BLOG – improving your game with MyPokerLab

BLOG – improving your game with MyPokerLab

Friday, 12 November 2010

Personally I’ve always thought it quite difficult to rate or score the play of a poker player based solely on their statistics. If for example, you fed Tom “durrrr” Dwan’s pre-flop stats into this kind of system then it would probably explode trying to work out how he’s a winning player. Then again, MyPokerLab really seem to have it nailed (and I’m not just saying that because it gave me mostly As and Bs).

MyPokerLab rates you on five sections – Key Stats (VPIP/PFR/AF); Post-Flop Aggression (done street-by-street and overall); Stealing/Blind Defence; 3-bets/Squeezes; Showdowns. Each of these sections is divided into several more with grades indicating your performance. For example, a stat of 18 – 28 VPIP is their preferred range and will score you highest; matched with a 13-23 PFR you’re laughing. Which is why I have a D for that particular section owing to my 45/35 style thus far.


“I expected to chew you out,” said my mentor Richard “strummer9” Herbert, a high stakes cash game player and BadBeat sponsored pro. “But your postflop stats are perfect despite your terrible VPIP/PFR. You’re like a turbocharged supercar that can win any race but you’ve got no wheels!”
As it turns out, according to strummer I play in “the typical poker writer’s fashion”. What, I said – I think I’m better than everyone so I play lots of hands trying to be Phil Ivey or something? “Your words, not mine.”


In addition to the grading system a series of videos, tests and other tuition tools are available for the player to use. This is not a competitor to the likes of Hold ‘em Manager or PokerTracker 3 but a great compliment, in that while the tracking software will allow you to see obvious leaks in your game; MyPokerLab can go further and explore in depth how these relate to other areas and improving your overall winrate.


Oh, and again I’m full of nothing but compliments for the Microgaming poker software – the ability to “rabbit hunt” turn/river cards; the max of four tables at a time; anonymous tables; displaying folded cards; auto-reloads – they make the site so much more fish-friendly.
Ironic, isn’t it? Make a site better for the casual player and it automatically becomes better for those looking to make cash.



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