Smart Poker Study

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Interview: Steve Fredlund of the RecPoker Podcast | #215

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In this episode, I interview Steve Fredlund of the RecPoker Podcast and we discuss his poker history, the podcast and LIVE tournament poker.

In episode 214, I answered questions about what preflop considerations, making better calls and what to do when AK misses.

Steve Fredlund interview (6:35)

RecPokerTraining.com has only been round a couple years now.  Steve has developed a loyal fan base and a wonderfully supportive community.

Steve began playing about 10 years ago as a way for himself and his friends to connect with their teenage kids. In stepped poker!

When he began taking it seriously, there was no content source that gave him what he wanted.  So, he started up RecPoker to fill a need in the poker training world.

All about LIVE Tournament Play

The RecPokerTraining.com website and the podcast are geared towards the recreational LIVE tournament player. His goal is to grow their skills along with growing the numbers of recreational LIVE players. He started it with no grand designs, but it’s grown immensely over the past couple of years.

Steve used to listen to a lot of poker podcasts (just like me!).  But, since he started his own podcast his listening frequency has dropped (as has my own).

RecPoker is mostly a one-man operation (13:05)

Steve does most things on his own, but Brad Olsen (listens to both our shows – hi, Brad!) helps him out a bit with website stuff.

But, he also has a core group of people who participate in group forums as participants and also as leaders.

His Player Panels bring together a few different high-level recreational players and they answer questions and discuss strategies for the benefit of the entire audience.

Community is critical

Steve’s all about building community and he works with the end in mind. His Player Panels helps to give valuable content to his audience, but it also brings people together and develops a strong player community.

“Start with the end in mind.” This is something I need to keep at top of mind to help me give the best value and have a direction with Smart Poker Study. Where do I want to be (or my company) and how do I get there? Have a mission, plan and execute.

Meeting high-level tournament players (18:55)

Running Aces Casino (Minneapolis, MN) is a sponsor of his podcast and where he spends most of his playing time. He’s met plenty of rec players and high-level players at the casino and through his charity fund-raising ventures.

Through his professional manner in running these charity events, he’s developed a community of players who are willing to help him with his RecPoker Podcast, trainings and seminars.

Play and Learn

Play and Learn Sessions are something he’s just begun. Players along with one “trainer” or facilitator get together and play hands as they review everyone’s actions. Players need to be willing to share the way they play their hands.  It’s a great learning experience and has been well-received so far.

He’s got other things in the mix, so make sure you subscribe to his podcast and newsletter to stay informed.

How Steve improves his LIVE tournament skills (25:30)

He’s been working on his early stage preflop ranges. He’s consumed tons of content, wrapped his mind around that stuff, then worked to create his own ranges. Steve know’s he gets overwhelmed easily, so he has one focus each time he goes and plays (like opening wider UTG or finding more 3bet spots).

He’s been playing the “guess their range game” that helps him to understand ranges and his opponents even better. It’s like practicing hand reading but in-game when you’re not involved in the hand. If a hand gets to showdown and their holding is within the range you gave them, great! But, if not, that’s a good learning opportunity for you to figure out how you didn’t see that hand as a possibility in their range.

Distractions

Distractions are everywhere on the LIVE felt, but the thing that distracts him the most is chatting at the tables. Sometimes work gets in the way as well and he’s on his cell phone and answering emails occasionally.

Steve doesn’t play online, everything is LIVE for him. He records hands he plays for later study, though.

Sharing hands with others is great for learning, but right now Steve (and me) don’t have people really to share hands with.

One of the great things about LIVE poker is that poker players can be very sociable and it makes LIVE poker much more fun that online poker.

Steve is big on the social aspects of the games, but he does pay a small price for this because when he’s chatting, he’s not as focused on his play and mistakes will be made.

I’ll be seeing Steve and his buddies at the next WSOP! Looking forward to that.

Check out Steve’s interview with me: Episode 111 on Soundcloud

Support the Show

John Milligan, Michael Volpe, Leland Baldwin, Brad Olsen all took the plunge and purchased their copies of PokerTracker 4.  I sent them my Smart HUD in thanks for their support, along with lots of videos to help them get more out of PT4 and the Smart HUD.

Guy Brooks purchased one of my most popular webinars, the Mashing the Micros Webinar (click for $5 off).  He’s got his work cut out for him with this one because it was super value packed and is just what microstakes players need to build their bankrolls.

Up Next…

In episode 216, I’ll discuss how to build skills into your unconscious competence using Focus Sessions.

Until next time, study smart, play much and make your next session the best one yet.

