Ive been blogging on another website since August 2009. Im going to archive the main posts in this thread and continue from there.
Note: some posts may not make sense because i took out a lot of the chat inbetween.
My other blog is on pokerstrategy.com where my SN is lessthanthreee
also i cant be bothered re-sizing all the graphs and stuff so you can right click them and select view image to get a better look.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.08.2009
Hi guys,
i decided to start a blog here mainly to track my progress and get some feedback on some psychological aspects of my poker 'career' that i might express here.
Ill start by introducing myself: Im a Finance/Accounting student from Australia, been playing poker for almost a year now. Ive tried MTTs/cash/SnGs and after some runs at each my favourite is multi-tabling SnGs.
After some attempts at the $5Bi levels using a 25bi rule (BAD IDEA!) i decided to adjust to a 100Bi rule and drop down to the $2 turbo single table SnGs on FT.
I get rakeback on FT (<3 ps.com!) and right now i can 10table comfortably (<3 dual monitors). Ill post my graphs and moan and groan about the downswings but my main long term goal at the moment is to reach 2000 games (hopefully by the end of the year) with >10% ROI.
Short term Goals:
- Clear 100% of the biggest bonus ever promo
- mark and review all marginal ICM situations
- watch 5 more SnG silver videos
Current BR: $212
ill post my starting graph
as you can see im running about 25Bi below the EV line at the moment.
im just expecting to get sucked out on when im AKvAJ ; AA v JT ; KK v QJo
i just sit and wait for the suckouts to come.
lets see how i go over the next few hundred games.
11.08.2009
Hi everyone!
just wanted to post my progress over yesterday because im really really proud and happy right now.
finally i stopped getting sucked out and i managed to hit a beautiful upswing over 4 sets. Later on tonight im going to spend an hour reviewing a few close hands and post some in the forums hopefully.
it feels good even though im just break-even so far
$62 of FT biggest bonus ever cleared
BR = $246
14.08.2009
just a quick update,
been running pretty damn good over the past few days. only played a few sets (100 games total) cause ive been busy with uni work and other duties IRL.
finally im up +5bi after a pretty sick 25bi downswing at the start of my SnG adventures.
think ive been playing great. posted a few hands in the forums and worked out one of my major leaks HU and ITM which was losing me a lot of value.
BR = $257
Biggest Bonus Ever cleared = $71
my plan is to only move up to the $6.50 T when i have 100Bi minimum with at least 5% roi.
maybe in a few months ill be there with a strong game and BR.
at the moment during uni semester im managing around 100-150 games / week so still at least 2 months until i have a decent sample size to analyse my stats.
<3
20.08.2009
just a quick update.
ive dropped the number of tables i play down to 8. and im trying out the Normal $2 SnGs on FT instead of Turbos. I find my ROI is increasing because i think i have a HUGE post-flop edge at this Bi.
I had a bit of a luck streak while running into monsters during my last few sets of Turbos which moved my actual winnings above my EV line. I have the right to suck out too
so far im really enjoying the Normal SnGs. they take double the time to run through but im winning more and enjoying actually playing some post flop poker rather than just boring ICM all the time.
had a really funny 2 hands yesterday. AIPF with AA v KK and the guy turned a K to win. then next hand i had KK AIPF again and a different guy turned over AA. *BIG SIGH* 2 hands straight and im saying in chat "where's my K"
.... i got my K on the flop. Karma.... for me anyway. the 2nd guy with AA hates his life.
BR: $280
BBE cleared: $79
here is my graph:
<3
01.09.2009
August Results and Wrap-up
I've been happy with my play this month. I did a bit of soul searching, found out my game is definitely MTing SnGs. (even if my ROI isnt that great just yet)
I just downloaded table ninja and am practicing so that i can eventually get up to the maximum allowable on FT (16).
I cleared $95/100 of the biggest bonus ever which was a great achievement for me.
Still need to find a few leaks with my end game push / call ranges but im glad to see my EV line is trending up nicely. Even though over the entire month im break-even.
What is very interesting is that over my last 300 games (where i think i played my best poker for the month) my EV ROI was approx 5% which is a nice start. I hope to fix a few leaks and move that line further towards 10% with the actual winning closely following
Current BR: $287 + $95 (waiting) =
$382
Another thing im quite proud of is my leader board ranking in my limit.
FT SnG $2 Turbo leader board rank:
52 (overall)
1 (Australia)
I plan on testing the $5+50 normal SnGs 4 tabling when i have 100BI, then moving to the $6 Turbos at $660 (110BI)
I want to make sure i can handle the swings before moving up with confidence.
Goals for September:
- Earn 1FTP on 25 days playing NL2 to earn the $50 bonus
- Play 750 SnGs
- Reach the BR required for $5 normal SnGs
- Increase MTing to 16tables
The most important thing is that im balancing my life well. I'm spending most of my free time with my partner or with my homework and im happy my life EV is in a permanent upswing because I've got my priorities straight.
I enjoy playing SnGs in my spare time and i hope i can grow my BR over the next month as well.
04.09.2009
oprah is +EV
Ive started 14 tabling and so far its been very profitable! I've played 100 games so far this month and im up 31BI.
very happy with my play. ive made a few mistakes (one huge mistake on the bubble which cost me 1BI) but over-all ive been playing my game, picking my spots and for once my hands are holding up.
I also had some horrible bad luck HU in my last set and managed to get 4 x 2nd place where if i could hit my 60/40's would be up closer to 50BI.
but no complaints here! i think this time of the day (oprah time) is much easier than when i normally play.
this is the first time in my life that ive run above the EV line.
the trend upwards continues and i hope to hit my goal this month to move up to low limits.
Achievements
- FT Leaderboard Rank: 13 (Australia) 1
- BR: $440
- FT take 2 days: 4/25
- Silver SnG videos watched: ALL
09.09.2009
played 323SnGs so far this month. been happy with my play overall.
yesterday i was pushing in standard spots and running into premium cards time after time. I made up for it today by getting lucky in a few close spots.
after my brief run above the EV line. my winnings trended down as the line kept going up. So right now, im back chasing the line, but still holding a strong ROI so far for the month.
Im getting ready to move up to the $5 SnGs when i reach 100Bi, I am on track to start next month.
Stats/Info Update
Current Sep ROI: 6.5%
SnGs: 323
BR: $435
Take-2 days: 8/25
$2t FTP leaderboard rank: 7 (overall)
1 (Australia)
I hope once i get out of the micro-stakes i can make gold status on PS.com which would be great cause im running out of videos to watch haha!
one funny thing i have noticed is that the calling ranges of fish on my limit is pretty close to a decent calling range because the fish thinks 'oh Q6s.. ITS SUITED I CALL!' haha.
I have my mid-semester exams in 2 weeks so my volume will drop during the middle of the month. and im hoping to get a new job soon *fingers crossed!*
Interesting Hand
This hand is SICK!; I think KK is a -$EV call here. but he should have just shoved first in and i would have folded lol.
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, 2.25 Tournament, 200/400 Blinds (4 handed) -
Full-Tilt Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com
Button (t4490)
Hero (SB) (t6280)
BB (t2180)
UTG (t550)
Hero's M: 10.47
Preflop: Hero is SB with A
, 6
1 fold,
Button bets t800,
Hero raises to t6280 (All-In),
1 fold, Button calls t3690 (All-In)
Flop: (t9380) 5
, 7
, 3
(2 players, 2 all-in)
Turn: (t9380) 2
(2 players, 2 all-in)
River: (t9380) 7
(2 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: t9380
he had KK
17.09.2009
played 3 sets tonight. wanted to post some sick hands. Im 2 buy-ins away from moving up to $5 SnGs. my mid-term exams are next week so im moving up the week after next
im excited!
How bad i can run
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, 2.25 Tournament, 20/40 Blinds (9 handed) -
Full-Tilt Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com
saw flop |
saw showdown
MP1 (t1600)
Hero (MP2) (t1455)
MP3 (t1325)
CO (t2565)
Button (t1310)
SB (t1485)
BB (t90)
UTG (t2860)
UTG+1 (t810)
Hero's M: 24.25
Preflop: Hero is MP2 with K
, K
1 fold, UTG+1 calls t40,
1 fold,
Hero bets t160,
4 folds, BB calls t50 (All-In), UTG+1 calls t120
Flop: (t430) 2
, 6
, 3
(3 players, 1 all-in)
UTG+1 bets t650 (All-In), Hero calls t650
Turn: (t1730) 9
(3 players, 2 all-in)
River: (t1730) J
(3 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: t1730
Results:
BB had A
, 5
(high card, Ace).
UTG+1 had K
, 3
(flush, King high).
Hero had K
, K
(one pair, Kings).
