I answer 3 listener Q’s about MTT Leak filtering in PT4, tracking LIVE players and ranging an opponent when we hit TPTK on a scary mono board.

In episode 49 I helped you plug the leak of betting or raising without a good reason, which often leads to spew.

Question 1 (2:35)

Hello Sky,

Thanks for the great podcast.

I have a hand I would like some feedback on.

I'm playing a €20 buy-in live tournament. About 18 of 22 players are left, so we're still nowhere near the bubble. I just moved tables and don't know my new opponents, but everyone in the field is decent and knows at least solid ABC poker strategy.

My stack is about 17.000 and blinds are 150-300, 25 ante.
We're 9 handed and I'm dealt AdKd in middle position.

UTG limps
I raise to 1.100.
Cut-off calls and UTG calls. CO has about the same stack as me.

Flop comes K 8 7 all spades. Pot is about 4.000. Effective stack is about 16.000.

UTG checks, I bet 1.500. My reasoning is that I don't want to slowplay what might well be the best hand now in a three way pot, and maybe make weak flush draws fold. CO & UTG call.

Turn is a 4 of clubs. Pot is about 8.500. Effective stack is about 14.500.

UTG checks, I bet 4.000 because I want to give draws a bad price to call. CO calls, UTG folds.

River is a 10 of clubs. Pot is about 16.500.
Effective stack is about 10.500.

Now I'm thinking CO won't call three streets with anything worse than my hand. However, I realise that a check shows that I don't feel very strong and gives him the opportunity to bluff me out of the pot. However, I don't want to risk my tournament life so I check, and CO shoves (about 10.500). I saw no other option than to fold, but wonder how I got myself into this situation. How should I have played this hand?

Keep up the good work and good luck at the tables.

Greetings, Mathrim C

• Start by assuming your opponent's pre-flop range and entering it in
• As the action progresses, ask yourself, “What would he be (calling/betting/raising) with here?
• Narrow it down in Flopzilla in the “Statistics” section.  Count the combos as you go.
• Use break-even math as you go
• Think about the bets/raises you made.  Every bet/raise should be for isolation, value or as a bluff
• Keep in mind the 4/2 rule and base your calls and bets on this to make your calls profitable and your opponent's call unprofitable

Question 2 (6:00)

You mention your HUD a lot but what do you do when you play LIVE tournaments? How do you track things then?
Also, where can I play online for real cash since I live in the USA?
Derrick aka (Ty4thaChips)

• Americas Cardroom – Software allowed; lots of cash action; get 27% Rakeback with code SPSPOD; SNG's are almost nil, but lots of regular speed MTT's.
• Carbon – Software allowed; lots of MTT's and SNG's running; cash game action is a little slower than ACR; no rakeback, but the offer reload bonuses
• Ignition/Bovada – Software allowed but anonymous play (like playing LIVE vs unknowns); very soft fields in all forms of the game; cash/MTT and SNG.
• For LIVE MTT tracking, I use Evernote like a notepad to track my reads on opponents. I list seat numbers and names if I know them.  I'll note things like player type and specific actions like “UTG OL QQ, slowplayed top set ft shove river”.

Question 3 (11:05)

Good morning, do you happen to know of any more usefully tricks on creating filters in pt4. I play tournaments, so I'm trying to filter out hands that can help find leaks in my game. I have over 40000 hands and I'm willing to review each one, but it would be nice to filter it down. Also, I've been trying find questions to ask my self during hand reviews if you have any that be nice too. Thank you, Jaime

• When running MTT leak filters, you want to look at your overall numbers for the relevant stats, and you want to look at them by position as well. You're looking for inconsistencies in frequencies, like a Flop Cbet of 75% then a big drop-off to 35% on the turn.
• And make sure you have this leak plugging mentality:

I know I’m losing money doing something wrong, so I’m going to fix it and improve my game.

• In PokerTracker 4, filter for Steal Opportunities – Actions and Opportunities >> Preflop Opportunities >> Steal Opp (On) and also turn on “Folded preflop” – Analyze the hands you're passing up steal opportunities with. Consider the players in the blinds and their stack sizes and your hand strength. Are there good opportunities you're passing up? Are you not stealing b/c you're scared?
• Filter for Cold Call hands pre-flop – AO >> Preflop calls >> “Cold Called Preflop” (On) – Analyze your pre-flop cold calling hands. Are you calling with too wide of ranges? Are you calling too much OOP? Are you missing good 3bet opportunities b/c you're scared?
• Filter for 3bet Calls – AO >> Preflop calls >> “Called any 3bet” (On) – Don't call 3bets too wide pre-flop with small-med pp's.  Sets hit only 1 out of every 9 times, so you’re missing and folding 8 out of 9 times.  Hitting the set doesn't guarantee you'll stack the opponent, so this is a losing play in general.
• Filter for Flop Fold to Cbet – AO >> Flop >> Flop Folds >> “Folded to Cbet” (On) – Are you a fit-or-fold player? Are you staying in only when you flop a strong pair or a draw? Are you considering how the board hits your opp and his Cbet stat to see if he's likely just on a cbet bluff?
• When doing HH reviews one important thing you should do is always put your opp on a pre-flop range and narrow it as the hand progresses. Here are some questions to get you started:
  • What's his pf range based on his call/bet/raise?
  • How does the flop connect with his range? What hands in his range could've made the flop bet/call/raise/ckb/or c/r that he did?
  • What hands would continue on this turn card? What hands raise or c/r? What hands just call down?
  • What hands make the river play he did?

Podcast Challenge (17:10)

Here’s my challenge to you for this episode: Visit the show notes page and watch that HH review video I made for Matrim (if you're reading this, great!). Also, visit the show notes for all future episodes as following along with the show notes should help you to understand each concept a bit better.