Zero to a Million
Wanted to revisit my online experiment. As some of you know, I've started a Pokerstars account with that tiny amount I won via a freeroll. http://sleepwiththefishesdineonthewhales.blogspot.com/2007/10/monday-column-online-play-sounds-dirty.html
Now for the First Update: playing micro limits very infrequently, I've raised that "bankroll" to over a whopping $12. At the same time, I've also played a few 12000 people freerolls hoping to satellite into a bigger event and met with zero success. Well, less than zero because I've gotten to the bubble a few times.
Anyway as of this morning that's $0.00 invested to $1.75 to $12.90.
The zero to a million is the dream, but I've also laid out goals of seeing a lot of hands and refining other aspects of my game to help with my live play. How's that working out? At first, I was surprised by how true the play is regardless of the penny stakes, and to keep myself honest, in my head I was just moving the decimal spot over two places to play it straight. However, I've noticed the "buy the pot" bets at this level are mostly just that and overbets here still indicate bluffs. In live stakes, big bets are usually indicative of big hands, in my limited early experience at the micro levels it's missed draws or frustration tilt bets. Calling those bets has been profitable here but I have to be careful not to pick up bad habits because calling those bets won't be profitable in live play.
As for skill improvement, I'm not picking up on people's hand ranges as effectively as I thought I'd be, perhaps it is doing too many other things at once. So, mabye I'll have to work on upping my focus.
Also, in trying to be more well rounded I'm playing razz, omaha hi-lo, and rest of the horse games in those freerolls. Don't know if I'm practicing a bad swing as far as play goes, but I'm definitely learning about those games from a very basic perspective.
I did invest part of my winnings into a a sit 'n go as I could afford it per Ferguson's bankroll management. In playing it, I thought I'd try out the strategy outlined in a book I've been reading, which is pretty basic stuff for the rest of you guys. Essentially Donkey 101 for sit 'n gos: tight early then bold bubble play. Of course even at this lower level everybody was applying that. And once again, applying "rules" to poker (ie generalizations about a situational game) bit me in the ass. I watched the guys loosen up once we got to 5 and 4 handed play (pay 3). I flop top pair and I discount my opponents reraise. Turn has same betting pattern. Bet, raise, call. I pair my kicker for top two (ks and qs) and call off all my chips to his flopped set after Bet, raise all in call (?). I definitely could have lessened my losses and still had a chance but... I was discounting the information before me. Sometimes I'll read something and it'll say, in this situation xyz happens, then when xyz happens I attribute it to that and ignore the other information available that actually is telling me something else entirely.
As they say a little information can be a dangerous thing.
To judge my progress I'm going to use the following scorecard:
Increased Bankroll: + 1.75 to 12.90
Seeing a lot of hands: - (not playing enough)
Betting Patterns: -
Learning New Games: +
Trying New Things: +
Hand-Reading: -
www.gulfcoastpoker.net
Now for the First Update: playing micro limits very infrequently, I've raised that "bankroll" to over a whopping $12. At the same time, I've also played a few 12000 people freerolls hoping to satellite into a bigger event and met with zero success. Well, less than zero because I've gotten to the bubble a few times.
Anyway as of this morning that's $0.00 invested to $1.75 to $12.90.
The zero to a million is the dream, but I've also laid out goals of seeing a lot of hands and refining other aspects of my game to help with my live play. How's that working out? At first, I was surprised by how true the play is regardless of the penny stakes, and to keep myself honest, in my head I was just moving the decimal spot over two places to play it straight. However, I've noticed the "buy the pot" bets at this level are mostly just that and overbets here still indicate bluffs. In live stakes, big bets are usually indicative of big hands, in my limited early experience at the micro levels it's missed draws or frustration tilt bets. Calling those bets has been profitable here but I have to be careful not to pick up bad habits because calling those bets won't be profitable in live play.
As for skill improvement, I'm not picking up on people's hand ranges as effectively as I thought I'd be, perhaps it is doing too many other things at once. So, mabye I'll have to work on upping my focus.
Also, in trying to be more well rounded I'm playing razz, omaha hi-lo, and rest of the horse games in those freerolls. Don't know if I'm practicing a bad swing as far as play goes, but I'm definitely learning about those games from a very basic perspective.
I did invest part of my winnings into a a sit 'n go as I could afford it per Ferguson's bankroll management. In playing it, I thought I'd try out the strategy outlined in a book I've been reading, which is pretty basic stuff for the rest of you guys. Essentially Donkey 101 for sit 'n gos: tight early then bold bubble play. Of course even at this lower level everybody was applying that. And once again, applying "rules" to poker (ie generalizations about a situational game) bit me in the ass. I watched the guys loosen up once we got to 5 and 4 handed play (pay 3). I flop top pair and I discount my opponents reraise. Turn has same betting pattern. Bet, raise, call. I pair my kicker for top two (ks and qs) and call off all my chips to his flopped set after Bet, raise all in call (?). I definitely could have lessened my losses and still had a chance but... I was discounting the information before me. Sometimes I'll read something and it'll say, in this situation xyz happens, then when xyz happens I attribute it to that and ignore the other information available that actually is telling me something else entirely.
As they say a little information can be a dangerous thing.
To judge my progress I'm going to use the following scorecard:
Increased Bankroll: + 1.75 to 12.90
Seeing a lot of hands: - (not playing enough)
Betting Patterns: -
Learning New Games: +
Trying New Things: +
Hand-Reading: -
www.gulfcoastpoker.net
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