Outcome: UTG+1 won t1730
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, 2.25 Tournament, 15/30 Blinds (9 handed) -
Full-Tilt Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com
saw flop |
saw showdown
SB (t1500)
BB (t1500)
UTG (t1500)
UTG+1 (t1500)
MP1 (t1500)
MP2 (t1500)
MP3 (t1500)
CO (t1500)
Hero (Button) (t1500)
Hero's M: 33.33
Preflop: Hero is Button with A
, K
6 folds,
Hero bets t90,
1 fold, BB calls t60
Flop: (t195) J
, 10
, Q
(2 players)
BB checks,
Hero bets t165,
BB raises to t690,
Hero raises to t1410 (All-In), BB calls t720 (All-In)
Turn: (t3015) K
(2 players, 2 all-in)
River: (t3015) A
(2 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: t3015
Results:
Hero had A
, K
(straight, Ace high).
BB had 8
, Q
(straight, Ace high).
Outcome: Hero won t1507, BB won t1508
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, 2.25 Tournament, 30/60 Blinds (9 handed) -
Full-Tilt Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com
saw flop |
saw showdown
SB (t1365)
BB (t1165)
UTG (t1700)
UTG+1 (t1570)
MP1 (t1410)
MP2 (t1775)
MP3 (t1455)
Hero (CO) (t1360)
Button (t1700)
Hero's M: 15.11
Preflop: Hero is CO with Q
, Q
5 folds,
Hero bets t180,
2 folds, BB calls t120
Flop: (t390) 8
, 6
, J
(2 players)
BB bets t390,
Hero raises to t1180 (All-In), BB calls t595 (All-In)
Turn: (t2360) 7
(2 players, 2 all-in)
River: (t2360) 10
(2 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: t2360
Results:
BB had J
, 8
(two pair, Jacks and eights).
Hero had Q
, Q
(one pair, Queens).
Outcome: BB won t2360
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, 2.25 Tournament, 60/120 Blinds (6 handed) -
Full-Tilt Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com
saw flop |
saw showdown
SB (t880)
BB (t770)
UTG (t6015)
MP (t1215)
CO (t3355)
Hero (Button) (t1265)
Hero's M: 7.03
Preflop: Hero is Button with A
, 10
UTG bets t240,
2 folds,
Hero raises to t1265 (All-In),
2 folds, UTG calls t1025
Flop: (t2710) Q
, 9
, 2
(2 players, 1 all-in)
Turn: (t2710) 8
(2 players, 1 all-in)
River: (t2710) 10
(2 players, 1 all-in)
Total pot: t2710
Results:
Hero had A
, 10
(one pair, tens).
UTG had 10
, Q
(two pair, Queens and tens).
Outcome: UTG won t2710
I can suck out too
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, 2.25 Tournament, 200/400 Blinds (5 handed) -
Full-Tilt Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com
saw flop |
saw showdown
MP (t3340)
Button (t2450)
SB (t4035)
Hero (BB) (t1825)
UTG (t1850)
Hero's M: 3.04
Preflop: Hero is BB with 9
, K
1 fold,
MP bets t1200,
2 folds,
Hero raises to t1825 (All-In), MP calls t625
Flop: (t3850) K
, K
, K
(2 players, 1 all-in)
Turn: (t3850) 8
(2 players, 1 all-in)
River: (t3850) 7
(2 players, 1 all-in)
Total pot: t3850
Results:
Hero had 9
, K
(four of a kind, Kings).
MP had 10
, 10
(full house, Kings over tens).
Outcome: Hero won t3850
When i reach my goal (almost there) im going to write a long post summarising some statistics from my 6 weeks of playing this limit. Im looking forward to taking a 'big picture' look at the last 6 weeks.
21.09.2009
SnG $2.25 Turbo's on FTP Beaten!
BR: $510
Having reached my required 100Bi's for the next SnG level on FTP I'm writing a summary of my time at the $2 limit. I had a lot of fun, learnt HEAPS about SnG play. I cant wait to break into the low stakes with confidence in a few days. I would also like to include some advice in the relevant sections to micro-stakes SnG grinders who might be reading this.
Statistics
Games played: 1086
Length: 42 days. (78.7hrs played)
Average duration: 31.4min
Winnings: $89.52 (45Bi)
Rake: $270.50
$/hr: $1.14
ROI: 3.7%
EV$ Adjusted ROI: 4.9%
Best $2SnG leaderboard ranking: 7th Overall, 1st Australia
In my opinion, micro-stakes SnGs can be frustratingly tough at times because of the high rake and the high volume necessary to overcome the variance. I went through a break-even stretch of 606games in my first month which was pretty horrible.
Make sure you remember that 10Bi swings are
STANDARD and you need to multi-table as much as possible to boost your $winnings with rake-back. A standard 5% ROI is achievable even after such horrible swings and runs as I was having (look at graph).
I would like to note that I began by 10 tabling, then bumped it up to 12, then to 14, then attempted 16. I had quite a good run while 14 tabling but i felt I wasn't as good at instant ICM decisions so i returned to 12 tabling which i have been doing for the past 400 games. I am comfortable at the moment but would like to move up again when i feel i have more experience. (If you want to multi-table at all i suggest downloading tableninjaFT!!)
I hope my experience and stats can give some perspective to players also trying to get past this first level of SnG.
Graph
Biggest EV Difference: 28Bi
Number of 20Bi swings: ~3
Estimated average swing: 10Bi
Finish distributions:
1st: 12.5
2nd: 12.9
3rd: 14.2
4th: 14.6
5th: 15.4
6th: 13.9
7th: 9.2
8th: 4.5
9th: 2.7
Don't ever underestimate the power of a first place finish. After i focused more on my HU play my sessions went from 'decent' 2-3Bi winnings to a phenomenal 10-15Bi profit. If you feel you are lacking in HU push/call ranges focus on this! the difference between 1st and 2nd place can really affect your winnings.
The only other important advice I can give from a finish distribution viewpoint is to get very very loose when you are the short stack with 5-6 remaining. you must take some chances and gamble to make it to the bubble.
---------------------------------
My immediate plans are to move to 8 tabling $5.50 Normal SnGs. I feel that i need to concentrate a lot more on player reads and post-flop play in a normal speed SnG which is why I am reducing my multi-tabling for this limit. I hope to move up to the $6.60 Turbo's quite quickly but I am well aware of the risk of an instant downswing so to increase my chances of moving up successfully I will wait until I have 115Bi's. (I will post my specific goals in a few days before I start)
Until then, i have my mid-semester exams in a few days, so no poker until Thursday night.
I'd like to finish by thanking TheNose, Chenny8888, Unam and steinek. I have watched all silver and bronze videos and your explanations helped me a lot! <3 Tools used: tableninjaFT holdem manager pokerstrategy.com !!! <3
29.09.2009
$5 Progress Report
Tourneys played: 104
ROI: 15.6%
ITM: 42.3%
Winnings: $89.50
Pending bonus: $50 take-2 promotion (cleared 100%) + $12 rakeback
current BR: $599
been playing solid on this limit. ran pretty hot the first few sessions then quite horribly over the last 40 games or so, but still managed to maintain a very good ROI so far.
Feeling great, still managing to get my money in good most of the time, just a prisoner to variance
Im determined to get out of these Normal speed tourneys. I feel I have such a huge edge in the late-stage game, i just want to get there as quick as possible. Also i can multi-table a lot more with turbos because I dont have to gain reads on post flop play or focus on my own post flop play.
Waiting to hit 115BIs to move on up. I can smell the money.
What a cooler!
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, 5.5 Tournament, 20/40 Blinds (8 handed) -
Full-Tilt Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com
SB (t4080)
BB (t1310)
UTG (t945)
UTG+1 (t1830)
MP1 (t1550)
MP2 (t1075)
CO (t1395)
Hero (Button) (t1315)
Hero's M: 21.92
Preflop: Hero is Button with A
, A
2 folds,
MP1 bets t140,
2 folds,
Hero raises to t400, SB calls t380,
1 fold,
MP1 raises to t1550 (All-In), Hero calls t915 (All-In), SB calls t1150
Flop: (t4455) 2
, 4
, 5
(3 players, 2 all-in)
Turn: (t4455) 3
(3 players, 2 all-in)
River: (t4455) 2
(3 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: t4455
Main pot: t3985 between SB, MP1 and Hero, won by SB
Side pot 1: t470 between SB and MP1, won by SB
Results:
Hero had A
, A
(straight, five high).
SB had A
, A
(straight flush, five high).
MP1 had K
, K
(flush, King high).
Outcome: SB won t4455
Tough Bubble spot
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, 5.5 Tournament, 80/160 Blinds (4 handed) -
Full-Tilt Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com
Button (t6900)
Hero (SB) (t1830)
BB (t2195)
UTG (t2575)
Hero's M: 7.62
Preflop: Hero is SB with J
, J
UTG bets t2575 (All-In),
3 folds
Total pot: t400
villain is decent. 17/8 filtered over 38 hands on bubble
03.10.2009
SnG $5.50 Normal's on FTP Beaten!
