign up for the Smart Poker Study Newsletter for weekly strategy, study and poker play tips.

Discuss poker with like-minded players at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/discuss

Check out my YouTube Poker Training Channel at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/youtube

Contact Smart Poker Study:

Twitter @smartpokerstudy

Email to sky@smartpokerstudy.com

Learning From Showdowns | 'The Hand Reading Lab' Part 1 | Smart Poker Study Podcast #064 0
May 17, 2016

http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/pod64

I teach you why paying attention to showdowns is absolutely vital in gaining reads on your opponents and improving your hand reading skills.

Podcast Mission (8:40)

My mission for today is to teach you the importance of hand reading and to discuss the what, the why and the how of hand reading.  And I’ll dive into why paying attention to showdowns is vitally important in developing your hand reading skills.  Take the time right now to answer these questions for yourself before we get to the meat of the today’s podcast:

  1. What’s so important about hand reading?
  2. How can showdowns help?

What’s so important about hand reading? (9:15)

How can showdowns help? (11:50)

Podcast Challenge (23:00)

Here’s my challenge to you for this episode: Pay attention to every showdown you see in your next session and for the rest of the week. Your goal is to learn at least one thing from each showdown about how your opponents play their hands, and to take a note each time. The more you practice this, the better you’ll get at remembering the street by street action and using what you learn to exploit your opponents in future hands.

Hosted by Sky Matsuhashi, poker player, poker coach and author. 

Please visit my poker strategy website at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com and sign up for the Smart Poker Study Newsletter for weekly strategy, study and poker play tips.

Discuss poker with like-minded players at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/discuss

Check out my YouTube Poker Training Channel at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/youtube

Contact Smart Poker Study:

Twitter @smartpokerstudy

Email to sky@smartpokerstudy.com

‘SplitSuit’ James Sweeney Interview | Smart Poker Study Podcast #062 0
May 10, 2016

http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/pod62

I interview James ‘SplitSuit’ Sweeney and we discuss poker coaching, player leaks and his hand reading course called ‘The Hand Reading Lab.’    This is a listener Q&A.

Playing and Coaching History

The Hand Reading Lab

New Smart Poker Podcast Series on ‘The Hand Reading Lab’

Hosted by Sky Matsuhashi, poker player, poker coach and author. 

Please visit my poker strategy website at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com and sign up for the Smart Poker Study Newsletter for weekly strategy, study and poker play tips.

Discuss poker with like-minded players at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/discuss

Check out my YouTube Poker Training Channel at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/youtube

Get 'The Hand Reading Lab' and use offer code "smart" at http://www.splitsuit.com/hrl

Contact Smart Poker Study:

Twitter @smartpokerstudy

Email to sky@smartpokerstudy.com

Tilt, Playing LIVE Cash, Facing Check-raises and the Colossus II | Q&A | Smart Poker Study Podcast #061 0
May 6, 2016

http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/pod61

I answer 3 listener Q’s about handling surprise tilt, facing check-raises and whether or not I head to the Colossus II this summer.   This is a listener Q&A.

Question 1 from Firaga (3:40)

Greetings Sky,
I am currently building a bankroll on ACR, starting at 2NL. I have made great improvements and have plans in place for fixing many of my leaks, but I’m struggling with a plan of attack for this one.
I find that when a villain does something completely unexpected (i.e. 3-bet shoving 200bb or showing down a hand I hadn’t thought of in their range) I think about it for the rest of the session, and even for days afterwards.
I try to take the GTD approach and mark the hand for review, but that doesn’t stop this compulsive obsessing. I plan on reading the mental game over poker next month, is there anything else you think I could do?
Thank you very much for doing what you do.
– Firaga
 

Question 2 from Sen (8:10)

Hi Sky,
Do you provide any material on playing poker live?
Also, can you provide some feedback regarding the beginning of your session? Would you recommend playing tight like 10% of starting hands or LAG like 45% or play your traditional TAG approach? I play LIVE 1-2 only and have been effected by variance and I think that I get into a lot of marginal spots at the start and lose a flip and play terribly afterwards.
I find that I’m getting check raised a lot after being the pre-flop raiser, even though I have top pair top kicker. I raised with AQo, flopped Q53 rainbow, gets checked to me, I bet and get check-raised. What do I do in these spots? Call and validate the turn or fold on the flop b/c my opponents are raising w/2p+? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
 

Question 3 from Sam (14:30)

Hi Sky,
Thanks for the podcast!
You said before you went to the WSOP. Are you going again this year? If so, what events will you play?
Keep it up!
-Sam

Challenge (16:25)

Here’s my challenge to you for this episode: Send your questions my way. I’m only able to do these Q&A’s if you’re sending some Q’s to me, so keep ‘em flowing.

Hosted by Sky Matsuhashi, poker player, poker coach and author. 

Please visit my poker strategy website at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com and sign up for the Smart Poker Study Newsletter for weekly strategy, study and poker play tips.

Discuss poker with like-minded players at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/discuss

Check out my YouTube Poker Training Channel at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/youtube

Contact Smart Poker Study:

Twitter @smartpokerstudy

Email to sky@smartpokerstudy.com

Maximizing Your HUD Part 4: Percentage Form and Color Coding for the Win | Smart Poker Study Podcast #060 0
May 3, 2016

I teach you about percentage form and how to color code your HUD stats for quick and easy reference and to find frequency issues in your opponent’s games.  

Podcast Mission (2:55)

My mission for today is to teach you how you should think about the stat %’s in your HUD and color code them to make it quick and easy to find your opponent’s frequency issues.

What do these numbers really mean? (4:00)

Percentage Form (4:45)

Color Coding for the Win (12:05)

Podcast Challenge (16:10)

Here’s my challenge to you for this episode: Create some of your own color coding ranges for the most important stats in your HUD. I recommend doing this for the stats mentioned today, as well as Attempt to Steal, Fold to Cbet, # of Hands Played and VPIP. Take the time to create these on your own, giving careful thought to what the percentages mean. Use Equilab, Flopzilla or some other software to aid you in this process. This practice of thinking about each individual stat and what the possible percentages mean will be great for your ongoing poker development.

Hosted by Sky Matsuhashi, poker player, poker coach and author. 

Please visit my poker strategy website at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com and sign up for the Smart Poker Study Newsletter for weekly strategy, study and poker play tips.

Discuss poker with like-minded players at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/discuss

Check out my YouTube Poker Training Channel at http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/youtube

Contact Smart Poker Study:

Twitter @smartpokerstudy

Email to sky@smartpokerstudy.com

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