Q&a With Steve7stud

[gfdsa146 0]

Sample size...I think i've played .02/.05 about 5 times, averaging an hour each time. Each time i've played at a 6-max fast cash game table. Hands per hour run at anywhere from 70-150+, so i guess 350-750+ hands.

[Actuary 3]

Sample size...I think i've played .02/.05 about 5 times, averaging an hour each time. Each time i've played at a 6-max fast cash game table. Hands per hour run at anywhere from 70-150+, so i guess 350-750+ hands.

this sample size is essentially meaningless when diagnosing your play vs variance.Post specific hands and play at least 10k more.

[navybuttons 15]

so i'm kind of caught in this weird phase. like i'm doing just fine at the table and am happy to play nearly every day. i'm currently playing solely HULHE and it seems like i get in this funk where i only want to put in 500 hands a day (which is still a pretty decent number). after i'm done playing for the day i get excited about playing 1K hands the next day and for the rest of the month. i calculate my expectation and what level i could possibly move to and when if i play those thousand hands each day.i even wake up excited to start grinding and put in the 1K hands. but somewhere around hand 500 i don't want to play anymore. winning or losing i'm just not motived and can't seem to bring myself to play. in the rare rare days where i do put in 1K hands or more i feel i'm still playing very well. (and i'm pretty objective about my play i would say). have you ever had the same sort of tendencies? any ideas to keep myself motivated past the hump? think i should pick up some motivational books?thanks-navy

[antistuff 0]

so i'm kind of caught in this weird phase. like i'm doing just fine at the table and am happy to play nearly every day. i'm currently playing solely HULHE and it seems like i get in this funk where i only want to put in 500 hands a day (which is still a pretty decent number). after i'm done playing for the day i get excited about playing 1K hands the next day and for the rest of the month. i calculate my expectation and what level i could possibly move to and when if i play those thousand hands each day.i even wake up excited to start grinding and put in the 1K hands. but somewhere around hand 500 i don't want to play anymore. winning or losing i'm just not motived and can't seem to bring myself to play. in the rare rare days where i do put in 1K hands or more i feel i'm still playing very well. (and i'm pretty objective about my play i would say). have you ever had the same sort of tendencies? any ideas to keep myself motivated past the hump? think i should pick up some motivational books?thanks-navy

maybe break up your play into two or three sessions throughout the day.

[navybuttons 15]

maybe break up your play into two or three sessions throughout the day.

i do that already with breaks and the like.

[Balloon guy 158]

i do that already with breaks and the like.

Hopefully you will now learn to stop setting goals

[BudBundy 0]

Hi Steve.Is PLO really a beatable game?Thanks.

[Ouch-8s 4]

Hi SteveThis interview made me think of what we all know about your program. Have you listened to it, and if so, what are your thoughts?http://www.pokerroad.com/cash_plays/4-15-08/

[gfdsa146 0]

Being that we don't have many authorities on kansas city lowball here on FCP, I figured you'd be as good a person to be asking for a little guidance.http://www.fullcontactpoker.com/poker-foru...howtopic=126335

[GWCGWC 83]

What's the lowest LHE limit you think someone could sustain themselves on playing live?If I took a month off work to play LHE, do you think I should play in Vegas or LA? Specific casino's? I'd be looking for games at the 15/30 and 30/60 level. Also, I'd need to be able to move up in limits if I play/run well in the beginning. I would also like to have the ability to play some NL tournies for a change of pace and a shot at a BR boost. If you think the games are really good in LA at that level, then do you have any suggestions about an extended stay hotel that's kind of close safe?

[uncooper 1]

What's the lowest LHE limit you think someone could sustain themselves on playing live?

Quick, before Steve gets here, you should probably include a bit about your monthly expenses and how many hours you could put in per week. Otherwise it seems like it would be impossible to answer.

[GWCGWC 83]

Quick, before Steve gets here, you should probably include a bit about your monthly expenses and how many hours you could put in per week. Otherwise it seems like it would be impossible to answer.