BR: $734
Had a fantastic run on the $5 SnGs. reached my required 115BI's for the $6.50 Turbos so im moving on up! here are some stats and info from my short time at the $5 games.
Statistics
Games played: 120
Length: 17.4hrs played
Average duration: 46.9min
Winnings: $159 (32BI)
Rake: $60
$/hr: $9.12
ROI: 24.1%
EV$ Adjusted ROI: 16.8%
My decision to 8 table increased my ROI so much on the normal speed. I was able to get some important post-flop reads on players which was very useful for my game. The $5 games are very beatable as you can see but the slow speed and the lesser volume frustrated me at times. I will enjoy getting back to 12 tabling and increasing my volume / rakeback on the $6 games.
$5 Graph
Updated Lifetime Graph
---------------------------------
Im moving on up! Hoping to avoid the regs and get off to a good start.
In the long run I calculated that if i can reach the $22+2 games I can economically quit my part time job and live off rakeback! So, I hope I can get to that level and be a break-even player at the $22s in a few months then I'll become a semi-pro
05.10.2009
I tile. I have dual monitors.
ill post a pic of my setup soon
[edit] here's the pic.
19" widescreen + 17" secondary
This is what 16 tables looks like. little bit of overlap but still easy to play.
I usually have 6 and 6
ps. thats a little tv next to them for some amusement while playing
07.10.2009
hit my first downswing in the 6s today. running 10bi below ev. not playing badly though and i have confidence i can beat this limit easily. Luckily i have FT rakeback to ease the pain of the swing. still +6BI overall and a nice upward trend
just need to increase the volume when i get free time. want to try for 500+ games this month
09.10.2009
quick update for my progess on the 6s so far. been playing really well. very happy with my play. the biggest difference ive noticed between the 6s and the micros is that there are a few regs who really know their stuff and as long as you can avoid these guys in your sets you should profit nicely
BR: $842
ROI on 6s: 11.5%
games: 146
[edit] after some practice im back to 12-tabling with ease
hope to further increase this to 13 then to 14 by this time next month then analyse my play and see if its + or - with more
09.10.2009
Swings at this BI are painful. but im getting used to it slowly.
rakeback this week will ease the pain.
[x] larger sample size needed
10.10.2009
felt like gambling today so I decided to stick $2 on an omaha table and try build it up as high as i could.
I ran it up through the limits. I caught a 1 outer for a straight flush on the river
flipped $10 heads up and won then stuck $10 of the winnings in PLO50 6max table and won this first hand to triple up:
Full Tilt Pot-Limit Omaha, $0.50 BB (6 handed) -
Full-Tilt Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com
saw flop |
saw showdown
MP ($65.40)
CO ($5.45)
Button ($51.45)
SB ($43.25)
Hero (BB) ($10)
UTG ($17.75)
Preflop: Hero is BB with J
, 6
, Q
, 10
UTG bets $1.75,
2 folds, Button calls $1.75, SB calls $1.50, Hero calls $1.25
Flop: ($7) 8
, 6
, 9
(4 players)
SB checks,
Hero bets $7,
1 fold, Button calls $7,
SB raises to $35, Hero calls $1.25 (All-In),
Button raises to $49.70 (All-In), SB calls $6.50 (All-In)
Turn: ($98.25) 3
(3 players, 3 all-in)
River: ($98.25) 10
(3 players, 3 all-in)
Total pot: $98.25
| Rake: $3
Results:
Button had 7
, K
, 10
, A
(straight, ten high).
SB had K
, 5
, 7
, K
(straight, nine high).
Hero had J
, 6
, Q
, 10
(straight, Queen high).
Outcome: Button won $65.05, Hero won $30.20
So i managed to run $2 into $50 in an hour i quit while im ahead
thats my fun for the day haha.
Wish i had the straight flush 1 outer but i forgot to get the hh
15.10.2009
really flat EV over the last 200 games (10days or so). dont think im playing super bad. i think im off my A-game. going to go back to the drawing board practice with ICM trainer more and reduce my tables to 10 to try get over this.
Im not in a horrible swing (im running 12BI under EV *standard*) just not feeling my game at the moment.. cant put my finger on it but i think im making a few of mistakes end game which i need to correct.
23.10.2009
$1k Milestone!
havent played much the past few weeks. really busy with uni, got my final exams in 2 weeks. want to put in big volume in the holidays.
In the few games i have played ive been running pretty decent and reached the 1k milestone!! im so proud of myself
Took me 2.5months playing casually. my total ROI over 3 BI levels is 8.9%
Even though half of my BR has come from generous FT half yearly bonuses im still confident in my game and looking forward to setting a goal to achieve in my summer holidays.
I'm crushing the 6s at the moment. so many fish. looking forward to hitting the 11s when i have the BR in a few weeks.
29.10.2009
playing good + heater = sick profits
im running so good and playing my A game. ive had 3 consecutive sets of +10BI profits. im running 10BI above EV and my roi on the 6s has rushed up to over 15%
and im only 10BI away from moving up to the 11s !! hopefully after my exams are over ill jump straight into learning the 11s and adjusting my game some more
i looked back on my first blog post and one of my goals was to reach 2k SnGs by the end of the year which i think ill beat easily!
i hope my good run and play continues through the summer break
will post sick vertical graphs after i beat the 6s
31.10.2009
October wrap-up
Had a fantastic month of poker. beat the 5s and currently crushing the 6s. almost got my required 110BIs for the 11s. here is my october graph and breakdown.
My volume was a little short of what i would have liked but ive been so busy with uni work so ill make up for it in the holidays
2 weeks til freedom!
Statistics
Games played: 364
Length: 27hrs played
Average duration: 31.5min
Winnings: $431.9 (74BI)
Rake: $182
$/hr: $16.02
ROI: 18.4%
EV$ Adjusted ROI: 12.5%
October Graph
01.11.2009
| quote: |
Originally posted by peche025
Do you realise that for October you made $16/hr?! That is not bad playing $6 tables, good luck moving up to the $11's. |
yeah ive been really happy with my game on the 6s. a lot of dead money at this BI.
my $/hr is more than my part time job
thanks !
03.11.2009
| quote: |
Originally posted by Sale1337
mind sharing setup for TNFT pls. thx |
used to play FPS games so i use WSAD as main keys and work around those
W - raise
D - auto fold
F - fold/check
Q - raise pot % (set up in raise options)
E - raise 2.5bb
R - raise 3bb
Z - raise 2.25bb
C - call
SPACE - shove
12.11.2009
Hi everyone,
almost finished uni for the year. my final exam is on saturday then im
free for 3.5 months!!!
I've got my role up enough to start playing the 11s. But ive also decided to jump onto another platform to clear a $500 bonus i found out i had. hopefully there's enough fish to keep me steadily rising
then i think i might chase a few more 1st deposit bonuses to boost my role while trying out some new platforms.
Im going to post a wrap up of my time at the 6s in a few days with stats and graphs and hopefully i wont go on a huge insta-downswing at the 11s and i can look forward permanently
anyway its late. <3
15.11.2009
My time at the 6s on FTP
Had a really good run over a small sample on the 6s, feel i have a good edge at this limit. ive also decided my BRM is a bit too nitty. so im now moving up with 90BIs and moving down after losing 25. here are some stats from the 6s.
Statistics
Games played: 421
Length: 36.5hrs played
Average duration: 31.1min
Winnings: $388.6 (59BI)
Rake: $211
$/hr: $10.64
ROI: 14.2%
EV$ Adjusted ROI: 10.5%
$6 Graph
---------------------------------
Im moving on up to the 11+1 on FTP. played 43 games so far and as a nice welcome present im down 13BIs and running 8BIs under EV.
nothing new. happened to me worst than this before. ive so far discovered that the regs on this limit are a lot better than the 6s. calling light and pushing nicely. im trying to find more +ev spots throughout the game to gain an edge. also game selecting a bit more.
hopefully i can run a bit better so i dont have to immediately move back down to the 6s which will suck
if you guys have any advice for me id love to hear it. also im looking for people to sweat with over skype so drop me a line if ur interested.
oh and i forgot....
IM FREEEEEEEEEE. no uni for 3.5 months
16.11.2009
This is one SICK hand!
im ITM im way ahead of the other SS range and i figured i just have to beat him to guarantee 2nd. and i might have FE on the big stack
so i think the push is good. just worked out all 3 of us had good hands and look at the results! haha!!
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, 12 Tournament, 300/600 Blinds (3 handed) -
Full-Tilt Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com
Button (t6850)
SB (t2930)
Hero (BB) (t3720)
Hero's M: 4.13
Preflop: Hero is BB with 10
, A
Button calls t600,
SB bets t2930 (All-In),
Hero raises to t3720 (All-In), Button calls t3120
Flop: (t10370) J
, 4
, K
(3 players, 2 all-in)
Turn: (t10370) Q
(3 players, 2 all-in)
River: (t10370) 4
(3 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: t10370
Results:
Button had K
, K
(full house, Kings over fours).
