This I posted at PokerSpace. I update that blog more frequently than this one, though that will change soon. IN the meantime, an interesting converstation popped up over at PokerSpace, and I reposted an old 2+2 gem about the nature of success and failure in poker. You really should at least think about what Gigabet has to say here. Very profound.
Community - Blogs - PokerMagpie - Success and failure in poker, according to Gigabet - Pokerspace
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Showing posts with label strategy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strategy. Show all posts
25 August 2009
08 August 2009
Position, position, position....
This post on my PokerSpace page goes into more detail about the Buttons and Blinds leak I found in my game. This is a very important discovery for me, and I hope that August turns out better for it.
Community - Blogs - PokerMagpie - Position, position, position.... - Pokerspace
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Community - Blogs - PokerMagpie - Position, position, position.... - Pokerspace
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The Month in Review : 7-2009
So far, I have played 1800+ hands of poker, mostly at $0.02/$0.04 and at Fixed Limit. I have dabbled in freerolls, winning 31 cents on PokerStars, but for the most part, I have only played cash games. I will continue to focus on cash games until I have a bankroll big enough to handle SnGs. I doubt I will make it as a tournament player at this point, as even the freerolls are a hassle to register for... I like the easy-come, easy-go nature of cash games, and it is easier on my schedule.
I lost $28, but deposited $10 to unlock the RAI$E promotion at UltimateBet, for a grand total of $32 cash, and $61.10 in bonus dollars to clear. I have not played poker at all in the past week, as I am now reading through Ed Miller's Getting Started in Hold'Em, and Small Stakes Hold'Em. I believe I have found the leaks responsible for the loss.
First of all, I am using PokerTracker 3 trial - and it is fully functional. I have tracked all the hands I have played, and I found the Positions tab to be very enlightening. Bascially, of the $28 I lost :
$11 or so was on the small blind
$4.85 was lost at the button and the big blind. Each.
So cleary, this points to a positional awareness issue. It did not take me long to review those hands and determine that I had misunderstood the position. Long story short : the small blind is the first person to act post-flop (Under-the-gun, or UTG). I thought that I could see the flop at a discount from SB, and played very poorly from there with just about anything. In reality, I threw a ton of money away, because I would be the first to act, and everyone else had positional advantage. Solution ? Fold in the buttons and blinds more. A lot more.
The second leak was harder for me to find... although by the time I realised that tightening up my button and blind play in and of itself would not work, my Ed Miller books arrived. Therein, I discovered the joys of check-raising. Very nice. I am still learning, though, and as I looked into post-flop play more, I found out about cold-calling. Bascially, when someone raises or reraises, one should either raise (or reraise again) or fold. It is not consistently profitable to simply call into a raised pot, unless you have a very strong hand. It took me a while just to figure out what cold calling was, though. I often cold call, and the combination of this and poor button and blind play has cut my bankroll in half. Solution ? Presumably, if I fold more, I will avoid this situation, but the check-raise gives me a new tool to use. I also plan to work on my board and hand reading skills so I do not get pushed out of too many pots...
As far as The Plan goes : well, I learnt that Ultimate Bet puts a 90 day expiry on their bonus dollars. At the $0.02/$0.04 limits I play, that means that I will not be able to clear $61.10 in bonus money before at least part of it expires... I could move up in limits, but I am not rolled for it, neither am I running a winning +EV game yet. In the meantime, PokerStars have announced a new promotion for first time depositors : %100 up to $600, for up to the first three desposits made in a 60 day period. Given that PokerStars can be a bit tight-fisted about their bonuses (comparatively speaking), this sounds like an excellent deal. Code is Stars600, if you are interested. So, I am going to take them up on this sometime by the end of August, and roll whatever money I have left in UltimateB et over to either Stars or FullTilt. I have not decided yet... but FullTilt has rakeback available. It is very nice to be able to get rakeback. Even with what little I have played, and at the stakes I have played, my records show I have generated $55 in rake.
So for now, I continue to soldier on at UltimateBet, and I am not planning on keeping/retaining the $61.10 in bonus. If I get part of it, great, but when it is all gone, I am gone too. In the meantime, the bankroll is at $32, and I lose about $1 per hour, so I have 30 sessions or so before I totally go bust. Plenty of chances to apply the new kinowledge I am gaining from Ed Miller's books....
I lost $28, but deposited $10 to unlock the RAI$E promotion at UltimateBet, for a grand total of $32 cash, and $61.10 in bonus dollars to clear. I have not played poker at all in the past week, as I am now reading through Ed Miller's Getting Started in Hold'Em, and Small Stakes Hold'Em. I believe I have found the leaks responsible for the loss.
First of all, I am using PokerTracker 3 trial - and it is fully functional. I have tracked all the hands I have played, and I found the Positions tab to be very enlightening. Bascially, of the $28 I lost :
$11 or so was on the small blind
$4.85 was lost at the button and the big blind. Each.
