A little luck doesn't hurt

Canada is sure standing out in the poker world and getting more recognization . Maybe it has always been but recently I see it alot more then I use to.Sounds like the place to be.
As to your live games. I cant wait to have that opportunity. I beleave after some hours in live play when I am relaxed with the game I could do well. You my friend have played some exciting games. I am glad you are relaxing more about money spent and just going for it.LoL you just look like a poker player.
Hmm what kind of hand do I think you moved all in with? I sure wish I knew what an "M" zone was. Without knowing that QQ or 99 stands out in my mind. Yes a lot of luck doesnt hurt at all.

The "M" zones are fairly new to me although I am getting better at applying them.  They are best known from Harrigtons work.  There is a rough version I like, but we will give others a chance to explain too.  I asked the same thing, what the hell is an "M".  Poker1040 is a great guy here a BTF to explain.

Both recent issues of CardPlayer and Canadian Poker Player Magazine had articles on this too.

Basically an "M" is a number that represents how many orbits you can survive at the current level without getting stacked off.

Unlike the old so many BB's left approach the M takes into account both blinds and any antes that apply.

It removes the false security of thinking you have enough chips to tough it out. 

 The Big Blind + the small blind + one full rotation of antes. You take that number.  (100sb+200bb+25 for examble) that gives you 325 per rotation.  So if you had 3250, you have 10 M.

The zones have alot of the preflop percentages, equity blah blah headach stuff already worked in by a poker genius.

Based on how many M you have left it makes starting hand ranges, aggresion levels and all in decisions pretty much pre-determined, making by the book and math decisions less stressfull....without having to memorize the whole book.

I won't spoil it all in one confusing post but I hear Wickapadea has a good post on Magriels M zones.

Wink wink.

Great subject Jon.
I calculate my "M" constantly during tourneys whenever I am near or below average stack. I don't use the current blind level though because that will change within a rotation or two. I use the next blind level, so I don't get overly comfortable. In fact, if I'm within 1 or 2 minutes of the next level and if the levels will change in 10 minutes or less I may even go one level higher. So, using your example, the next blind level would be 30/125/250 so 9X30=270 plus 125 plus 250 equals 615 bringing your "M" down to about 5 (3250/615=5). Big difference in how you play. If the blinds are changing in one minute and I use the 2nd higher level to calculate, my "M" is 4 (9X40 plus 150 plus 300=810, 3250/810=4).

So once you know your "M", what do you do with it? For ease of memory, Harrington calls them zones and assigns a color to each. The notes are my shorthand interpretation of Harrington's concepts. Read his books for complete explanations and exercises.

-Green Zone/ M greater than 20/ I'm in great shape and can loosen up here and there and make moves. Harrington doesn't mention early play in his Zone discussion but at the start of a tourney where you get 1500 chips, you start with an M well over 30. In a deep stack tourney, it's even better. So I don't mind limping here a few times with weird hands, especially if there are a few limpers, because it's so cheap in relation to the blinds. It only works at a very weak table. If you get a sheriff, then you can stop, if not, it's a great way to hit a monster early. But I digress...

-Yellow Zone/ M 10 to 20/ getting a little short, probably going under average stack, need to be more careful. I play very tight and aggressive as I get to around 15 to keep from sliding into orange. I open up my blind steal range when my M gets to 10, while my chips still have power, to try to keep from sliding into the Red, unless I am close to the money and can coast in or can coast in with one more hand. At this level, you can fire a 3XBB pre-flop and a second bet at the pot and still have a decent stack behind you

-Orange Zone/  M 6 to 10/ getting very short, losing ability to use chips to knock people off of hands, very little room to recover from even a limp. Once you start sliding below 10, a bet of 3XBB plus a C-bet will take up over half your stack and leave you in the Red Zone.

-Red Zone/ M 1 to 5/ the only play is all in, because you're just about pot committed with even a limp.