SB had K
, A
(two pair, Kings and fours).
Hero had 10
, A
(royal flush).
Outcome: Hero won t10370
17.11.2009
SIGH................welcome to the 12s
[ ] sample size.
[x] losing anyway
i dont know what the hell is going on. i dont think im playing that badly. ive run into lots of cooler spots close the bubbles. pushing standard cards and running into monsters. the players just seem in a whole different class. the limit is definitely beatable ive seen so many donkey plays. i just dont know why im running so bad and its starting to mess with my mind!!!
i think i have to run through every game with a replayer and study spots im not sure about. in the mean time i think i have to move back down to the 6s to at least get some confidence back
ive even reduced the number of tables im playing from 12 to 8 to really study the pushes and players. f u variance! /end rant
20.11.2009
ok running like god on the 6s as usual. just had a +15BI session in a set of 12. i think that is my biggest winning session ever. (shame i didnt run that good on the 12s lol)
feeling good about my 6s game. luck adjusted ROI comfortable above 10%.
spending the weekend on the 6s and reviewing a lot of my 12s with the universal replayer. trying to study the players and find leaks to exploit.
off to work for the man.... again... lol
22.11.2009
little update. im back in the 12s after evaluating some of my games that i did last week. i focused on my weaknesses and after some confidence builders on the 6s (got up about 25BI in a few sessions) i decided to give the 12s another go.
i wanted to pay full attention to my game and take notes and get strong reads. so i opened up 4 tables only (which i havent done in a long time... minimum has been 8 for 3 months) i ended up running pretty damn good getting my $ in ahead at least 95%.
results for that little session were 2x 1st, 1x 2nd, 1x3rd for an 8BI profit!
feels good. i know i can beat the 12s. i looked at my swing in Buy-ins and it was just standard 'break even run bad' .. just amplified.
my plans now are to stick to 4 tabling until i gain some confidence and an overall feel for the players on these games. then bump it up to 8 then hopefully to 12 in a few weeks.
i am also way behind in my ICM training. need to do a lot more practice to perfect my ICM game.
I spent some time at the beach today which was fun! and tomorrow im going to the movies
<3
22.11.2009
This is really interesting so i thought i would share it.
my swings in $ vs BI
I know this may be obvious to some people. but this is why
bank roll management is so important. if you move up limits at a steady rate and losing 20BIs isnt a massive hit to your roll (it was 20% of mine) you can withstand the monetary values of the swings. because variance over small samples is huge as you can see.
Note: this is the exact same sample, just different representation.
24.11.2009
I just had to post this. its too funny.
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, 12 Tournament, 40/80 Blinds (9 handed) -
Full-Tilt Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com
MP1 (t2240)
Hero (MP2) (t1375)
MP3 (t1410)
CO (t1360)
Button (t2030)
SB (t995)
BB (t1085)
UTG (t1580)
UTG+1 (t1425)
Hero's M: 11.46
Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A
, A
UTG bets t160, UTG+1 calls t160,
1 fold,
Hero raises to t1375 (All-In),
5 folds, UTG calls t1215,
1 fold
Flop: (t3030) 5
, 6
, 10
(2 players, 1 all-in)
Turn: (t3030) 10
(2 players, 1 all-in)
River: (t3030) 10
(2 players, 1 all-in)
Total pot: t3030
Results:
UTG had K
, 10
(four of a kind, tens).
Hero had A
, A
(full house, tens over Aces).
Outcome: UTG won t3030
my ev line is still trending upward nicely. im break-even actual winnings over the past 50 games but im not worried. ive fixed my game and am confident i can beat the 12s in the long run with a very good ROI. just need to get the volume in now... im back to 8 tabling comfortably and trusting my decisions are correct. just waiting for the heater
25.11.2009
this is what 29BI < EV looks like.
i think im subconsciously playing scared or different on the 12s because of this swing.. but when ever i play a set of 6s i seem to play great.
so im going to try mixing in some 12s with my set of 6s to see if i can play better. ill start by mixing 2x 12s with 10x 6s. then bump it up after a few more run good sets.
looking at my lifetime graph its not my biggest BI downswing but it hurts so much more! i know i can beat this limit comfortably. i just need to combat my own mental weaknesses.
good news! is that with the 100$ EOY bonus from FT + running decent on the 6s. ive still only lost $100 net since i started playing the 12s.
i would really really like to get a sweat going with some fellow players. i think outside opinions on my game would really help right now. pm me if ur interested and we can set up a time
27.11.2009
ok ive had to quit the 12s again.
after 200 games ive lost 43 BIs. running 32BI under EV.
ive tried running them concurrently with the 6s but it doesnt help at all.
im pretty unhappy right now. i know its a part of the game and its really the first time ive had to deal with such losses.
ive reviewed my game, ive watched more videos, ive dropped the tables, ive increased teh tables, ive taken more notes, ive practiced more with ICM trainer. nothing seemed to work this time.
my plan is to go back to the 6s for a while. build up another 20-30 BIs from there.
then i think im going to take a shot at the 10+1 normal speeds. work on my reads and post flop play. then hopefully ill come back to the 11+1 turbos and take another shot in 2 weeks or so.
still keen to get a sweat going with regs at $12+ level. i would love to just sit and watch some of you guys play these limits, see what were doing differently. msg me if ur interested.
01.12.2009
November wrap-up
probably the worst month of my short career so far. run horribly the entire month. lost only 18% of my BR though.
BRM BRM BRM BRM!!!! dont ever forget it.
Statistics
Games played: 538 (323x 6s / 215x12$)
Length: 44.4hrs played
Average duration: 28.9min
Winnings: -$394.30
Rake: $376
$/hr: -$8.87
ROI: -8.5%
EV$ Adjusted ROI: 0.5%
November Graph
04.12.2009
Round TWO preparation!
ok so ive regained about 30BIs from the 6s since my run bad so im back and rolled for the 12s! here is the list of goals im setting myself before my second crack at the 12s!
- 500 hands in the ICM trainer (8 handed)
- 500 hands in the ICM trainer (7 handed)
- 500 hands in the ICM trainer (6 handed)
- 500 hands in the ICM trainer (5 handed)
- 500 hands in the ICM trainer (4 handed)
- 500 hands in the ICM trainer (3 handed)
- 500 hands in the ICM trainer (2 handed)
- watch 3 new gold videos
- ensure computer area is distraction free while playing
- continue to try organise sweat sessions
- review the backlog of interesting hands from the 6s
I think i can get this list completed by Sunday which means next week ill be ready to watch that red line rise on the 12s
wish me luck guys!!!
10.12.2009
update time!
ive been playing sets of 6x $12 this week as well as working lots at my part-time job. ive put in a few extra hours watching videos as well as reviewing hands. ive been playing pretty good so far! my EV is trending up again and im even running above the line which is unusual for me on this limit lol.
i wanted to share this hero fold i just made which i think was one of the best ive ever made if villain was telling the truth
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, 12 Tournament, 25/50 Blinds (9 handed) -
Full-Tilt Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com
Button (t1335)
SB (t1715)
BB (t1605)
UTG (t1300)
UTG+1 (t1630)
MP1 (t1440)
MP2 (t1620)
Hero (MP3) (t1420)
CO (t1435)
i have villain tracked over 450 hands and know him to be a decent reg. his range when he flats me (assuming he thinks IM a decent player) is very tight. i was willing to get it in vs the utg fish limp caller but against the reg bet i just didnt think he was stealing the pot here very often.
i folded after time banking i typed "AK sir?" in chat and at exactly the same time he typed "ak".
pretty sick fold imo
Hero's M: 18.93
Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A
, Q
UTG calls t50,
3 folds,
Hero bets t200, CO calls t200,
2 folds, BB calls t150,
1 fold
Flop: (t675) A
, 2
, 5
(3 players)
BB checks, Hero checks,
CO bets t380,
1 fold,
Hero folds
Total pot: t675
the short term plan is to play a few more 6 tabling sets. then boost it up to 8 next week hopefully to get some more volume in
14.12.2009
running good this month so far. sustained a 15% roi on the 12s over my games.
im 8 tabling comfortably now and will do so for another week or so then hopefully move to 10 tabling comfortably for the rest of the month.
been playing very well. the reviewing i did when i had my huge downswing last month and watching new gold videos has really helped my game. im definitely a better player than i was when i was a $6 reg.
im still table selecting a little when i sharkscope a 16 table reg and finding out hes a 20k+ lifetime winner i tend to wait til his games finish loading lol. but most of the 6-8 table regs are horrible at the 12s.
on another note im getting my 8th tattoo tomorrow which im uber excited about
and my uni results come out on thursday which im scared about but being optimistic.
