I didn't make my challenge goals. I did pretty well, but fell a few thousand short. I got off to a bad start, so it was never really that close.
Tonight, for the first time, poker felt like work. I looked down at my chips - I had about $500 in front of me at the time, and realized that I didn't care whether I won or lost. Winning wasn't going to change anything, or give me any thrill, and losing wasn't going to hurt. I was bored. I looked around at the table, and noticed that although I knew 5 or 6 players by name, they weren't my friends, and probably never would be. So what was I doing there? This is the first I've had this feeling - and frankly I'm surprised that it took this long. It's not something that built up steadily, I just felt very strongly, in that moment, that I had taken at least this part of the poker journey as far as I wanted to go. One really great thing that's happened to me over the past few years is that I suddenly see things in my life amazingly clearly. This was one of those moments.
I've proven to myself that I can do this. I've been making money steadily for almost eight months playing poker, and I have loved it. I have been a professional poker player. I can say that. I've worked hard at it and I'm proud. There is no doubt that I could never have a real job again, and still have financial independence. I've achieved all of the goals that I laid out in one of my first blogs...what now?
Let me start with what I know. I don't want to be a "grinder" my whole life. If this is how good I am at poker, it's not enough. I don't want to beat up on low to mid stakes poker games every day. I've done it responsibly, and to the best of my ability. The money is fine. The challenge is not enough to maintain my passion. The thrill of the chase is gone. If I'm going to do something that basically gives nothing back to humanity, I at least better LOVE it, not just like it.
So I can go 2 different ways. The first is just to quit playing full time. I have saved enough money that I can take my time looking for a new career. In the meantime, I can write, volunteer, concentrate on fitness, and start going out more - find my next passion. I don't think I'm ready to do that.
The second way is to really a take my shot. I might be good enough to play at the highest level. The truth is that I've beaten every game I've played. How can I quit without taking a risk? Shouldn't I keep climbing the ladder until I get knocked down? "If you never try, you'll never know." This would involve risking a lot of my bankroll on some big tournaments - the kind you see on TV, where the cash is six to seven figures. I've worked my ass of for that money...taking a lot of it and spending it on a few tournaments is really bad bankroll management - but if I don't take my shot now, I will always wonder....and money comes and goes anyway.
So I'm going to take some time - certainly days, probably weeks, to think about it. Actually, I'm going to take some time to not think about it - but I trust that I'll find the answer in my quiet.
So I've enjoyed the ride. It's either time to get off, or speed up....I'll let you know soon.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
$10,000 in 30 days
$10,000 in 30 days.
That's my self-issued challenge. I'm going to try to do it playing only 1-2 no limit. No tournaments or bigger games - just killing the same game 40 hour per week. In order to do it, three things have to happen :
1. I need to play well.
2. I have to play at least 40 hours per week.
3. I can't run bad - I don't have to be super lucky, just not really unlucky.
If I had to bet (I think about odds a lot), I'd make myself a 2-1 underdog to do this.It's basically $60 per hour for 40 hours for 4.5 weeks. That's a lot of grinding.
The reason I'm doing this is to see whether I am ready to make the kind of money I need to stay in this for the forseeable future. I want to be at around 10k per month. As of yet, I haven't made the kind of time sacrifices needed to do it - and that's fine. I've made enough to get by averaging 20-25 hours per week. I have to find out whether I can handle the mental grind of an increased playing schedule.
I'm going to upload some quick video blog updates detailing how I'm doing.
I have until October 22 to do it. Wish me luck!
That's my self-issued challenge. I'm going to try to do it playing only 1-2 no limit. No tournaments or bigger games - just killing the same game 40 hour per week. In order to do it, three things have to happen :
1. I need to play well.
2. I have to play at least 40 hours per week.
3. I can't run bad - I don't have to be super lucky, just not really unlucky.
If I had to bet (I think about odds a lot), I'd make myself a 2-1 underdog to do this.It's basically $60 per hour for 40 hours for 4.5 weeks. That's a lot of grinding.
The reason I'm doing this is to see whether I am ready to make the kind of money I need to stay in this for the forseeable future. I want to be at around 10k per month. As of yet, I haven't made the kind of time sacrifices needed to do it - and that's fine. I've made enough to get by averaging 20-25 hours per week. I have to find out whether I can handle the mental grind of an increased playing schedule.
I'm going to upload some quick video blog updates detailing how I'm doing.
