Laveena Belani

New Vantage Point

September 4, 2012 in News

After 3 months of PGMP, the improvement in my game still seemed far from satisfactory, inspite of being handed all the tools to do so. Thats when Samohh’s blog came as a saviour, inspiring me to start working from a new vantage point.
All this while, everytime I got sucked out for days at a stretch, it led me to believe that maybe I’m just running bad!! Hence, I should just take a break, calm down and start afresh. But Samohh’s “Work Plan” instantly touched a nerve. What I needed was not a break from poker, but a break in the current pattern – a faulty pattern that had become a default !!!

Only a couple of days into replicating this work plan as per my needs has thrown up such outrageous leaks in my game, it seemed sheer luck that I’ve come as far as I have !!! Of course I was assured that I am an average enough player to have made it here, but surely far from being a “good” one. Lot of room for improvement.

There was this one hand in Big 5.5 where I had decently, steadily stacked up to 48BBs plus at blind levels 125/250 Antes 25, when I think I spewed it all on a marginal hand like TT – would like some comments on this – Here’s how it went:

In a SB v/s BB situation, I look at TT in SB, folded to me and make it 590;
Villain, who’s been playing pretty tight, from BB makes it 1505;
I snap-shove 12k odd into a pot of 2k odd
Villain insta-calls with AJo
Obviously A in the window …

Another tourney I royally spewed was the Sunday Storm – got over-confident after reaching top 500 in a field of 18000, and spewed it on JhTh !!!

So, having even a basic work plan like taking down notes while grinding (as opposed to making mental notes, which is equivalent to air) and revisiting each of your HH can work wonders in identifying and plugging your leaks given the quantum of tools handed to us by Adi.

Now, my next target is to keep working on the leaks in my MTT performances on a daily basis for the next 1 month at least, and keep grinding SnGs to recover the roll I keep “investing” in MTTs. :rolleyes:

:rolleyes:

Work in Progress

September 10, 2012 in News

It feels like a productive week since the implementation of the work plan. Its surprising how working in the right direction can stimulate your level of curiosity even further. Came up with so many questions for the PGMP …. made for a pretty good discussion. Hoping to learn from every bit of activity on the remaining program.

Had a pretty decent run in Bigger 16.5 last week … finished 71st … felt quite a feat personally … esp after being down to 5bbs after the internet conked off when 600 players remained !!! Realized once again how important it is to religously follow the mathematics of poker to be able to see any results… at least sustainable ones.

Meanwhile, have been trying to balance mtts n sngs to sustain my roll … hopefully will be able to climb up the stakes by next month.

Wish myself luck …

July update

August 6, 2012 in News

Long time since my last blog !!! Been in process of moving so haven’t had internet access for the longest time !! Anyhow, July was overall a good month, could’ve been better though.

After shipping the 15k FO of IPL, was hoping to do some good at PGT as well – but it wasnt to be so !! Putting the mentorship lessons into action showed up enormous results both in IPL as well as PGT !! Had almost given up making FT in 15k IPL when I was the shortest stack at FT bubble; then the miracle hand happened when my QQ made quads and I doubled up to make it to FT as the 3rd chiplead !! An exhilarating feeling to go on from shortest stack to winning the event.

Came real close to cashing in PGT 5k FO as well – got eliminated at 12th position when JJ sucked out on my QQ !!! Lost a 85k pot there along with my tourney life !! A remarkable phenomenon though, I was down to 4BBs at 600/1200 after Sumit Sapra’s Ks6s sucked out on my AJo, kept stealing blinds a few hands and got nicely doubled up by Sapra when he called my shove (AKo) with Ac3c. Managed to build a stack of 40k by 1000/2000 when I lost the chiplead pot.

The PGT Main was going great till I spewed one hand with a stack of 50 BBs at 400/800 and losing a couple of flips in quick succession with AK against 99 & 22.

