Ask SplitSuit

A: I would personally say cash games are the best. Hourlies tend to be the better, and you need less of a bankroll to be properly rolled. Of course, MTTs offer a better “homerun potential”… but you can always grind cash and play the Sunday Million once a week =)

A: If the only information I have is that they are an A-fish… I will usually tighten up and value-inject my range. Once I have information (for instance, a high Fv3bet), I will start adjusting and exploiting his weaknesses.

A: In super loose/passive games I tend to start limping a lot more, and super value-inject my opening and 3bet ranges. Especially when these games are playing deep, I get very limpy on the button with AXs/SC type hands. These games are frustrating due the inability to ISO and even open my “normal” ranges…but they become super profitable with a great postflop skillset.

A: I use my iPhone to take notes on hands (and to anyone watching me, it just looks like I am texting =) ). I also have a pretty good memory, so I am able to remember hands even from 4yrs back…so that always helps!

A: I prefer them in this order: Coaching, Playing, Videos, Writing.

I love coaching and helping someone reach a new level in their game. Writing is fun and forces me to do a lot of extra exploration and work…but it's super time consuming and sometimes difficult to convey a complex thought with just words. Playing and videos are about equal for me…but I really do love being able to play and enjoy the feeling of making correct decisions in real-time =)

A: I took a very long break from online games after Black Friday. I lost a lot of my motivation to play when everything I had built for the last 5 years crumbled in about 30 seconds. Couple that with having 4 bankrolls locked up online…I didn't really feel motivated to go grind. I am slowly getting back into it, playing more live as well, and looking to get some more online play in soon.

I will also say that I don't lose the familiarity with current game conditions due to all the coaching. In fact, with coaching I am familiarizing myself with levels I wouldn't normally play…which allows me to be more informed when coaching/making videos.

Best of luck with your endeavors as well =)

A: I think poker will re-boom (although probably not to the same scale as in 2004) once governments get their heads out of their asses and allow poker to globalize. All of this “let's keep poker within our own borders” is ridiculous and is incredibly short-sighted imo. By globalizing poker I think there can global regulation, which will cut down on issues like botting and other online issues that currently have no real punishment.

A: I have issues when going from cash to MTT simply because I forget the “one life to live” mentality that is necessary for MTTs. Any chance that is happening to you?

A: I sat down for about 3 hours and explored every facet of my game. I wrote down my opening range per position per previous action, my CB range on various board types, my VBing strategy, my bluffing strategy, etc. I then explored the games I was playing in to see if I was going about anything incorrectly. As it turns out, I was leaving a lot of money on the table and messing up some very important situations. In doing all of this I not only redesigned my game, but got a deeper understanding of some important concepts and adjustment strategies.

I suggest everyone do this every so often =)

A: Thank you =)

Everybody wants to think that they are intelligent and talented. Live players are no different, and thus they spout out random poker theory/math that they picked up along the way. Often times they don't even fully understand what any of it means…let alone how to apply it. Besides…do great players really go around giving great advice at their tables?

Enjoy the videos if you buy them! I certainly suggest checking out the “Playing Draws” video =)

A: You're welcome!

Unfortunately, I don't play MTTs and can't really offer much advice here =( I would simply run through every hand from a few MTTs and see if you are leaving any money on the tables (steal spots, 3bet spots, CB spots, etc.). Hopefully you find a few spots that can help you in the future =)

A: Thank you…I'm glad my videos have helped!

Fish are fish, and they size ridiculously. I usually look out for big raises from passive players, as P-fish tend to use a “big bets with big hands” mentality. And of course, always be nervous when facing a raise from a P-fish…especially on the turn/river =)

A: I pretty much never look at a limp spot preflop as “I'm getting X:1 and thus need to limp along here.” I am more focused on my position and hand, and of course expected future actions. I always want to be very careful when limping suited gappers, low suited connectors, suited Kx, Qx, etc. behind in very MW pots. When confused in these spots/games...just stay tighter and be more value-injected imo.

A: Ehhh, maybe certain 50NL games? The lower you play, the less folding you should expect from the average player at your table...thus why you should keep a lot of your game value-injected. But of course, if you ever have information that you could take a +EV bluffy line...by all means do it =)

A: Sure. Most all of the videos I've done so far can help 6max players conceptually…it's just that some frequencies and ranges change between 6max and FR. But I can certainly look to add some more 6max stuff…did you have some 6max hands that you wanted me to review?

A: 98.5% Irish. =)

A: I've never really had a conventional job (although I've started a bunch of businesses over the last 4 years). I went to college for Marketing, and a lot of things from those classes and my Economics classes have helped a lot with poker. Especially with things like basic game theory and bet sizing (product pricing).

A: I think poker will always be exploitable and beatable. Just because lots of players are playing a nit or nitTAG strategy…doesn't mean they don't have exploitable areas of their game. Thus why I think everyone should learn to LAG well =)

I think online cash games will continue on the way they are until there is a re-boom of sorts. And until the massive influx of fish…players will have to learn to crush the multi-tabling nits and TAGs.