Poker Warm-up & Cool-down | Smart Poker Study Podcast #5

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Including a poker warm-up and cool-down is integral to poker success in every session you play.

In episode 4 I talked about open-limping in cash games and why you should never do this…  EVER.

Poker Warm-up & Cool-down, Podcast #5

Podcast Mission

At the end of this podcast you will have a simple, quick and easy way of implementing warm-ups and cool-downs in your sessions.

Why do a poker warm-up and cool-down?

The number one reason for warming-up is to get in our A-game mindset.  You’ve got to be prepared before each session, and a good poker warm-up will get you there.

Conversely, why do we cool-down?  We need to reflect on the session

  • What did I learn?
  • What mistakes did I make and how could I have avoided them?
  • Did I tilt, and if so, why?
  • Pass or Fail?

Warm-up Steps

  • Ditch the distractions – internet browsers, phones/texting/social media, television/movies/podcasts/training videos, alcohol, Instant Messenger, other people.
  • Journal and answer the following:
    • Why am I playing tonight?
    • A, B or C game mentality right now?
    • What’s my one strategy focus tonight?
    • 5 minute Q: set a tabata timer and ask a question like: “Is this table still profitable?” or “Who should I be trying to get into hands with at this table?” or “What playing style does each opponent have at this table?”
    • Logic Statement: I write down a logic statement to help me stave off tilt
    • How long will I play tonight?

Cool-down Steps

Reflect on the session

  • Check to see if it’s a winning or losing session (if negative results don’t tilt you)
  • Answer the following 2 questions in your journal:
    • What did I learn today?
    • Session Pass or Fail?
      • Pass is you learned something and didn’t tilt
      • Fail is you tilted, weren’t focused, made terrible decisions

Here’s a snapshot of one of my journal entries:

poker warm-up and cool-down

 

Podcast Challenge

Before and after each poker session this week, do your own warm-up and cool down.  Let me know how it works for you.  I’d also love to see a picture of your journal or you can tell me the questions you ask yourself to get in your A-game mindset.  Commit to this for one week to see how it helps your game.

Open Limping in Poker Cash Games | Q&A | Smart Poker Study Podcast #4

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We’re talking open limping in the first Q&A!

In case you missed it, in episode 3 I talked about how the incredible book called ‘The ONE Thing’ has revolutionized my life and my poker game.

Q&A – Open Limping | Podcast #4

Today I discussed a hand history sent in by LTU Maximus.  Here’s the email:

Hello Sky,

I had one situation last day, just very short description about the players – bolut81 (utg+1) is so bad vpip62, pfr2, cbet 100 flop and Turn. benwi78 (BB) – vpip12, pfr1. I’d really appreciate if you let me know your thoughts, would you call river allin? But I think in that kind of situation – it’s inevitable 🙂

Thanks for sending it in, LTU Maximus!  I was a bit critical, but honesty, being straight-forward and cutting to the chase is my game.

Street by Street

Pre-Flop – gotta come in for a raise, NO OPEN LIMPING (more on this below).  Your limp caused a chain reaction where it’s now a 6-way pot.  You’re relying on hitting a set or a straight to win the pot with so many players.  Give yourself an additional way to win it with fold-equity by opening pre, limiting the players in the hand, and taking it down with well-placed cbets and barrels.

Flop – Your check is just fine on the A63 board, and I assume you were planning on check/folding to any bets.  If anyone bet into 5 other people, he’d most likely have at minimum and Ace.

Turn – Now that you’ve hit your set and have likely the best hand, limit the field with a good sized 3x+ 3bet.  Your call just entices any draw (fd, gs, 2p) to come in behind.

River – You’ve hit the under full-house and folding to the BB bet isn’t an option.  But, I think just calling is best here as he’s displaying strength by betting, so you need to be more cautious here and just call.  A call would’ve netted you a 50bb pot barring any other action.  The way the action went down with these two really passive players committing so many chips, you’ve got to figure you’re beat and just ditch the hand.

Open Limping  in Poker Cash Games

There are so many reasons to come in for a raise in poker cash games, and here are just a few:

  • The best way to profit from weak players is to charge them when they’ve got an inferior hand, and that’s most often pre-flop.
  • Bigger pots = magnified opp errors = more profits.
  • Raising every hand hides the strength of your hand from your opp’s
  • It makes you stick to a strong hand selection pre-flop.  If you’re enticed by T8s, but know you need to raise to come in, you’ll think twice and fold it as you prolly should.

Bottom line: NO OPEN LIMPING IN CASH GAMES

Player Types

I discuss player types a bit, especially Loose Passive and Tight Passive Players.  For more info on this, check out my Poker Player Types Article.  It includes access to an awesome Cheat Sheet for helping you exploit your opponents.

