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Actually, I've been wanting to talk about something for a while now, and this seems like a good opportunity.
I realize I have a reputation as kind of nitty, specifically when it comes to game selection (and BR management). While I understand where that reputation comes from, I think that my personal philosophy on game selection is misunderstood.
People judging me for that reputation is one thing, and that's fine, but I realize that some poker players(especially BFP members) will make some of their career choices based on my opinion (or based on what they think my opinion is), which is why I'd like to clear this up.
I am in a situation unlike 99+% of pro poker players. The pool of games that are available to me are very unlike the pool of games available to most of you. Because of that, the 'off the table' decisions I make don't neccesarily reflect the decisions I believe you should make.
Basically, there are games that run at 200/400-500/1k (and equivelant for limit games), then there are games that run at 25/50. The 25/50 games run semiregularly, and the bigger games are very sporadic. Sometimes they are great, sometimes they're completely dead.
The larger games are definitely not 'soft', but when you look at how tough they 'should' be, they come in below that. What I mean by that is that the difference in skill between levels like $1/2, $2/4, $3/6, $5/10, $10/20 is somewhat uniform... as you go up in stakes, the games get a little bit tougher. Some people could beat 5/10, but can multitable and crush 2/4, and they realize that's a better use of their time.
Anyways, I was going to get into a long explanation, assigning toughness values to different stakes, but I realize now that most of you will get the point anyways. The skill difference between 25/50 and 200/400 is MUCH smaller than the difference between .50/1 and 5/10 or 10/20. A guy eeking out a small winrate at 10/20 would never drop down to .50/1 and multitable it and expect to make more money. However, that's comparable to the situation I'm in with nosebleeds and 25/50, in terms of the drop in stakes.
Basically, if I can beat the nosebleeds (I think I can), my earn rate there is substantially higher than my hourly at 25/50, and there is nothing in between.
Because of that, being too broke to play in the big games would be exteremly costly for me. And because of THAT, I need to avoid risking putting myself out of nosebleed action at almost all costs. This means passing up on +EV, high variance situations left and right.
Yes, HSDB and other sites will tell you I've made a lot of money playing poker. However, I've paid a lot in taxes and spent a ton on my home. Anyone who assumes I'm sitting here with an active, liquid $5m bankroll isn't thinking very hard.
With the insane stakes and swings that are possible there, I need to be very careful in order to stay in action. (Yes, if I lost a lot, I could sell 75% of myself and still play, but what's the point then?) This means not playing games where I expect to be making 1pt/100 or less, or games where I'm not even sure I have an edge but I might. I can take small shots in games like that, but I can't play them long term.
So, back to everyone else. What do I think you should be doing? If you're planning on being a long term pro, and you are living comfortably enough that you don't need your monthly winnings to pay bills, I think you should be playing in tough HU matches all the time.
That's right. I, Phil 'nit' Galfond, believe that playing in tough games is a good idea.
If you look back at the career of any nosebleed player, you will find a history of playing tons of tough hu matches and tough 6max games. It's absolutely neccesary in order to reach your potential as a player.
Many people didn't pay attention before a couple years ago, but on my way from 5/10nl to nosebleeds, I played almost everyone, at every level. Most of my upswing on my way to nosebleeds came from HU NL matches. I definitely played many HU matches as an underdog, and many many more that were too close to know who was best. I played in pretty much whatever 6m game was running at the stakes I was playing. (I also had terrible BR management... for example, playing Ivey at 300/600 with a 300k roll, but I don't recommend doing that)
If there were 50/100 and 100/200 games running regularly, I'd be taking on anyone HU when there were no other games running and I felt like playing poker. It's fun and interesting, and it's EXTREMELY good for your game.
As far as what you should do, you obviously shouldn't spend 100% of your time playing in neutral EV games. However, when there aren't as many good 6m games, or you aren't getting soft HU action, you should absolutely be taking on a reg, in my opinion. Sitting at your computer, waiting alone on 10 HU tables while you talk to your friends on AIM is not helping your career as a poker player. Even when you do snag a fish, you're much better off in terms of overall EV 6 tabling a tough reg than 1 or 2 tabling a semifish with 50bb.
If you lose a bunch of buyins at $3/6, you can step down to $2/4 and your hourly won't be hurt much. I don't have that option, which is why I have to be nittier, and why this post probably sounds hypocritical.
Please understand, this is not at all an "I'm frustrated I get no HU action and wish worse players would play against me" whine post. Yes, I'd love it if there were always 15 25/50 games running and I could just hop in anytime an grind and the games wouldn't break. That't far from my point.
I get sad and embarrassed when I look at the FTP or Stars midstakes tables.
This post is a "It would be better for you personally, for the poker economy, and for the enjoyment casual players get from poker if you played in tougher games"
-Phil
PS. - Some side notes:
-Think of how embarrassing and not fun it must be for a casual player to step into the NL games at the stakes you play.
-I realize that I still COULD play tough HU games at nosebleeds, and that some people still will disrespect the fact that I don't, even after my explanation. I think it's not a wise career choice for me, which is why I don't do it, but I definitely understand people thinking that's not cool. I have a ton of respect for the guys who take on everybody, even for seemingly large chunks of their roll... Tom, Ivey, Gus, Patrik, Niki, Isildur, Benyamine, etc. They are more brave than I am and they absolutely should be respected for that |
-Phil Galfond's blog, 2010.
Time to challenge myself. I found the rake at NL50 to be ridiculous to play HU as money is just vaporising when playing an equally good/better active opponent.
Right now I am taking constant shots at NL100 by mixing in a table or two with NL50, and when I do get there and get those 50 BIs, playing HU will be a great option.
I absolutely agree that sometimes I get the feeling like I am not challenging myself, start posting on LP whle playing, chating etc. I am trying to see a session that doesn't produce hands worth thorough analysis as a failure.
Stagnation leads to boredom, boredom leads to tilt and not caring which leads to spewing of stacks. Hope you liked the read, post your opinion.
P.S. Personal update -I did play poker despite planning otherwise as I started and finished the 3.5k report on Considerations of cultural differences when internationalising business generally and in Iraq during 5 hours. Next report is due next Thursday.
Last 10k hands snapshot (pure 3-4 table, mixed HU and a couple NL100 hands). You know I don't post these and I don't think they are relevant but Uptown questioned my ambitions as a pro and I know you guys do care about these snapshots, so I am showing it to get some respec' xD
+ Show Spoiler +
I saw some 30 videos on DC and BFP in the last 10 days as I was ill most of the month and still am.
(Raging Bull series - Brochen is in one of them  , Where the buffalo roam series, 3 NL50 vids, 5+ DC Shorts, 5 Thin redline vids (sick sick hands in the last one!), some DC homegames and FWfiend vs Krantz HU, Krantz v some NL50 kids HU, and I think also some other fun stuff I clicked on.
Galfond has new 2/4 vids on BFP and its awesome as always
I reccomend all of these pretty much)
I also keep reviewing hands and marking shit spots/getting into marginal spots with creative lines at NL50. My NL100 strategy is pretty much nit it up and abuse my image after people get hands on me to play without risk as my edge is much smaller.
Also, I believe I induced Night to post a blog on HEM analysis by my insulting comments which led in return to me fiddling with HEM filters and Leak buster for some 6 hours straight and seeing where I am losing money. Good stuff, LP doesn't provide much valauble content tbh but the contacts and motivation I get here are priceless.
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