I have until October 22 to do it. Wish me luck!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Still Playing
Hey,
I'm looking forward to writing regularly in the blog again. As the summer fades away, I'll have more down time inside, and am planning to do alot of writing. I've actually written a few pages detailing poker strategy. They are a little too detailed and "pokerish" for this blog, but are fun to write. I may start another blog and try to circulate it within the poker world. I think I have alot to say about how to win at small and mid-stakes live poker. Maybe someone wants to pay to read it.
For the last half of August and first few weeks of September, I only played a few days a week. I took some time off and tried to do as many fun things with Amber as I could. Then she started kindergarten and I made sure to be there when she got off the bus, etc.,
When I have been playing I've been winning regularly. Mostly I'm playing 1-2 no limit, and crushing it. Here are my last 3 weeks results :
8/31 - 4 hours, +$924
9/1 - 4 hours +$67
9/7 - 5 hours + $694
9/8 - 4 hours +$412
9/9 = 4 hours +$155
9/10 = 8 hours +$421
9/14 = 4 hours -$612
9/15 = 4 hours +$260
9/16 = 4 hours +$561
9/17 = 4 hours +$347
9/18 = 4 hours +$614
Total = 49 hours = + $3843 $78.42/hr
That is an absurd rate. I can't keep it up. Obviously I'm running well. However, I am amazed at how differently I play this (1-2 no limit) game than even a few months ago. I have a completely different style. I used to play fairly solid, and rely on people to make mistakes. Now, I am raising constantly, and forcing people to play uncomfortably big pots with me, when they almost always make mistakes. When there is more money on the line, people make HUGE errors. They are either too scared, and play too passively, or want the pot so badly that they are overly aggressive. I am cultivating a maniac image, when in actuality I'm in complete control. For every one big pot that I'm losing, I'm probably winning 4.
For now, I'm going to concentrate on continuing to kill this game. There is no real reason, other than ego, to play bigger - and leaving with full racks of chips almost every time satisfies the ego quite nicely.
As we settle into Amber's new schedule with kindergarten, I am going to try to get back to 30-40 hours per week. It's just too profitable not to start paying babysitters, etc., Obviously my priorities remain being there for her as much as possible.
I want to give myself a challenge, like "$4000 in two weeks," to keep myself motivated. I'm working on the details.
Let me know if you're ever down at Foxwoods!
I'm looking forward to writing regularly in the blog again. As the summer fades away, I'll have more down time inside, and am planning to do alot of writing. I've actually written a few pages detailing poker strategy. They are a little too detailed and "pokerish" for this blog, but are fun to write. I may start another blog and try to circulate it within the poker world. I think I have alot to say about how to win at small and mid-stakes live poker. Maybe someone wants to pay to read it.
For the last half of August and first few weeks of September, I only played a few days a week. I took some time off and tried to do as many fun things with Amber as I could. Then she started kindergarten and I made sure to be there when she got off the bus, etc.,
When I have been playing I've been winning regularly. Mostly I'm playing 1-2 no limit, and crushing it. Here are my last 3 weeks results :
8/31 - 4 hours, +$924
9/1 - 4 hours +$67
9/7 - 5 hours + $694
9/8 - 4 hours +$412
9/9 = 4 hours +$155
9/10 = 8 hours +$421
9/14 = 4 hours -$612
9/15 = 4 hours +$260
9/16 = 4 hours +$561
9/17 = 4 hours +$347
9/18 = 4 hours +$614
Total = 49 hours = + $3843 $78.42/hr
That is an absurd rate. I can't keep it up. Obviously I'm running well. However, I am amazed at how differently I play this (1-2 no limit) game than even a few months ago. I have a completely different style. I used to play fairly solid, and rely on people to make mistakes. Now, I am raising constantly, and forcing people to play uncomfortably big pots with me, when they almost always make mistakes. When there is more money on the line, people make HUGE errors. They are either too scared, and play too passively, or want the pot so badly that they are overly aggressive. I am cultivating a maniac image, when in actuality I'm in complete control. For every one big pot that I'm losing, I'm probably winning 4.
For now, I'm going to concentrate on continuing to kill this game. There is no real reason, other than ego, to play bigger - and leaving with full racks of chips almost every time satisfies the ego quite nicely.
As we settle into Amber's new schedule with kindergarten, I am going to try to get back to 30-40 hours per week. It's just too profitable not to start paying babysitters, etc., Obviously my priorities remain being there for her as much as possible.
I want to give myself a challenge, like "$4000 in two weeks," to keep myself motivated. I'm working on the details.