Podcast Challenge

Here’s my challenge to you for this episode: If you’re a cash game player and you sometimes limp in, DON’T!  If it’s good enough to play, it’s good enough for a raise.  In your next 4 sessions, don’t limp and see how this effects your hand selections and your post-flop play with these, hopefully, tighter/stronger ranges.

The ONE Thing | Smart Poker Study Podcast #3

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‘The ONE Thing’ is the best book I’ve ever read.  So good in fact that I read it twice in 2015, and I’m planning on reading it again before the WSOP this summer.

I learned so much from it, and I’m sure you will to.

In case you missed it, in episode 2 I showed you how to set SMART poker goals and gave you insights into ways you can achieve those goals.

The ONE Thing, Podcast #3

Podcast Mission

At the end of this podcast you will understand why you need to focus on ONE Thing at a time for ultimate success in poker and in life.  And, you’ll have a question that you can ask yourself to guide your actions on a day to day basis for ultimate productivity.

Ultra Successful People

Balance in life just isn’t necessary.  Some of the most successful people we know dedicated their lives to just ONE Thing to the exclusion of everything else:  Michael Jordan (playing basketball), Tiger Woods (swinging the golf club), Eddie Van Halen (playing guitar), Warren Buffet (analyzing companies), Stephen King (writing), In & Out (making burgers).

5 Big Takeaways from The ONE Thing

Big Takeaway: The 80/20 Principle

80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts.  This means we need to focus on a small number of things that will produce most of our results.  Not everything matters equally, and we need to say no to the unimportant things and say yes to the few things that will move the needle the furthest.

Big Takeaway: The Domino Effect

A domino can knock over another domino that’s 50% bigger than itself.  You’re not going to be able to topple that humongous domino of poker excellence quickly or easily.  But if you start with small dominoes, work on building your game in smart incremental steps and choose specific topics that build upon each other, over time you’ll eventually get to the point where you can topple that huge mountain-sized domino you’re striving for.

Big Takeaway: The Lie of Will Power Always Being on Will Call

Our reservoir of will power is refilled when we wake up each day, then slowly depletes as the day wears on.  That’s why we often get so much done early in the day, then start to goof off or make bad decisions late in the day.  The big lesson here is to do the ONE Thing every day nice and early before anything else.

Big Takeaway: The Lie of Discipline

Living a “disciplined life” is nothing more than instilling habits in your life, and it takes an average of 67 days to firmly root a new habit in your life.  Want to get healthy, learn a language, be a writer, or improve your poker game?  Instill a habit of exercise, speaking practice, writing, studying poker every day for 67 days in a row.  So if you want “discipline”, build a habit, get work done, be productive and it will look like discipline to the outside world.

Big Takeaway: The Focusing Question

These first four takeaways are part of the book’s central tenant, the Focusing Question.  Everything that we decide to do from moment to moment should be in answer to this question:

The ONE Thing

This one simple question, if asked with a clear goal in mind, will lead us to the ONE Thing that we need to do right now before all the others.  That ONE Thing should make it easier or unnecessary to do other things.  It’s the first step in a process of steps to achieving our goals and living a productive life.

Click here to read my written review of ‘The ONE Thing.’

The ONE Thing YouTube Channel

If you’re interested in seeing webinars showing how the ONE Thing can be applied to other aspects of life, check out their YouTube Channel.

Podcast Challenge

Here’s my challenge to you for this episode: each day over the next week, first thing in the morning, ask yourself the focusing question, and get that ONE Thing done ASAP.  You’ll feel so much better and more accomplished each day if you put this into practice.  Once again, the Focusing Question is:

What’s the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?

Poker Goals | Smart Poker Study Podcast #2

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It’s a new year, and you know what that means… let’s set some poker goals.

And I’m not talking resolutions.  As a popular blog once said, “Resolutions are for chumps.  I choose Revolution.”  Let’s make real changes in our lives.  We want to do things we never thought possible, make giant strides we thought were beyond us, and achieve like no other.  Let’s start our own personal revolutions.

In case you missed it, in episode 1 I showed you how to get the most from free poker strategy content online and I give you a killer list of free content creators you can learn from.

Poker Goals, Podcast #2

Podcast Mission

At the end of this podcast you will be able to create SMART poker goals for yourself, learn some insights into steps you can take to help achieve your goals, and you’ll have a new accountability partner to help you along the way.

Why do you play poker?

Your answer to this question will inform the SMART poker goals you set for yourself.  The goals of an aspiring poker pro are going to be different from those of a weekend warrior.