Harrington's book discusses these Zones in the section called "Inflection Points" and it's a must read. I have a couple little quirks that I like to stay aware of. There are a couple points in the tourney where your M will just about drop in half and you can go from being safely in the Green to the Orange without being aware of it. One loose bet out of position and you could slide right into Red. The first level is when the antes kick in. A round goes from 120 (40 + 80) to 240 (10X9 + 50 +100). A stack of 1200 goes from an "M" of 10 to an "M" of 5. Keep you eye on other players when these levels occur. Many times they don't realize that they've gone from safe to critical because they haven't been in any hands for a while.

It seems like a lot of math and some players say things like "I play the player" and don't pay attention to the math. I calculate it in about 5 seconds, make sure I haven't slipped into panic zone, and then play or watch the hand. It's second nature. If I'm safely in the Green I really don't do it that often as long as I stay well above average stack. Once I slip below average stack though I do it almost every hand. I can't tell you how many times I haven't done it in a while and all of a sudden realized that my stack was down to one or two circuits.

One last note. Once you get down to a short table,  your rounds are faster and the value of "M" is even less, because the blinds come more often. The good news is that you are either in the money, or close, but staying aware of your "M" value will help you avoid having your stack slip into insignificance.

No wonder I didnt know what the M factor was but this is truely a huge thing as its matmatical. I feel as a poker player I need to take a course in the thing I hate most "MATH" to give me the type of improvement that I need. ODDS very important to memorize them would benifit me greatly Im sure and also keep me from being in alot of hands that I most likely shouldnt be in. Thankyou both for this info. Keiz that was a good explaination Il have to read it more then once the hehe .Atleast I have a clue now. Im interested to hear from others who might have more feed back on this.Gary is now laughing at me for writing M "factor" lol but you all know what I mean.

That was a perfect explanation. I also like to look towards the next blind level to prepare for that drop in the color zone.  I still have a hard time remembering it all and for now am using a rough aoutline.

With an M of better than 15, I should be playing small ball and trying to hit flops.  I include suited connectors, Ace Big small pocket pairs, etc. even if a little out of position.

Once the "M" dips towards ten, I need to find a decent to premium starting hands and try to extract a little value out of it. If I miss and get played at and have to fold, I need about 7 M to play any two face cards or PP aggressively.  Stop and go type plays since as Zeiz pointed out, I will be pot committed but still have enough chips to have 2 ways to win the hand without a race.

Once the "M" hits 5, I can no longer see a flop.  There is almost no way to out play a player here.  Now, (and I hope I don't screw this info up,) I am looking to push with any half decent suited connector or pocket pair, even small. Against tight players, I still have enough to make them fold some better hands pre. 

 Get down to 3 (usually not by being blinded off, rather having to dump a hand started with a decent M), any Decent face half a kicker, A9 etc, even if I am probably behind.

1 "M" the old any ace will do.

Of course, during a tourney you stack rises in and out of these zones, and the actual version is not exactly as I have described.  You have to find your own comfortzones within the guidelines.  As Keiz said, the antes kicking in is where you can get caught and go from being able to try to build a pot to having to steal blinds very quickly just to maintain.

So in my original post, I asked what hand I went out with.

With an M around 4 I shoved pre against 2 tight opponents with a 78 hearts.  This is an ante pot, so worth stealing plus I need to keep my M up since I will be hit with the blinds too.

The BB has AK and calls.  There is enough in the pot to put me well above the average stack and prob in the money with only 19 players till the pay starts.

Remember the M zones says I have to play all in here and particularly this type of hand. I am only a slight dog.  The table actually considers it a great race and he does not like the hand for a few reasons.

What is good about it is I am live, I had enough chips to force everyone but him with a top tier hand out.  While the suited and connected is not more than a small increase in starting hand value, it certainly has way more potential to crack a big hand than a dominated hand.  Hence, why this zone prefers this type of hand since anyone calling this amount of chips (M) here will likely have a big PP or broadway hand.