So cleary, this points to a positional awareness issue. It did not take me long to review those hands and determine that I had misunderstood the position. Long story short : the small blind is the first person to act post-flop (Under-the-gun, or UTG). I thought that I could see the flop at a discount from SB, and played very poorly from there with just about anything. In reality, I threw a ton of money away, because I would be the first to act, and everyone else had positional advantage. Solution ? Fold in the buttons and blinds more. A lot more.
The second leak was harder for me to find... although by the time I realised that tightening up my button and blind play in and of itself would not work, my Ed Miller books arrived. Therein, I discovered the joys of check-raising. Very nice. I am still learning, though, and as I looked into post-flop play more, I found out about cold-calling. Bascially, when someone raises or reraises, one should either raise (or reraise again) or fold. It is not consistently profitable to simply call into a raised pot, unless you have a very strong hand. It took me a while just to figure out what cold calling was, though. I often cold call, and the combination of this and poor button and blind play has cut my bankroll in half. Solution ? Presumably, if I fold more, I will avoid this situation, but the check-raise gives me a new tool to use. I also plan to work on my board and hand reading skills so I do not get pushed out of too many pots...
As far as The Plan goes : well, I learnt that Ultimate Bet puts a 90 day expiry on their bonus dollars. At the $0.02/$0.04 limits I play, that means that I will not be able to clear $61.10 in bonus money before at least part of it expires... I could move up in limits, but I am not rolled for it, neither am I running a winning +EV game yet. In the meantime, PokerStars have announced a new promotion for first time depositors : %100 up to $600, for up to the first three desposits made in a 60 day period. Given that PokerStars can be a bit tight-fisted about their bonuses (comparatively speaking), this sounds like an excellent deal. Code is Stars600, if you are interested. So, I am going to take them up on this sometime by the end of August, and roll whatever money I have left in UltimateB et over to either Stars or FullTilt. I have not decided yet... but FullTilt has rakeback available. It is very nice to be able to get rakeback. Even with what little I have played, and at the stakes I have played, my records show I have generated $55 in rake.
So for now, I continue to soldier on at UltimateBet, and I am not planning on keeping/retaining the $61.10 in bonus. If I get part of it, great, but when it is all gone, I am gone too. In the meantime, the bankroll is at $32, and I lose about $1 per hour, so I have 30 sessions or so before I totally go bust. Plenty of chances to apply the new kinowledge I am gaining from Ed Miller's books....
11 July 2009
Raison d'Etre
I am starting this blog to share my experiences in the world of online poker. I also hope to use this as a tool to organise cool posts/threads I encounter on my way to poker greatness. So far I have signed up for a few fora, and have noted that many beginners such as myself have started blogs. Some more updated than others, they all give a glimpse into the minds of people who are learning the game.
Naturally, we all have different motivations : for me, I see poker as a low-ceremony, high value way to convert my brain power into cash. I read articles suggesting links between chess, poker, and financial analysis. So a large part of what drives me is sheer curiosity : are they right ? I like stock analysis and chess, and so far, I can see the similarities with poker.
The rest of my motivation ? Filthy lucre.
The plan is to grind a small bankroll up to a level where I can supplement my income with poker winnings. I estimate this will take $20k, and 2+ years. However, in true magpie fashion, I do not intend to dump my wage-earned dollars into this. No, I intend to not make any deposits at all. In other words, I will do this strictly by winning money from other players.
By using a tight-aggressive playing style, combined with bankroll management and continuing analysis of my performance over time, I intend to take my initial $100 no deposit bonus at Ultimate Bet and grind to greatness. I actually prefer PokerStars, but they do not have many great rakeback or no deposit deals. I would eventually like to roost there, however, and will likely roll over my winnings from Ultimate Bet as soon as I clear bonuses. This will take a while.
In the meantime, I have no set schedule to update the blog, as it is part notebook as well. Perhaps fortnightly would be good ? We'll see. In the meantime, I shall endeavour to update more frequently in the beginning, as I need to tweak the blog to support my goals. Good luck on the felt !
Naturally, we all have different motivations : for me, I see poker as a low-ceremony, high value way to convert my brain power into cash. I read articles suggesting links between chess, poker, and financial analysis. So a large part of what drives me is sheer curiosity : are they right ? I like stock analysis and chess, and so far, I can see the similarities with poker.
The rest of my motivation ? Filthy lucre.
The plan is to grind a small bankroll up to a level where I can supplement my income with poker winnings. I estimate this will take $20k, and 2+ years. However, in true magpie fashion, I do not intend to dump my wage-earned dollars into this. No, I intend to not make any deposits at all. In other words, I will do this strictly by winning money from other players.
By using a tight-aggressive playing style, combined with bankroll management and continuing analysis of my performance over time, I intend to take my initial $100 no deposit bonus at Ultimate Bet and grind to greatness. I actually prefer PokerStars, but they do not have many great rakeback or no deposit deals. I would eventually like to roost there, however, and will likely roll over my winnings from Ultimate Bet as soon as I clear bonuses. This will take a while.
In the meantime, I have no set schedule to update the blog, as it is part notebook as well. Perhaps fortnightly would be good ? We'll see. In the meantime, I shall endeavour to update more frequently in the beginning, as I need to tweak the blog to support my goals. Good luck on the felt !
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