A: HUNLHE is one of my weakest games…so I'd imagine that he'd beat me =)

A: To quote a master… "would I be able to wield one of the 5yr olds like a sword?" I think I could take on 12 of them assuming I am unable to wield one of them. Probably about 19 if I could wield one =)

A: MTT: shaundeeb
Cash: durrrr
WSOP: I was rooting for Benba

I will gladly keep making videos if you keep watching them =)

A: I would recommend being able to play both formats well, but probably spending more time with 6max on average. Of course, if one format gets super soft and that becomes the most profitable way to spend your grinding time…then play that until it starts drying up =)

A: Many sites offer options like credit cards and WU for depositing…and checks are the standard cashout method for US players right now. Just make sure to do your homework on any site you are going to play on to ensure they are reputable, regulated well, and cashing out regularly. I personally suggest RPM Poker, as they have been nothing but good to me.

A: Meh…I'd personally just give Seat 6 Seat 5's original hand (assuming Seat 5 didn't look at those cards yet). However, I'd expect players to want a re-deal because live players love to complain about everything.

A: Lots of betting and then possibly less betting unless betting is better than not betting.

A: I'd personally want to be playing no less than 500hands/hr…but I'm a big proponent of learning how to multi-table well (but the real answer for this question is super personal and based upon the skills and goals of a given player). A realistic WR would be 1.5PTBB/100 (3bb/100) at 100NL, and obviously a little higher at lower levels.

I don't think the last question is fair. Simply because it could take a particular player a long while to finally grasp some of the major concepts…but once they do…they can grind right out of the micros with ease. Quitting is for people who quit…

A: Ehh, I'd rather just CB versus that range most of the time and plan on dubbing sometimes (assuming I don't think I'm getting CR'd too often). I'd need more info before I did the check flop/call turn/eval river line…

A: On average, the weakest players will be found at the lowest stakes. And even when you get a super fish in a higher stakes games…you will be surrounded by more competent players who will be attacking the fish just as hard, if not harder, than you are. However, there are fish everywhere…so just scope em out and take dollars =)

A: I honestly have no idea, lol. I would ask a floor person at your local card room, or ask in the Brick & Mortar section of 2p2

A: There is a big difference in dynamic between live and online. Are you using a HUD to play online? If not, I would certainly suggest it (and you can watch my HUD video to learn how to use it). Online is a tougher game…and would say 2/5NL live plays similar to 25NL online. So certainly keep that in mind when selecting games online…

A: Assuming that is $3/$5NL live (with a $500 buy-in)…I would say your hourly would max out about $35-$40/hr.

A: I actually decided to release a video series rather than a new book (Red Chip Poker).

As for getting online poker back? I have no idea… but hopefully soon!

A: Bingo. Also, the lower the pair, the more overcards to that pair you will have to contend with on the turn (which makes it super tough both when facing a turn bet…and when deciding to bet the turn)

A: I don't play STTs and thus wouldn't feel comfortable releasing strategy content for them. You can certainly use some cash game concepts in STT/MTT formats…but STT/MTTs offer a different dynamic given the blind increases and “one life to live” mentality.

A: I personally suggest stoplosses most of the time. I personally take a break if I drop 2.5BI, and quit a day if I lose 4BI. For deep buy-ins, I would obviously loosen them up just a bit.

Too tough to say without more info. If you find yourself confused with draws at all, I would suggest buying my “Playing Draws” video…it should answer all of your questions.

A: Given that I don't play STTs, I can't really comment here. Sorry =(

A: There are still FR games, but 6max games have always been more popular online. I personally think FR games are easier to get started in…but that 6max players have more upside potential on average.

A: I'm glad you are learning a lot =) Here are some answers…

CB K7. If he donks I'd call. I'd also CB OOP.

Call a bet, or bet if checked to. OOP I'd c/c on average and play turns better than he does. If he is super dubby though, I plan for that when choosing my line understanding that most every turn is an overcard and I will face bets on it (hint: I'm thinking about how he would play rivers =) )

A: Wow that's a lot of questions…Let's answer them in order:

• Weekends and nights are best.
• I prefer super nitty tables so that I can just LAG it up PF and steal a ton of blinds.
• I prefer nits 3 to my left and 2 to my right. Otherwise, no 3bettors on my left. And I like fish to my right.
• I have a unique POV on which stakes I'll start a session at. I don't mix stakes in my tables (like 7 50NL tables and 7 100NL tables at the same time)…but I will jump around stakes during a session if I feel I need to.
• I start on 10 tables on average, and usually try to get up to 18. I've played as many as 40 tables at the same time, but average around 14.
• My average session is usually about 46 minutes. My brain is usually too exhausted after an hour to continue, and of course some sessions are shorter due to tilt, boredom, stoploss, bad tables, etc.
• I start a session by turning on a song that I will listen to on repeat for the entire session. I wrap up every session by going over my 3 biggest winner, 3 biggest losers, 5 random hands, and any hands I marked while playing.

Hopefully that helps, and I'm glad you are enjoying the vids!

A: Life has been a roller coaster…but then again…when isn't life a roller coaster? I haven't played a lot online since Black Friday…but I have been playing more live. My biggest hurdle in poker was breaking away from the standard and unimaginative TAG strategy and really creating something that I felt comfortable with. I think every poker player should live in Vegas…if nothing else just for a couple months during the WSOP. I have never been able to dunk…even at my athletic peak. But thanks for bringing up such a sensitive topic =(