<3 src="http://resources.pokerstrategy.com/smileys/shark-evil.gif" alt="shark evil" title="shark evil" border="0">
20.12.2009
Comeback baby!!!
mmmmmmmm sweeeet run.
the last plateau is running into cooler spots on bubbles and short handed where i have run pretty good. im still perplexed as to exactly how the EV line is calculated in SnGs so i must do some research on it again so i can propperly analyse my game using it as a guide.
my ROI this month on the 12s is above
20% and my EV adjusted is still above
10% which is awesome!
struggling with volume this month because of the daily grind at work + xmas duties
feels good to finish 2009 off with an upswing. hopefully i can keep it up for a few more days.
29.12.2009
hi guys!
just a quite update before i do a final round-up for 2009!
having my most profitable month of poker so far in my short career. i have reached my required BIs for the $22+2s but im going to wait until the new year to move up.
my plan for the last few days of the year is to review some hands and finally get round to reading some gold articles.
graphs from the 11s as well as december and 2009 will be posted in a few days
wishing everyone a safe and happy new year.
<3
02.01.2010
December wrap-up
December was a fantastic month! I had my first month +$1k and despite a small bump on the 30th where i lost 20BIs i still managed to reach my goal and am now rolled sufficiently to take shots at the 22s
Statistics
Games played: 805 (228x 6s / 577x12$)
Length: 62.6hrs played
Average duration: 29.5min
Winnings: $1090.80
Rake: $691
$/hr: $17.42
ROI: 13%
EV$ Adjusted ROI: 10.3%
December Graph
02.01.2010
2009 wrap-up
As i look back at my first blog when i started playing SnGs seriously in August 2009 i realise this year has been really fun and great for my poker game. Ive steadily rose up the ranks using tight conservative BRM and my confidence has grown more and more. I am extremely happy with what I have achieved in the last 5 months and I cant WAIT to start 2010 and achieve some more poker goals in the SnG world.
My bank roll has moved from its initial $50 starting capital to over
$2.2k
Statistics
Games played: 2971 (1082x 2T / 180x5N / 919x 6T / 790x 12T)
Length: 254.4hrs played
Average duration: 31.8min
Winnings: $1518.02
Rake: $1611.50
$/hr: $5.97
ROI: 8%
EV$ Adjusted ROI: 7.8%
2009 Graph
02.01.2010
2010 Goals!
- [ ] 10k profit over 10k games
- [ ] 10% ROI overall
- [ ] $1/game
- [ ] become a $33+3 reg 10+ tabling by 1st April
- [ ] maintain at least bronze iron man every month
- [ ] pass university (1 semester to go!)
- [ ] maintain my sweat partners and review sessions
- [ ] cash out some of roll for new computer
03.01.2010
off to a swingy start to 2010.
down about 4BI at the 22s and about 10 at the 12s. running 10BI < EV . have an exam in a few days so taking a break from poker. want to keep running the 12s until i build up a few more BIs to confidently tackle the 22s again. i also want to increase my tables from 10 to 12 comfortably on the 12s. running pretty sickly bad over the past 250 games or so. good BRM has kept my spirits high (only lost 10% of my roll). i hope to get some session reviews going with Tim and Chris and maybe we can find some leaks.
05.01.2010
gradually digging myself out of a 20BI hole i dug on Jan 2nd lol.
back on the 12s for a few more BIs then 6 tabling the 22s again.
i find myself constantly adjusting my game daily and even at different times throughout the day. sometimes the players can be wild and rediculously loose and then a few hours later on the same games they can be tight as ever.
i had a go at 12 tabling again but found out my computer cant really handle stats + ninja + LagTilt so im going to stick to 10 until i can afford to purchase a poker box in a few months
I also want to try start learning some Super Turbo strategies as a 'side project' ive always been a grinder at heart and increasing my tables / hr has always been a proven system to pull out the edge from the variance.
I hope i can learn a decent SUPturbo strategy and start some attempts on the 7s .
07.01.2010
happy birthday to me. i got a present from the run-bad.
-10BI today 11BI < EV. monthly total -20BI < EV and 20BI down. sick sick sick. still grinding away the 12s at the moment. want some better sets to take more shots at the 22s.
09.01.2010
thanks for all the birthday wishes guys.
i had a relaxing birthday. got some nice presents
had to work for 6hrs and the poker gods werent too nice.
ive been working very hard out of game lately with sng wiz and my sweat partners to fix some leaks that i have. ive found that reviewing hands a lot and gaining outside opinions on situations has really helped my game.
ive pulled myself out of the hole i dug earlier this month. im finally in the green this month for the 12s. and looking to get some more volume in on the 22s now ive gained some confidence. hopefully i can run better than i was and stay at that limit for the rest of the month now
<3
10.01.2010
22s this month
SIGH
back to the 12s for a bit AGAIN
11.01.2010
hi guys!
dont worry about the hijack
i love the attention.
i only pay attention to the red line to vent my frustration at how 'unlucky' i have been because i think we can all agree. if you run well below the line you have been unlucky and if you run well above you have been lucky.
of course a good poker player never stops developing his game and studying and this is what im still doing.
chris: im sorry i hadnt started any conversations it seems you were way down my msn list and i couldnt see when you were online! now i have you in my 'favourite' list so i will try and catch you on there.
im still hovering around the 12s - 22s BRM level. hoping to get my well deserved heater soon <3 dont be afraid to msg me on skype/msn guys im always keen to set up sweats/talk strategy. <3
12.01.2010
i think ive finally developed a good game on the 12s. made some adjustments to my ranges and played around with the wiz a lot. my red line is trending up nicely (10%) over the last 150 games so im finally fully confident in my game at this limit.
i agree with what schris7 said before that i should stop trying to take shots at the 22s. its just demotivating when i can only afford to play 15 games or so and if i run bad i have to move back down and start again.
i think ill stay on the 12s for another week or so. im going on holidays on friday for 3 days. getting tattooed and going to an engagement party.
i hope i can finally stick to the 22s a few days after i get back
<3 [EDIT] min 3bets on the flop tilt me so hard. lazy fishies just want to click RAISE!
13.01.2010
lesson for the day boys and girls: fix ICM/bubble leaks and you will crush
13.01.2010
| quote: |
Originally posted by 8979687
Admit it!
It was the flash cards right? |
lol! maybe...
i just played one of the most reg infested sets of my life ( for some reason every decent $12 reg decided that i was a fish and wanted to multi table against me)
moral of the story. stay away fuckers. another +10BI set lol.
19.01.2010
im back from my holiday
had a great time. went to an engagement party and got my calf sleeve finished off. very happy and sore
i played a few more sets of 12s to get back into the swing of things and continued my good fortunes. pushed my ROI this month on the 12s to 11.7% which im very happy with after such a horror start to the month.
with my juicy BR i moved up (hopefully permanently) to the 22s for another shot. this time i have about 20BI padding on top of my usual 100BI rule so im definitely not worried about having 1 bad set and having to move down.
managed to claw back some losses from my other shots. so far so good.
the 22s seem a bit tighter and more people understand the basics compared to the 12s. but if i can avoid the good regs i think i still have a huge edge over most of the fields.
my goal for the last 2 weeks of January is to hold my own on the 22s and move up to 8 tabling.
wish me luck kids
<3
31.01.2010
January 2010 wrap-up
December started off slowly, i wasn't playing my A game and its hard to not focus on running bad when you start playing on a new limit.
I worked on my game a lot mid-month and the trend started to increase nicely. I also ran really good for a few days. Unfortunately over the last 3 days I saw 1/3 of my winnings disappear whilst running 25BI <> 5% which is very nice.
Next month im going for 1k SnGs and with a bit of luck I can reach some monetary goals Ive set which will allow me to cash out a chunk and upgrade my system. I feel my computer is slowing down my progression because it can only handle 10 tables with stats. In order to make it with the big boys I have to increase my volume and thus my multi-tabling.
The last 3 days have been quite emotional but im still very confident in my game at this limit and hopefully can have another successful month.
Statistics
Games played: 838 (467x12$ / 367x24$)
Avg Buyin: $17.23
Length: 79hrs played
Average duration: 29.6min
Winnings: $863 + $324 rakeback =
+$1187
Rake: $1201
$/hr: $15.03
ROI: 6.0%
EV$ Adjusted ROI: 7.2%
January 2010 Graph
February Goals!
- [ ] 1k games
- [ ] 5% EV ROI
- [ ] maintain silver iron man
- [ ] become confident 10 tabling 24s
03.02.2010
I dont really want to post hands here but i just had to show you guys this one.
Villain is 'red bars1k' on FTP. 10k games, 7% ROI, 10$ av stake.