I'm trying to take a month to play live exclusively. I'd expect to be playing 9-12 hrs per day, 7 days per week. It's kind of testing the waters so to speak. I want to see if I can win consistently, avoid leaks (the pit/sports betting), and make good decisions about getting out of the game when I'm not playing well or I'm too tired to play. I understand those questions are impossible to answer but I'm leaning towards Vegas simply because I'm familiar with the city and know my way around a bit. I've never been to LA but I hear the LHE games are good. I wouldn't really expect Steve to know the answer to the lower limits but maybe he has an idea from some of his friends. The reason I asked about the lowest level that could sustain a living is because I've found a 15/30 25/50 kill LHE game that is impossible to lose at. I just don't think the game can keep running since it's in Albuquerque NM and there isn't enough money to keep funding the winning players, imo. It's a 6hr drive each way for me so I can only hit this game up on the weekends. 5K+ per month is what I meant by sustaining a living.

[steve7stud 0]

Hi Steve.Is PLO really a beatable game?Thanks.

Yes it can be.

Hi SteveThis interview made me think of what we all know about your program. Have you listened to it, and if so, what are your thoughts?http://www.pokerroad.com/cash_plays/4-15-08/

I haven't listened to it.

Being that we don't have many authorities on kansas city lowball here on FCP, I figured you'd be as good a person to be asking for a little guidance.http://www.fullcontactpoker.com/poker-foru...howtopic=126335

I've played 2-7 triple draw on a regular basis for the last several years. I've only played no limit single draw a couple of times. To be honest, I didn't really like the no limit games.

What's the lowest LHE limit you think someone could sustain themselves on playing live?If I took a month off work to play LHE, do you think I should play in Vegas or LA? Specific casino's? I'd be looking for games at the 15/30 and 30/60 level. Also, I'd need to be able to move up in limits if I play/run well in the beginning. I would also like to have the ability to play some NL tournies for a change of pace and a shot at a BR boost. If you think the games are really good in LA at that level, then do you have any suggestions about an extended stay hotel that's kind of close safe?

A friend of mine made about 50k for the year playing 10-20 lhe. He was very conservative and didn't move up the entire year. I would reccomend playing and staying at Commerce. The hotel is Crowne Plaza. You will find a variety of limit games ranging from 10-20..40-80. They don't have a 30-60.Good Luck.

[uncooper 1]

I'd expect to be playing 9-12 hrs per day, 7 days per week.

I think you might want to talk to some "full-time" pros and re-evaluate. I think this is optimistic by quite a margin.

[David_Nicoson 1]

I think you might want to talk to some "full-time" pros and re-evaluate. I think this is optimistic by quite a margin.

QFT. Gary, I played a lot less than that (maybe 50 hrs a week) and it was still way too much for me. My winrate suffered *a lot* when I added more hours.I can't speak to the quality of the limit games, but I prefer the atmosphere of the Bike to the Commerce. It's not nearly the size, though.

[GWCGWC 83]

Steve, Do you find the number of chips required to make bets makes players play differently on the turn and river in LHE? I'm not sure how to ask this question correctly so here's an example:10/20 LHE game using $5 chips means 2 chips to call p/f where as the 20/40 game using $5 chips takes 4 chips to call. I've noticed the more actual chips it takes to make a bet, the looser people play the turn and river. Do you think this is a constant or do you think my experience is unique to the players in the game and the low limits I play?

I think you might want to talk to some "full-time" pros and re-evaluate. I think this is optimistic by quite a margin.

If I were playing for a living instead of just a month, I'd probably cut those hours back.

QFT. Gary, I played a lot less than that (maybe 50 hrs a week) and it was still way too much for me. My winrate suffered *a lot* when I added more hours.I can't speak to the quality of the limit games, but I prefer the atmosphere of the Bike to the Commerce. It's not nearly the size, though.

Keep in mind, I don't have kids and a wife. Also, I'll be minutes away from a table. I don't really drink and I'll be alone so there won't be much else to do other than play poker. Whether I go to Vegas for 3 days or 10 days, I've noticed I put in over ten hours consistently every day Usually more. That's all I had to base my numbers on.

[David_Nicoson 1]

Keep in mind, I don't have kids and a wife. Also, I'll be minutes away from a table. I don't really drink and I'll be alone so there won't be much else to do other than play poker. Whether I go to Vegas for 3 days or 10 days, I've noticed I put in over ten hours consistently every day Usually more. That's all I had to base my numbers on.

I hear you, but I still think it's too much, even for a month.

