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http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/pod75
I answer 3 listener Q’s about the legality of online poker in the US, plugging LIVE poker leaks and the study habits of the pros.
Question 1 from Wendy (1:20)
Hi Sky!
I wanted to support you on Patreon because I really appreciate your attitude. I want to start playing poker online but I’m really scared to start. I want to start at the smallest level possible and work my way up. I’ve been listening to your podcasts and doing extra research on things like poker software and, as I told you before, various different ways to calculate the math. The thing I most appreciate about your approach is you emphasize the value of studying and testing one thing at a time. 
I don’t really understand the legal stuff either since I’m in Virginia and I don’t know if I can play for money if I log in from this state?
Thanks so much, Wendy
Question 2 from Gerald (5:10)
Hi Sky,
I have a question that could, maybe, be a podcast discussion.
I hear a lot about fixing leaks but my question is, how do we find our leaks? I am, primarily, a live player so I don’t have stats, numbers, HH or spreadsheets to look at.
Any help with pin pointing leaks as a live player would be GREAT!!
Keep up the good work. Love your podcasts,
Gerald
Question 3 from Jim (8:55)
Sky,
I’ve read where Pro Poker players spend most of their time studying poker, not playing
What exactly are they studying?
Thanks, Jim
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
http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/pod74
Podcast Mission (2:50)
My mission for today is to teach you about having a growth mindset when it comes to hand reading. Hand reading is a skill you can develop, not some gift given only to a select few poker geniuses. With hand reading you’ll often be incorrect, but having that growth mindset in place will propel you to learn from your mistakes.
A growth mindset vs a fixed mindset (3:25)
Growth mindset within the rest of poker (11:55)
Podcast Challenge (17:20)
Here’s my challenge to you for this episode: Assess whether or not you have a fixed mindset regarding any part of poker. Do you avoid playing suited connectors or pocket pairs because of a few bad experiences? Do you fold every BB because you don’t know how to defend and don’t want to look like a fool? Do you never check-raise or cbet OOP or 3bet pre-flop or even bluff because you’re scared of making a mistake and losing chips? If you answer yes to any of these, then you’ve found an area where you may have a fixed mindset which limits your growth. Resolve to get over this, learn new skills, attempt scary or new plays and be willing to make mistakes. Develop that growth mindset and take your game to the next level.
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
http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/pod73
I answer 3 listener Q’s about pre-flop calling ranges, learning from hand showdowns on Americas Cardroom and playing SNG’s at the WSOP.
Question 1 from Kris (1:20)
Sky, I enjoyed listening to your podcast and it is very helpful to think of this subject because the more I contemplate on it the more I realize I have never actually done it. How much does the tight EP opener open for?
So here’s my answer:
- If the EP raiser is tight passive I’m certainly going to open my calling range wider while 3 betting light a little more of the time
- If the EP raiser is a standard TAG this is my calling range: (I would only call a percentage of the time to mix up my game) 22-QQ, 54s-AKs, 64s-AQs, A4s-A6s
I would occasionally 3 bet light if I had a physical read on the player and if the antes have kicked in. With the above range I’m a 44% dog vs the top 15% of ranges, but if I flop well then my hand is disguised plus I can outplay the opp on the flop.
With 100bb stacks, implied odds are still there to a certain extent but I still feel there are a few more variables that play into my decision. Well I look forward to reading your response.
Thanks, Kris
Question 2 from Herodotis (8:05)
Hello Sky,
I really love the podcast and you have motivated me to take my poker study to a new level. I am looking for a bit of help filtering hands from ACR in PT4. Problem is that when I am away from the table ranging opponents, when I get to the showdown only some of my opponents hands show up. I know that ACR does not show mucked hands but is there some sort of way I can filter out the hands that will not be shown at showdown. Right now I have it set to only filter hands that went to showdown that I lost because all of those hands show up. However, I am looking for something that will help me study my winning hands as well. Also I am looking for something to tell me if my position versus position cold calling ranges are too tight or too loose. I know this is a situational question but I am hoping you might cover these types of cold calling ranges versus a typical TAG.
Thanks for what you do and keep on keepin on.
Very Respectfully, HERODOTUS
Question 3 from Scott (14:45)
Binked a single table and made a deal. Have $500 lammer I don’t know how to sell. Ideas?
– Scott
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
http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/pod72
Today I teach you why exploring your pre-flop calling ranges will improve your frequencies and give you better insight into your opp’s pre-flop hand ranges.
Podcast Mission (2:20)
My mission for today is to show you how important it is to explore your own pre-flop ranges, and how you can go about doing so by yourself away from the tables. Take the time right now to answer these questions for yourself before we get to the meat of the today’s podcast:
- Why would exploring my own pre-flop calling ranges improve my poker skills?
- How can I explore my pre-flop calling ranges on my own?
Why would exploring my own pre-flop calling ranges improve my poker skills? (3:00)
How can I explore my pre-flop calling ranges on my own? (12:05)
Podcast Challenge (19:35)
Here’s my challenge to you for this episode: Get started figuring out your own pre-flop calling ranges with this very common situation: You’ve got 100bb’s, on the BTN vs a tight EP opener. We face this all the time, so what would you call with? Figure this out for yourself and let me know your answer via email. I’ll respond with my own calling range here. Maybe we can learn a little something from each other.
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
http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/pod71
In today’s Q&A, instead of answering the usual 3 listener questions, I’ll hit the SPS Poker Facebook Group and checkout some questions and answers from the amazing poker people within the group.
Checking out the Poker Facebook Group Timeline (2:50)
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
http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/pod70
Today I discuss going to the WSOP, give you some LIVE tourney tips and discuss some of the lessons I learned from playing in this year’s Colossus II.
Heading to the WSOP (1:45)
LIVE Tourney Tips (10:40)
Lessons Learned (19:45)
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
http://www.smartpokerstudy.com/pod69
In today’s Q&A, I answer 3 listener Q’s about considerations for tourney sponsorships, adjusting from 6max cash to 9max cash tables and putting ‘The ONE Thing’ to use in my poker career.
Question 1 from Eva (2:30)
Good morning!
I have a strange poker question about sponsorship. I play in a free league and recently, several people have offered to sponsor me in some tournaments. The reason I haven’t accepted as of yet is because they are requesting even percentages. I don’t have a problem affording the tournaments, so I’m not sure why I would accept this. Are sponsorships usually for an even percentage? Do you have any advice in regards to this?
Thank you, Eva
Question 2 from Gary (5:25)
Just a suggestion. I am a very new guy to Hold ’em poker and have been reading and watching videos and podcasts, etc… I seem to grasp the strategy of 6max micro cash games, I guess, but I’m having trouble when I move to 9max games. I’ve been looking for a source of information that gives a good explanation as to the adjustments I need to make when switching from one format table to the other. 6 max seems to be more natural for me to play but I would like to get enough confidence to play live 1-2 at my local casino.
Thanks, Gary
Question 3 from Ken (9:35)
Thanks for agreeing to help me I really appreciate it!
On another note, I am a big fan of self-improvement books also. I read The One Thing and always had trouble adapting it to my busy life and even understanding how to do it. If you ever have time I would love to hear about your methods and success with it.
Again, thanks for your help and for the podcast. I think you have a great format and I am really enjoying and benefiting from it.
Best Regards, Ken
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