He tank called 25bb on the bubble. i cant believe how bad a so called 'reg' can play.
just goes to show important manual reads like this can be on your opponents.
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, 24 Tournament, 50/100 Blinds (4 handed) -
Full-Tilt Converter Tool from
FlopTurnRiver.com
SB (t2595)
Hero (BB) (t6510)
UTG (t965)
Button (t3430)
Hero's M: 43.40
Preflop: Hero is BB with 4
, 4
2 folds,
SB bets t250,
Hero raises to t6510 (All-In), SB calls t2345 (All-In)
Flop: (t5190) J
, 5
, 8
(2 players, 2 all-in)
Turn: (t5190) 9
(2 players, 2 all-in)
River: (t5190) 6
(2 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: t5190
Results:
SB had 6
, A
(one pair, sixes).
Hero had 4
, 4
(one pair, fours).
Outcome: SB won t5190
04.02.2010
I cant take it anymore!!!!!!!!!!!
what am i doing wrong. why cant i be rewarded for playing a perfect game. i make maybe 3 marginal mistakes every 30 games which may cost me 0.5% $EV.
and this is how i am rewarded
this is the 24s over the last 8 days. i know i know 200 games so fkn what.
you show me worse in a small sample at STTs.
[x] 39BIs < EV [ ] sample
06.02.2010
ive been looking for a new way to play my sets because i think opening up 8-10 tables and playing them all at the same time isnt the best when you have a lot at high blinds you can make silly mistakes.
i tried continuous games and found it wasnt for me. i got too flustered with opening up new games and getting reads and all that at the same time.
now ive found a really nice method that seems to work and is manageable with getting reads/SS Hud etc.
i open up 4 tables and let them run to lvl 100. then open up 4 more. then i wait until all of the first 4 are finished and open up a new 4.
i find this method is in between straight sets and continuous and its working for me so far. i played a very relaxing set just then with no mistakes and a few BI profit
i think i finally found what works for me. now i can concentrate on my game and banking some wins
i hope to look back on this point in my quest at the 24s and say that this is a turning point for the better after a horrible week.
08.02.2010
in the last 280~ games ive run 47BI below EV on the $24s.
my adjusted EV is 6% higher than my actual.
im still well rolled for these games. its hard to get the required volume in for this month. im only 8 tabling in staggered sets to concentrate, but when you are having the worst 2 weeks of poker since the beginning its very hard to see past the short term results.
ps. that thin red
EV line is the only thing keeping me slightly happy right now. the glimmer of hope that i might be a winning player on this limit if i can ride through this rough patch.
my study:play ratio is about 50:50 right now.
im trying to review my marked hands + 1 or 2 games before i play each day. i think its helping a lot to refine my ranges.
lots of support needed right now. wish me luck guys
<3
09.02.2010
Moving on DOWN!
lifetime graph at the 24s. 3% EV ROI.
as you can see i run really good at this limit.
ive always known that SnGs are a volume game and this stretch at the 24s has shown me that the only way im going to make it up with the mid stakes is to increase my volume to ride out these rough patches.
so ive decided to move back down to the 12s even though i still have > 120BIs for the 24s. my main goal is to work on my multi-tabling skills and test my computer to see if it can handle > 12 tables.
i hope to perfect my my 12+ tabling in a few weeks and move back up with a fresh mind-set and a new weapon that is VOLUME!!!
im 100% confident i can beat the 24s easily. im a BR NIT at heart and it hurts losing almost $1k in 2 weeks most of which due to bad luck.
09.02.2010
good advice 897. Actually, that is exactly what ive been doing for the last 2 weeks.
i reduced my tables from 10 to 8 when i started running bad. i feel im playing pretty good on the limit and definitely well enough to beat it in the long run.
the swing hurts and i want to get better at multi-tabling to hold my ROI steady and increase the rake-back + $/hr .
in order to do this without going broke + tilting im moving down to the 12s.
for now im going to 10-12 table on my current PC while researching how much it will cost me for a few upgrades. hopefully i can cash out a bit and work my way up to 16 tabling which is my ultimate goal for now.
15.02.2010
| quote: |
Originally posted by lennonac
I see what you are saying and it does make kind of sense.
Im sure <3 will be fine, he is the best sng player I have seen who isn't a coach. <3 src="http://resources.pokerstrategy.com/smileys/fish-biggrin.gif" alt="fish biggrin" title="fish biggrin" border="0"> |
lol i totally missed this post
<3 u lennonac. to further explain why i moved down: once i had a decent sample on the 24s i quickly realised that there is a HUGE difference between the 12s and the 24s. more regs, more good regs, more winning regs, fish are tighter = bad for late stage = more variance. now while i had a comfortable roll and felt i was beating the games and just getting horribly unlucky while 8 tabling. I could feel myself tilting more and more every day because i wasnt used to the $ value of each suckout. i chose to move down for a few reasons which i think will help me a lot when i decide to move back up. Also i needed my sanity back after running so horrible. i do agree with everything you have said 867. But with my long term goals, I wanted to ensure an air tight game vs fish in all stages before i continue my adjustments to the regs at the 24s.
15.02.2010
so yeah im on a heater. EV still running at 8% on the 12s for the month.
and im getting more and more comfortable with 5-6 bubbles/ITM at the same time which will help me a lot in the future.
I found sometimes when i reduced my tables i was over-thinking some really standard spots in different situations.
poker is a learning game and im still learning new things every day.
id like to take the opportunity here to thank lennonac and Tim64 for our session reviews together. Its good to have friends to chat about poker with, something i lack in the real world for the moment.
as long as i can stay on top of my game and put in decent volume im confident i can pull a decent green month from the garbage start to February.
<3
23.02.2010
New Grind Box!
Ordered a new PC today. first large cash out (1.5k) + a few $hundred of my own to invest in poker. I think with this new PC i will move up to the max tables on FT and hopefully grind my guts out.
here are the specs for all you nerds out there.
CPU -
Intel Core i7 860 Quad Core (2.80GHz - 3.46GHz Turbo) - LGA1156, 2.5 GT/s DMI, HTT, 8MB Cache, 45nm, 95W
CPU COOLER -
Thermalright MUX-120 CPU Cooler - Intel LGA1156, 120mm Fan, 1200rpm, 41.8CFM, 23.5dBA
MOBU –
ASUS P7P55D-Deluxe Motherboard
LGA1156, P55, 4xDDR3-2133, 3xPCI-Ex16 v2.0, 9xSATA-II, 1xATA, RAID, 2xGigLAN, 10Chl-HD, Firewire, ATX
HDD –
(2) Seagate 160GB 7200rpm Serial ATA-II 300 HDD w.8MB Cache (ST3160318AS) Barracuda 7200.12
GFX -
ASUS Radeon HD 5850 - 1GB DDR5, 256-bit, 2xDVI, DisplayPort, HDMI, HDTV, HDCP, Fansink - PCI-Ex16 v2.0
(725MHz, 4000MHz)
CASE -
Antec Six Hundred Midi-Tower Gaming Case - NO PSU, Black
3x USB2.0, Audio In/Out, Window, Hot Swap HDD bays, ATX
RAM -
(2) Corsair 4GB (2 x 2GB) PC3-12800 1600MHz DDR3 RAM - 9-9-9-24 - TW3X4G1600C9D Dominator
DVD -
LiteOn IHAP322 All Write - DVD+R/DVD+RW/DVD-R/DVD-RW/DVD+R DL/DVD-R DL/DVD-RAM/DVD-ROM/CD-R/CD-RW/CD-ROM, Combo Drive
WIFI -
D-Link DWA-520 108Mbps Wireless 802.11g Adapter – PCI
POWER SUPPLY -
ThermalTake 750W Toughpower QFan - ATX 12V 2.2, EPS 12V, 140mm Fan, Modular Cables - Retail
6x SATA, 2x PCI-E 8-Pin, 2x PCI-E 6-Pin
EXTRAS -
(3) Arctic Cooling F12 PWM Fan - 120x120x25, Fluid Dynamic Bearing, 300-1350rpm, 57CFM, 24.4dBA - White/Black
WINDOWS 7
TREND MICRO
24.02.2010
and for those of you who want to hear some poker related things from me.
i managed to pull back my 35BI loss on the 24s in about a week on the 12s. running at >10% EV ROI. so its safe to say i can crush the 12s which isnt too hard.
right now im grinding away at the 12s until my new pc comes. then i want to quickly move to 16 tabling them and hopefully move back up to the 24s with more experience, more volume and more luck this time
ill be posting my regular monthly round-up next week.
25.02.2010
| quote: |
Originally posted by gedwashere91
Hey Lessthanthree,
Nice PC ur building... gonna play some CoD in between SnG sets?? Wat uni are you studying at? I'm 2nd year at UQ myself. Great blog btw, shows how good BRM and dedicated study will lead to success, and to persevere through the downswings. I'll keep an eye out for future posts. |
hi gedwashere91!
haha i used to play FPS/MMORPGs but ive found poker takes up most of my free time these days. im a 6th yr (lol) at UTS in Sydney.