I flop the 8 and am actually way ahead now.  But he turns the king. It gives me the 4 flush but the river is a brick.

As I learn to put them in while my stack is still a decent threat against the right opponents, or based on the fact the connectors or PP have a good chance of being live or are made, I have started to always go out as they aggressor instead of being blinded off passively.  Sometimes, that 8 holds, and I end up going to money where 6 months ago, I would just wait for the big hand that never comes.  Most times, I pick up the blinds.  It becomes far easier to force myself to steal once per rotation with this broader range.

Folding hands like AJ into a raise becomes a no brainer, because with a decent "M" I know I can steal pots and don't have to risk it.  I know if I don't fold and have to dump, not only do I lose the pot, but I lose valuable M, which limits my play options and the value of my starting hand selection.   I won't be able to play the AA for value, I will have to be pushing, losing potential chips.  I find myself rarely getting into hot water reminding myself that both my M zone and the gap concept tell me there is no positive expectation.

Hope that last paragraph did't sound too jumbled. 

The other thing that calculating the "M" does for me is it helps me remain patient as I approach the money by using a little mental trick. When I calculate my "M" to be say, 7, even though I am getting into a critical state, I remind myself that an M of 7 means that I still have "around" 50 hands of blinds and antes left (7 X 9 people at table = 63, then round down because the levels will go up more than twice in 50 hands) , so I will undoubtedly hit a few decent hands and probably a premium hand before I get blinded out. I then calculate approximately how many hands to the money (yes, I know, "more Math!"). When I find that I can coast in, it keeps me from making desperation plays when I don't need to, which prevents me from going out just short of the money.

i wasnt even aware that that many top pros participated in the canadian main event.. nice little tidbit there.. hope i can afford to buy in one day!

Alot of sites are running sats just to that event now, maybe one day it will become a staple stop.
Glad you enjoyed the info. 

In the defence of the Pros, LeBlonde ran like GOD.  I promised I would post a few of those.

In the quarter finals during the rubber match with close stacks,  Phil hellmuth got him to put it all in with 66.  Phil had 99.  The river was a 6.

In the semi's, I was hanging with the Big Slick Crew and we all wanted to see Brad win this.  Brad finished 4th in a capped event of 128 players in 2006.  In 2008, the next event he played Huck Seed for the title in the finals.  Huck won.

This year Brad would have traded his left nut for the title and given him the cash (almost).  Brad played super solid and in the rubber match had Ben put all his chips in with Ace rag.  Brad held KK and the river kept Ben in the competiton.  Similar hands happened everythime Brad had him down for the kill.  Brad never paniced on the ropes and chipped up again and again.  The worst beat he took he again had Ben all in for the match with a flopped straight.  Heads UP.  All these hands should be monsters!  Ben goes runnere runner flush. 

Lablonde did lay a nice trap with Aces in the final hand, which Brad floped a big King.  That much credit I will give and hey, he is now the champ so who am I to talk shit.  I am bias, huge fan of Brad's.

In the final match Jeff Madsen was a huge favorite, some prop bets where laying 4-1.

During the rubber match and by far the hand that was most talked about and will surely give Jeff nightmares.....

Jeff has 19, 200 chips of 20k in play.  Leblonde has 800 and the blind is 1k.  Madsen wakes up with a huge hand, think it was QQ.  Leblonde is all in with 23 off.  He flops trip 3's.......

He didn't lose momentem after that.  A little luck doesn't hurt.  Except the other guy, but hey thats what we love and hate about this sick game!

I had a chance to chat with Benjamin Lablond a bit.  Actually a very cool guy, not afraid to speak highly of his poker mentors, unknowns to most.

I told him I was routing for Brad, but he has accomplished more than many dream of already by taking down 3 of the worlds best Heads up.

Down to earth guy and that is a quality I always respect in a great player.