As usual PGT was one helluva experience, teaching me so much about my strengths and weaknesses. Even though the IPL win boosted my confidence, the PGT brought me right back on ground to remind me how long a way I’ve gotta go before my game attains serious maturity.

So long ….

CR cup

June 24, 2012 in News

The CR cup 12k bounty event that I played brought to fore a major flaw in my game … inablity to play 30bbs + stack. It actually is much more complicated than we think during the Mentorship sessions !! And it feels terrible to have done well from the start (managed to get 3 bounties) right upto the money bubble … and then lose the grip. I mean the field was pretty small and so was the prize pool … but what matters is when you were ahead consistently and are still unable to make the mark because of some stupid mistakes, it makes you rethink about your basic skills. But I guess, we gotta move on learning our lessons from each mistake we make and make sure that we do not repeat them. Of course we are always gonna make new ones :rolleyes: … and every time we spew we’ll give ourselves the same “reassurance”. 😡

The positive side (yes there was one!!) of the experience was being able to accomplish at least one feat … NEVER inflate the pot oop … managed to keep the pot small at one point with cowboys … only cos I was oop !! And it felt quite right … even tho I was ahead, I managed not to fall in love with my hand in a pre-flop 4-bet pot, was able to keep my head on my shoulders about having JUST ONE PAIR on a highly slippery board.

However, there’s still loooottttttts to learn before I can even call myself a poker player !!! I’m hoping the mentorship program takes me half-way there, the rest of course, only experience and individual capability can !! Looking forward to that day … !!

New Insights

June 2, 2012 in News, Featured

After an insightful PGT week right on the heels of commencement of the Mentorship Program, I can earnestly say that I’ve started looking at poker from an entirely new perspective. The PGT May was especially refreshing as I tried and tested (successfully) so many new things that even though I didn’t cash any of the events this time, it felt like my game has reached a whole new level altogether. I could practically and instantly see the results of some of the concepts discussed at the Program during the mere 2 sessions that we had prior to PGT. The entire PokerGuru team – the mentors and the team members – are so helpful and down-to-earth that it makes learning an awesome experience. My passion for the game has only re-ignited since the Program started. After the PGT, I was stuck in Bombay during the UPC and most part of APT; managed to get back only on Day1B of the main event. Anyhow, played the 2 Hyper Turbos getting sucked out on Day 1 (KQo busted by 73s) and spewing on the second day (busted out on AA) !! Guess I got a long road of learning ahead to realize that AA CAN & SHOULD be folded sometimes!!

Back home, I’ve started online lot more seriously, moving from 9-man SnGs to 45-man now – shipping a few and cashing more than few – applying all that we learn in the PGMP and getting comfortable with the techniques. Gotta work on multi-tabling much more efficiently though and up the limits!! I thought live tournaments will always be my first preference – since I started playing live and then moved to online, but I doubt how long that’ll last now !!

Meanwhile, the Mentorship sessions have been going great … tons and tons of things to be learnt from Adi n other mentors; makes me realize how huge a world of learning poker is !!

Live v/s Online

June 16, 2012 in News, Featured

The last 1 month of the Mentorship Program has been pretty heavy-duty for a relative newbie like me … hope i can catch up to all that Adi has been trying to teach us !!! Techniques that attack the basics of your individual game take time to seep into your heads !! I really applaud Adi for trying to introduce a professional poker culture in the Indian poker community when it is at such a nascent stage. Hopefully we can deliver to the expectations set !!

As for my improvement … well … I’ve mostly been at SnGs, (not confident enough getting in a large field yet !!) so cant really implement the strategies discussed in the program much effectively. In the few MTTs that I did play though, implementing some of what we have learnt showed HUGE results … bull’s eye on the target marked!! Its fun watching your desired results realize.

But I think I’ll be more comfortable and confident applying these skills in live tourneys than online – guess I’m pretty old school that ways!!! Got a loooootttttt of hard work ahead to turn knowledge into a trait … wish myself good luck for that !!

Online Rankings

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