New Jersey Poker Software Revealed with Patrick Shelley (my2chis)

We sat down with New Jersey poker player Patrick "my2chis" Shelley to get his thoughts on poker software.
 
PokerSoftware:  How does the poker software on the New Jersey regulated sites compare to the software you were used to on PokerStars before Black Friday?
 
Patrick Shelley:  I liked PokerStars so much more; however, it may not be because they actually are better, but due to comfort. I put hundreds upon hundreds of hours in on PokerStars, so I grew to love the software. I actually even miss the sounds it made when you made a bet!
 
PokerSoftware:  Is there anything on the New Jersey regulated sites you can't do that you wish you could?
 
Patrick Shelley:  I hate the fact that you can't transfer money, but that is a regulatory thing and not a function of the software. Other than that, the clients are all functional, but they aren't perfected to the degree PokerStars is. There are a few software bugs I notice and although they are minor, they are enough to be annoying.
 
PokerSoftware:  Can you please expand on some of the bugs?
 
Patrick Shelley:  I was in a tournament on WSOP.com the other day and it was down to the final two tables. I had six eliminations on my table and the other table had one elimination. So, we were playing three-handed and the other table was playing eight-handed and they never rebalanced. That is a major issue, which apparently WSOP.com says they are working on.
 
The other minor issue is while I am playing I will have some geolocation issues where it says I am not in New Jersey and yet I am still sitting on my couch where I started the tournament. It usually comes back rather quickly, though, only making me miss a hand or two.
 
PokerSoftware:  What third-party software do you using while playing online?
 
Patrick Shelley:  I use PokerTracker 4 and have my own custom HUD that I get asked for all the time from my students and friends. I think anyone who plays online poker needs to use some kind of HUD, especially if you are playing a large volume. I also use it to track my profits and losses in certain games.
 
PokerSoftware:  Can you share with us how your custom HUD is set up line by line?
 
Patrick Shelley:  Line 1: Notes, VPIP, PFR, 3Bet Pre
Line 2: Cbet flop, Cbet turn, Fold to Cbet
Line 3: Call Flop cbet, Call turn Cbet, Call river cbet
Line 4: Float flop, Float flop on 3bet, Float turn, Float turn in 3bet pot
Line 5: Bet river, 3bet river, Call river check raise
Line 6: Player name, BB amount, Hands abbreviated

PokerSoftware:  When you are teaching someone who hasn't used a HUD, what do you recommend they focus on first?
 
Patrick Shelley:  When I am training someone who doesn't use a HUD, teaching them the basics is the first thing I go into. I tend to ask them to keep it really basic at first because if you have too much information on your screen, sometimes you tend to overthink things or get overwhelmed.

The player usually gets more comfortable and after a few sessions they will come back to me and say that they added "X" because they felt like the situation came up a lot and it was extremely useful to add. Also, different players play different ways, so as I build a relationship with a student and understand him, I tend to help him with the categories that would be helpful to his decision-making.
 
PokerSoftware:  Have you tried using real money mobile poker apps?
 
Patrick Shelley:  I play in a WSOP league with a bunch of great guys.  The play is kind of slow for me since I am used to playing 10 things at once. So, I started playing on my mobile device this past game and wasn't a fan of it. There are a lot of limitations, like you can't play tournaments, only cash.
 
PokerSoftware:  We heard you have a cool poker story to share. Go for it!
 
Patrick Shelley:  Before Black Friday, I was looking for a $1/$2 PLO Heads-Up game to play online and came across Chris Moneymaker sitting at a table alone, so I sat. We were chatting a little bit here and there and I ended up taking seven buy-ins off him. He asked me to stand so that other people could play with him.

He typed in the chat that he had thoroughly enjoyed playing with me and asked if I wanted to make a bet with him. "A bet?" I said. He said, "Yeah. I am going to jump in a 45-man $50 SNG. Do you want to do a last longer bet for how much you are up on me?" So I said, "Sure, why not?"

A few hands in, I got crippled and was down to five big blinds and he doubled up a hand or two after that. Long story short, I end up fighting my way back and we both final tabled. Eventually, we both got heads-up and I ended up beating him after being a 5-1 dog. It was a very fun, roller coaster SNG.
 
If you want to be coached by Patrick Shelley, you can contact him via Twitter @patricktshelley, via email at patricktshelley@gmail.com, or on PocketFives under my2chis.

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