SMART Goals

A SMART goal is one that is defined as specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.  Using this criteria, you’ll create goals that you’re more motivated and more likely to achieve.

  • SPECIFIC
    • Goals need to be specific, detailing exactly what you intend to accomplish
  • MEASURABLE
    • If you can’t measure them, how do you know you’ve achieved anything?
  • ACHIEVABLE
    • Goals must be achievable and not impossible; you should feel stretched and challenged by the goal, but it can’t be so obviously out of reach that you were doomed from the start
  • RELEVANT
    • Your goal needs to matter to you. Goals that fit in with your overall aim in poker are more likely to be hit and to be supported by those around you.
  • TIME-BOUND
    • We all know that any task expands to fit the time allotted to it, so a goal without an end date could take years to attain.  Deadlines add a sense of urgency.

Goal Achieving Insights

These are additional steps you can take to increase the chances that you accomplish your goals.

  1. Break It Up – Taking a big goal and breaking it up overtime into manageable pieces makes the goal seem easier to accomplish.
  2. Map Out What Needs to Happen – You need to know what to leaks to fix and what skills you’ll need to acquire in order to achieve your goal.  Make an honest assessment of your current game.  All of your study should be geared towards fixing these leaks or adding new skills to your repertoire.
  3. Get Others Involved – Don’t tackle it alone!  Do you need to enlist the aid of a poker coach or a study group?  Gather a group and help each other achieve.
  4. Accountability – Tell others about your poker goals, preferably people who will hold you to the fire.  Even better if you’ll feel like you let them down if you don’t succeed.  And, public displays like putting it on Facebook are great as well.
  5. Periodic Assessment – Assess your progress as you go.  Are you likely to achieve success?  Make changes or work harder as necessary.

Podcast Challenge

Here’s my challenge to you for this episode: Email me one of your SMART poker goals (remember, make it Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) and I will be happy to be one of your accountability partners.  I will mention your name and your goal in an upcoming podcast, and we can all follow along in your pursuit with periodic updates.  I’ll email you occasionally to discuss your progress, and I may even have one or more of you on the podcast with me to discuss your achievement and how you did it.  I will mention you by name, but if you’d like an alias or screen name, just let me know.  Oh, actually, let’s do this.  I’ll use your real name, poker site screen name, or a super hero name of your choice.  Just let me know which you’d prefer.  My email is Sky@SmartPokerStudy.com.  Now it’s your turn to take action and do something positive for yourself.

Free Poker Strategy | Smart Poker Study Podcast #1

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Free Poker Strategy, Podcast #1

Free Poker Strategy, it’s a beautiful thing.

If you’re anything like me, then you’re prolly a fan of free: free coffee and donuts at the car dealership, free samples at Costco, free shipping, and of course free poker strategy content.  There are so many sources of free poker strategy out there, and if we know where and how to access it and how to learn from it, then man, we’re on our way.

Podcast Mission

At the end of this podcast you’ll have a plan on how to get the most out of these free resources without overloading yourself.  Plus, you’ll have a giant list of free strategy creators online that you can dive into and learn from to improve your poker game.

The 5 Keys to Getting the Most From Free Poker Strategy

  1. Be Consistent in Your Studies
    • Dedicate at least 1 hour daily
    • Challenge yourself to do this for 30 days… Build it into a habit
    • Find sources of free poker strategy and stick to them.  The more comfortable you are with their teaching style, the more you’ll learn
  2. Take Notes and Stay Organized
    • Word, Evernote, hand-written journal, whatevs
    • Keep organized with key words and topics
    • Use separate documents for each source
  3. Mastery vs Overload
    • Don’t overwhelm w/too much info
    • Stick with one topic (ex. cbets or opening ranges) and learn all you can before jumping to another topic
    • Overwhelm leads to stress which leads to not studying at all
  4. Take Action and Reflect
    • Get the most out of what you learned and put it to use!
    • The best teacher is action
    • After taking action, reflect on what you learned, go back to the drawing board, study more and make changes.  Wash, rinse, repeat.
  5. Questions and Requests
    • This gets you more free poker strategy content
    • Teachers love questions, so ask ’em
    • We have content ideas, but when you tell us what you need, it makes things a bit easier
    • Plus, we’re motivated when we know you’re paying attention

Great Sources for Free Poker Strategy

Podcast Challenge

Send me a question or a request for poker strategy content, or send one to your other favorite free poker strategy content creators.  If you send it to someone else and they fulfill your request, let me know as I’d love to see what they specifically made for you or the answer they provided to you.