[booyaga 0]

I'm trying to take a month to play live exclusively. I'd expect to be playing 9-12 hrs per day, 7 days per week. It's kind of testing the waters so to speak. I want to see if I can win consistently, avoid leaks (the pit/sports betting), and make good decisions about getting out of the game when I'm not playing well or I'm too tired to play. I understand those questions are impossible to answer but I'm leaning towards Vegas simply because I'm familiar with the city and know my way around a bit. I've never been to LA but I hear the LHE games are good. I wouldn't really expect Steve to know the answer to the lower limits but maybe he has an idea from some of his friends. The reason I asked about the lowest level that could sustain a living is because I've found a 15/30 25/50 kill LHE game that is impossible to lose at. I just don't think the game can keep running since it's in Albuquerque NM and there isn't enough money to keep funding the winning players, imo. It's a 6hr drive each way for me so I can only hit this game up on the weekends. 5K+ per month is what I meant by sustaining a living.

bftand ship some mobneys my way on stars please ;)like 2kthanks

[Giggidy 0]

I think that's a fair statement. A lot of people don't realize that they are tilting until it's too late. Poker can be an emotional game because you are dealing with money. Nobody likes losing money. In fact nobody likes losing, period. Tilt can be defined in many different ways. Some people play crazy and bet, raise, etc. Others quietly sneak in a few more hands than they would normally play. Barry often said that he was successful because he was better prepared than his opponents. Preparation has a lot to do with winning. That is something that few poker players truly understand.

Just read most of this thread, interesting read - What things have you worked on to help the mental aspect of your game? From working with the the S7S students, has there been any common issues with regard to mental approach?Are there any fairly reliable live 'tells'?

[steve7stud 0]

Just read most of this thread, interesting read - What things have you worked on to help the mental aspect of your game? From working with the the S7S students, has there been any common issues with regard to mental approach?Are there any fairly reliable live 'tells'?

I had a lot of things that I needed to work on at various points in my career. Discipline, money management, tilt, game selection, ego, etc. The list is pretty extesnive. These days I feel like I have a pretty good grasp.I don't think I have seen common issues. At times some people have been lazy, but that is normal for poker players. I have found that if people keep an open mind and do the work, they will succeed.Tells are hard to identify at various limits. The reason for that is because the higher you play, the more aware people are. So they can give off false tells. I'm not a great person to talk to when it comes to tells. I think that I read people really well. But that is at the limits that I play. I might not read people well at lower limits.

[Naked_Cowboy 0]

if we're ever in vegas at the same time would you consider playing a HU freezeout for a couple thousand in stud-8 or O-8 and letting me buy you dinner afterwards for some advice on how to elevate my play in those games? I find it's extremely hard to find good direct resources in these games once you reach a level of moderate competency.

[steve7stud 0]

if we're ever in vegas at the same time would you consider playing a HU freezeout for a couple thousand in stud-8 or O-8 and letting me buy you dinner afterwards for some advice on how to elevate my play in those games? I find it's extremely hard to find good direct resources in these games once you reach a level of moderate competency.

Sure I'll play you hu.

[nosoul 0]

Do you find the number of chips required to make bets makes players play differently on the turn and river in LHE? I'm not sure how to ask this question correctly so here's an example:10/20 LHE game using $5 chips means 2 chips to call p/f where as the 20/40 game using $5 chips takes 4 chips to call.

I talked to one of the managers at a poker room in Vegas and they said this is a known phenomenon. We asked why they had limits like $4/$8. Why not just make it $5/$10 and use even denominations for the bets? He said it's a known thing that when the pots appear bigger (i.e. more chips in them) people play looser, so they use $4/$8 as the limit so that people play with a lot of white chips instead of a few red chips. This makes them play looser, which makes the pots bigger, which gives them more profit from the rake.

[TheCinciKid 0]

I talked to one of the managers at a poker room in Vegas and they said this is a known phenomenon. We asked why they had limits like $4/$8. Why not just make it $5/$10 and use even denominations for the bets? He said it's a known thing that when the pots appear bigger (i.e. more chips in them) people play looser, so they use $4/$8 as the limit so that people play with a lot of white chips instead of a few red chips. This makes them play looser, which makes the pots bigger, which gives them more profit from the rake.

And FWIW, this makes the game better for the few good players who do play in it. I'd much rather play a 4/8 game than 5/10 because people do tend to play nittier at 5/10. I'd also rather play 6/12 than 5/10. In fact, there used to be a 6/12 game at the Argosy Casino in Cincinnati that was ridiculously easy to beat on weekends. I went back a few months after I moved and couldn't play anymore, and they'd switched to 5/10 and the game was nittier.