BRM is definitely something pokerstrategy.com teaches very well.
glad you enjoy the blog
i enjoy writing it.
25.02.2010
hi gramatikovBG,
Im happy people enjoy my blog. i try to make it interesting and informative at the same time whilst demonstrating the joys and frustrations of moving up the STT ladder
Say Hi next time you see me in FTP.
ps. i was CS addicted about 10yrs ago when i was in highschool, then i moved to DoD/BF1942. then started WoW (big mistake) when MC/BWL were crazy hard to beat. I was a undead mage on an Oceanic server. I was very addicted for 2yrs which caused me to do very poorly at University. Finally I quit and eventually took up poker instead. Its much more profitable and just as fun (most of the time)
I miss the 7hr 40man raids sometimes, but if i had a chance to go back i would have never started playing. sooooo addictive and badddd for you.
01.03.2010
February 2010 wrap-up
Well this month was the toughest month of poker i have ever had. it was extremely swingy with a lot of +-20 BI swings. I was happy with my play on the 12s up until a few days ago where i think i have been slipping into some bad habits. I ended the month horribly downing 30BIs in my last 250 games running about 15% under ev.
I am still quite proud that i managed to pull a BE month out of my horrid downswing at the 24s. I learnt a lot this month, had a lot of fun sweating with my friends Lennonac and Tim.
Unfortunately with uni going back ill have less time to contribute to poker but i hope with the arrival of my new computer soon and increasing my multi-tabling as a result i can still manage to put in enough volume to hang onto my iron man status. With this goal alone i hope to pull a nice profit for March.
Lets put the horrid month of February behind us and move on.
<3
Statistics
Games played: 897 (693x12$ / 194x24$)
Avg Buyin: $14.56
Length: 77hrs played
Average duration: 30min
Winnings: $65.20 + $293.20 rakeback =
+$358.40
Rake: $1086
$/hr: $4.65
ROI: 0.5%
EV$ Adjusted ROI: 4.2%
February 2010 Graph
Review of February Goals!
- [ ] 1k games
- [ ] 5% EV ROI
- [x] maintain silver iron man
- [ ] become confident 10 tabling 24s
04.03.2010
seeing as HEM has another 4hrs or so to import my hands ill post some pics of my upgraded set-up
(specs in previous post if you are interested)
05.03.2010
after tweaking my pc a bit to get it the way i wanted i finally found time to start up a little set of 12 x 12s to see how it runs under a bit of a load.
and WOW!!!!! i love my new toy so much. zero lag, CPU only at about 20% load, running at about 40 degrees C (30C idle). super fast, super clean. got my multi-tabling set-up nicely.
my first 2 games i got busted with KK v AA and AK v AA and i was thinking "oh here we go again"...
but surprisingly the new table-layout ive configured has helped me to not get so tilty when i run bad. My layout is 8 games tiled with 2 under each position.
i was a bit flustered because my sister needed my help and i had to left the game and i was configuring some FT settings on the fly which meant i really didnt get to take my normal amount of notes. but after finishing the set i loaded up HEM and saw a nice 16BI upswing!!!
good to see my luck turning around, i hope i can put in a decent month volume wise now that i have everything set up the way i want. i hope my uni schedule allows me to meet my poker goals as well
<3
05.03.2010
oh and with that last set my BR hit 4k for the first time
lol @ being way over-rolled for the 12s.
want to try hurry up and get back in the variance-fest that is the 24s
(as gross as that sounds)
10.03.2010
| quote: |
Originally posted by joeburrows
Any advice for a fellow SnGer? |
hey joe,
thanks for reading!
few pointers.
1. as soon as you can afford it buy holdem manager and SNG Wizard, both of these are a MUST for any serious SnG grinder imo.
2. learn ICM and keep practicing. i started out with a learning/playing ratio of about 50/50. as you get more confident in your ICM you can adjust.
3. post trouble hands on the forums! (everyone has different opinions and there is usually never a RIGHT or WRONG answer)
4. try and practice increasing your tables. start with 2 then go for 3 then 4 then 6 etc... find out what set-up works best for you (tiled,cascade,stacked). Ive tried all and i have to say i prefer tiled but, once again, everyone is different.
those are some basic points and if you need any further advice just send me a PM and ill add you on skype, im very approachable and always willing to answer questions.
11.03.2010
5k Games!
Recently i hit the 5k lifetime games mark on HEM playing STTs (this includes both normal and turbos). I thought it would be good to see some graphs/stats over my time so far.
Ive made over $4k from these games starting from $50.
<3 ps.com <3
Statistics
Games played: 5066
Avg Buyin: $9.76
Length: 434.3hrs played
Average duration: 30.8min
Winnings: $2456 + $1123 rakeback +bonuses =
+~$4000
Rake: $4158
$/hr: $9.21
ROI: 5%
EV$ Adjusted ROI: 6.7%
5k Games Graph
13.03.2010
so ive been pretty busy with RL lately. uni has gone back and im getting stuck into my classes. im on track to fulfill my goals for the month.
someone turned the heat on at FT. ive been running very very nicely so far over the few games ive played.
feels good to finally get the chance to 16 table like ive always aspired to. not only does it feel good to finally get the max tables on FT, but to feel myself playing the best game ive ever played and the cards falling my way as well.
<3
14.03.2010
| quote: |
Originally posted by msliw
I can see on the graph that first 1000 SnGs was pretty hard to go up, wasn't it?
Do you play on stars and FTP? |
the first 1k games was mostly $1-$3 sngs where the rake kills your roi, also i was only a beginner and my edge was quite small back then (8 months ago).
i gained most of my BR which allowed me to move up to the $6 games during the early days through bonuses (biggest bonus ever/year end bonus/first deposit bonus).
i play on FTP exclusively.
21.03.2010
hey guys,
im still alive and grinding away. im confidently 16 tabling my way through the 12s still. my $/hr has gone up and my ROI hasnt suffered which is nice.
im in a bit of a BE stretch at the moment but i feel like im playing some of my best poker in months. hopefully the month will end with a nice heater.
uni is pretty busy and its nice to still get in 800games/month while playing a lot less than i was during the holidays.
im still rebuilding my BR up to an acceptable level to hit the 24s again. this time im not moving down so i want to have a cusion to keep me up with the big boys!
<3
24.03.2010
i took my first shot with 100BI but was disheartened when i ran bad and moved down. then i took another shot with 110BI but the same thing happened and it was a worse downer running 6% under EV which is just standard variance.
im building up a solid 175BI BR before i get back into the 24s... the variance is a lot bigger because your edge is about half what it is as a decent reg on the 12s. + the swings can be mentally tougher.
i think 70-80 is great for the micros and 100 probably best for the 12s. but i think i personally need closer to 200 minimum for mid stakes to ensure my survival.
24.03.2010
|
well said tim, in order for me to play my absolute A game i feel part of my preperation is having a nice cushion in my BR to withstand the swings. getting to 5% on the 24s would be a great achievement and i think with some work i could sustain >5% after a few months. the hardest part about starting a new limit is the first few weeks... setting the adjustments, figuring out the regs and the fish.
im hoping April 2010 will be my last month on the 12s after filling the hole in my BR after upgrading my pc.
poker update: im on the sickest heater of my life. running at 15% for the month and >$30/hr. hopefully i can finish the month off strongly.
<3 |
25.03.2010
ok, ive said it before but ill say it again.
Im
always looking for competent/developing mid-stakes players to do some group review sessions over skype/team viewer.
Im also looking to hook up with a few more micro-stakes beginners. This would involve looking over some of your HHs and talking about how to improve your game in the micros as well as general advice on sng poker.
I live in Australia so the time zone differences are often a challenge but I am always happy to help out where ever I can. I really enjoy session reviews just as much as actually playing.
If you are a interested send me a private message and we can hopefully work something out.
<3
26.03.2010
hi gold,
thanks for visiting my blog!
obviously i could sit here all day and talk about standard spots to go broke in the micros but that would take too long.
some general advice for beating the micros is use a semi-aggressive BRM 60-80BIs to move up depending on your preference. then move that closer to 100BIs once u reach 12s/16s.
work on your multi-table skills. try work your way up to 8 tables at least without hurting your ROI. quality over quantity! (table ninja will help with this)
practice with ICM trainers (ps.com ICM trainer is fantastic for beginners)
invest in a HUD program (i recommend holdem manager) and also sng wiz!
if you want to get advice on particular hands/ranges etc pls send me a private message and we can talk further on skype.
<3
31.03.2010
March 2010 wrap-up
First, let me say i was pretty lucky this month. i won my fair share of flips and had some of the biggest winning days of my career this month. I felt I played my A game for most of the month but a few days I definitely didnt feel it which showed on my results.
I ended up going on a 20BI downer a few days ago and after reviewing extensively discovered a few tiny leaks but mostly it was just standard variance.
Im extremely proud to have another +$1k month on the board and my $/hr has increased significantly after increasing my tables up to the FTP maximum (16).
There are some big developments in my poker life that are slowly taking shape in the background. If you are a low stakes sng grinder looking to improve yourself I would keep an eye on this blog.
Once again I would like to thank Lennonac and Tim and also many people from ps.com who i have chatted with over skype this month (Ged, kyle, z4 and many more). You guys make learning outside the game fun, and its always nice to have someone to chat with about poker.
<3
Statistics
Games played: 737 (737x12$)
Avg Buyin: $12.00
Length: 44.6hrs played
Average duration: 30.1min
Winnings: $966.90 + $199 rakeback =
+$1165.90
Rake: $737
$/hr: $26.14
ROI: 10.9%
EV$ Adjusted ROI: 4.9%
March 2010 Graph
Review of March Goals!
- [x] reach IRON man (~700 games for the month) *gold*
- [ ] 8% EV ROI on the 12s
- [X] become confident 16 tabling 12s
- [X] make time for sweat partners every week
02.04.2010
hi 897 thanks for dropping in.
yeah im not too concerned about the EV roi goal. my main goal is the iron man goal, this ensures i get in my volume for the month.
thanks for the compliment.
we all have different opinions and in some situations there are many different (but equally correct) ways to play a hand. and on other occasions you can be flat wrong. haha.
it helps me keep my post-flop game in tune as well as some basic intuition for ranges.
right now. i think my roi would suffer too much by adding more tables. but i think with more practice i could probably 24table with bigger monitors (i tile).
but im happy with the FT maximum
gives me a significant $/hr gain over when i was 10 tabling.
skype: yes you can text chat as well. download it and ill PM you my skype name to add me
03.04.2010
ahh you guys thanks for the support haha
.
im well aware of the increased $/hr if i move up assuming i can grind out 4%. the thing that scares me are the swings... right now i have a 138BI BR for the 24s and i just dont feel comfortable with a 20BI swing at that level even with that buffer. My goal is 175-200BI so this time when i move up i wont be scared by a 20BI+ swing and I can move down.
i know im a NIT. i feel im a lot better player than i was the lats time i moved up... ill know when im ready, and believe me.. this time im never coming back.
03.04.2010
yeah exactly my thoughts 897.
one of the main reasons i moved down and spent 1/3 my BR on a new pc was to increase my volume at the 24s. last time i was 8 tabling and it was taking forever to get over the short term variance. this time i want to start off 12 tabling and move it up to 16 quite quickly.
and the swings while multi-tabling this heavily can be even greater. i had - 3 10-15BI losing days last month on the 12s and im a 10% winner there. so yeah i know what im in for...
i guess i am a little scared haha.
07.04.2010
this month is exam month. so im just going to be putting in bare minimum to keep gold iron man and hopefully run decently again.
so far so good. i feel my game is pretty strong. i badly want to spend a few hours reviewing my games in wiz but i just cant find the time to review as well as play atm.
ive definitely noticed a huge improvement since i moved down from the 24s playing against regs. i know next time i move up ill be a much better player.
<3
08.04.2010
today i finally got a good 2hrs to sit down and review some games in wiz.. and im glad i did.. a few leaks have crept into my game that i was unaware of. hopefully i can work on these and grind out of my BE stretch.
just goes to show... if you get sloppy in your reviews you can quickly get sloppy in your games.
09.04.2010
I think i just hit a milestone.
for the first time in 5.8k STTs i had a game reach 1k/2k blinds on FT.
it was 3 handed and i somehow survived being AI 3 times 3 way and clawed my way back from 250 chips 3 handed to win.
the HU battle was so funny. the guy basically folded his way to 2nd HU. i was on atc every hand and he was folding with like 0.8bb behind lol!
never have i had a STT go up this high it was pretty sick.
tip: never panic, even with a micro-stack left make sure u are always making the +EV move and with 1 chip you always have a chance at winning.
16.04.2010
well its half way through april so i thought i would update a little.
my mid-semester exams start tomorrow. feeling pretty confident i can do well in them. so fingers crossed.
poker-wise, ive been happy with my progress so far this month. im running pretty hot. (13% so far) and on track for another good month and on track for all my goals.
im confident this will be my last month grinding the 12s. i feel im more prepared than i was last time to move up and i think this time ive definitely got my A game prepared.
if you are a FT reg at the 12s or 24s id love to share some thoughts so pls PM me so we can hook up over skype.
21.04.2010
some of you may already know this but i am now a Hand Judge in the SnG <$5 forums.
hope to see you all posting hands and keeping me on my toes
22.04.2010
thanks guys
exams are over! now ive got a little 1.5week break til classes start again.
time to grind a bit!
I just noticed tableninjaFT added heaps of cool new features recently that im going to try out.
they added a fixed bet + 1bb per limper shortcut which is nice. and also they added the snap to position hot key! Im going to test out stacking the tables with the new features of ninja and see if its better.
im struggling to take good reads in game while 16 tabling. i know this will always be a problem when mass multi-tabling but im always trying to squeeze out a bit of extra EV.
and WOW my ranges got really rusty while i took some days off.. time to study again.
24.04.2010
just posting a quick update because i hit a few milestones this week.
1. $ won lifetime incl rakeback > 5k
2. SS ROI on 12s > 10% (10.5 now)
3. SS total profit > 4k
4. lifetime green line > lifetime red line
so if anyone is wondering where all their EV went this month...
[x] has your slansky $
i hope i dont jinx the heater by posting this lol.
thought it was worth a brag
29.04.2010
ive been thinking a little bit lately about how i want to play my tables when i move up to the 24s again. i want to maximize my $/hr without turning into a robot.
the last 2 days ive been practicing 12 tabling continuously and i can feel myself making better decisions compared to when i 16 table in sets. so i think ill play them that way when i move up next month. my games/hr reduces slightly but i think ill have to sacrifice a bit of volume in order to be a good reg on the 24s. a lot more adjustments and reads will be needed.
tomorrow is the last day of the month... and i cant wait to post my epic graph.
30.04.2010
April 2010 wrap-up
Another sick month. Started off a bit slow, spent a few days in the poker classroom and BOOM up she goes. Officially my highest winning month so far and also my highest $/hr. Feeling great, playing great and getting lucky. what else can a poker player ask for?
Planning on spending a few days relaxing, studying and preparing for the move up. I've got enough padding in my roll to withstand even the biggest of swongs on the 24s. But, this time, im a much better player and much more focused so BRING IT ON!
Statistics
Games played: 718 (718x12$)
Avg Buyin: $12.00
Length: 39.6hrs played
Average duration: 30.0min
Winnings: $1185 + $194 rakeback =
+$1379
Rake: $718
$/hr: $34.82
ROI: 13.8%
EV$ Adjusted ROI: 7.5%
April 2010 Graph
Review of April Goals!
-
maintain gold iron man (~700 games)
-
8% EV ROI on the 12s
- review as many hands on the forums before chenny!
-
do well in my exams (so far passed 1/4, more results to come)
- take on some micro/low-stakes sng students (slowly coming along, but getting hand judge counts a little)
07.05.2010
every single time i move up, i run like shit.
first 4 days im 18BI down and 12BI < EV. pretty standard though, ive come to terms with the fact that in order to compete you have to just suck it up and take it. ive looked at some graphs of the big winners and 20BIs is so standard its not even funny. i KNOW i can beat the 24s. im adjusting well and of course still practicing every day. at least the rakeback will ease the pain. if u play the 24s and are reading this blog pls contact me via skype (c.j.bridle) i would love to review together. <3
08.05.2010
oh yeah. i definitely know how hard variance can hit me. you are totally correct 897. its completely standard! im doing some heavy review this morning checking some of my perceptions of the players because i think i might be over-adjusting in some spots.
20BI swings are a part of our game. we just have to hack it. and with my real ROI reducing on the 24s by probably a good 4-5% the variance increases. so im just taking baby steps at the moment, keeping my head above water while i adjust and get used to the new fish pond.
14.05.2010
ive been crushing over the last few days. on a huge heater.
all the hard work is finally starting to show results.
i also had my biggest winning day ever today. $600
wwweeeeeeee
17.05.2010
i just bought this, super happy. going to make multi-tabling so much more comfortable now. Also got it 25% off!!!
Dell 3008WFP 30" monitor
ballin
19.05.2010
so i played a lot today. this is how i ran.
weeee poker is fun.
my lifetime graph is 50BI < src="http://resources.pokerstrategy.com/smileys/shark-mad.gif" alt="shark mad" title="shark mad" border="0">