Let me know if you're ever down at Foxwoods!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Doc
Doc is a Rheumatoid specialist in Cranston. He's a conservative poker player, only playing good starting hands, but ultimately lacking in any imagination or creativity. He's unable to play by feel, and when he likes his hand, it's really easy to tell what he has. He learned to play mostly by reading books. This makes him the ideal opponent for a pro. For Doc, poker is a little like prescribing medicine - when a patient has certain symptoms, he prescribes the same medicine every time. When he has a certain hand in poker, he makes the same play every time. To him it's a science, not an art. This makes him a huge target. In order for me to get him to do what I want, I just have to act a little. If I want him to think I have a big hand, I just do what he thinks someone with a big hand does. And then he folds. When I want him to think I'm weak, I act weak - and he stays in.
My problem is that cards keep getting in the way of me busting him. I've had him right where I've wanted him 6 or 7 times. He's right about to dump his whole chip stack to me and then BAM! One card destroys a beautiful plan.
On Friday I had him directly me to my right. I raised with A9 of spades, and when the action came to me he called. The flop was K99, giving me three 9s. He checked and I bet the size of the pot. He called, obviously with a King, thinking that I would not have made a big bet with three 9's. He paid another $150 on the next round of betting, and had about $300 left, which he was fully prepared to give me. The last card was a King, the only card in the deck that beat me. I knew this gave him a bigger full house than I had. He bet his whole stack, and I had to fold. He smiled at me, like he had caught me in a bluff. I resisted the urge to tell him how lucky he got. I stopped myself from telling him that if he kept coming to the game every week that he would lose thousands of dollars to me, and that I would take Amber to Disneyworld on his dime. No, no that's not the right thing thing to do. Instead, I tapped my hand on the table and said, "great hand, Doc. You caught me again."
My problem is that cards keep getting in the way of me busting him. I've had him right where I've wanted him 6 or 7 times. He's right about to dump his whole chip stack to me and then BAM! One card destroys a beautiful plan.
On Friday I had him directly me to my right. I raised with A9 of spades, and when the action came to me he called. The flop was K99, giving me three 9s. He checked and I bet the size of the pot. He called, obviously with a King, thinking that I would not have made a big bet with three 9's. He paid another $150 on the next round of betting, and had about $300 left, which he was fully prepared to give me. The last card was a King, the only card in the deck that beat me. I knew this gave him a bigger full house than I had. He bet his whole stack, and I had to fold. He smiled at me, like he had caught me in a bluff. I resisted the urge to tell him how lucky he got. I stopped myself from telling him that if he kept coming to the game every week that he would lose thousands of dollars to me, and that I would take Amber to Disneyworld on his dime. No, no that's not the right thing thing to do. Instead, I tapped my hand on the table and said, "great hand, Doc. You caught me again."
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Maybe today...
I'm in the middle of a deep run at a large tournament at the Mohegan Sun. With 74 people left out of an original 745, I have double the chip average, probably good for a top 15 stack.
The top prize in the tournament is $60,000+, but it is likely that a deal will be struck at the final table to divide the money more equally. I am guessing that the final ten will each get around $15,000. Deals like this are allowed, but it only takes one player to object. In this type of payout, however, it is very likely. $15,000 is roughly 4th place money, and 10th is only $3,000. Most players will take the guarantee of a good payout instead of playing for 1st. Hopefully I'll be there to make a choice.
No matter what happens today, I had a blast yesterday. I really can't think of a major mistake that I made all day. There are a few hands that I would have played a little differently, but overall when I put alot of chips in, I was a favorite. That's really all you can do in a tournament. I am loaded with confidence. If I don't make mistakes, and pick up a few hands, I'll be there when it counts.
As I mentioned before, I've been twittering updates, and will again today. You can find me at Bmaggiacomo.
Looking for any positive energy you can spare!
The top prize in the tournament is $60,000+, but it is likely that a deal will be struck at the final table to divide the money more equally. I am guessing that the final ten will each get around $15,000. Deals like this are allowed, but it only takes one player to object. In this type of payout, however, it is very likely. $15,000 is roughly 4th place money, and 10th is only $3,000. Most players will take the guarantee of a good payout instead of playing for 1st. Hopefully I'll be there to make a choice.
No matter what happens today, I had a blast yesterday. I really can't think of a major mistake that I made all day. There are a few hands that I would have played a little differently, but overall when I put alot of chips in, I was a favorite. That's really all you can do in a tournament. I am loaded with confidence. If I don't make mistakes, and pick up a few hands, I'll be there when it counts.
As I mentioned before, I've been twittering updates, and will again today. You can find me at Bmaggiacomo.
Looking for any positive energy you can spare!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Update
It's been about a month since my last blog. I'm really tired and I don't feel like writing much tonight, so I'm going to just do some bullet point updates that don't require me thinking.
1. Vegas was great. I won a few thousand, and finished 8th in a tournament where the first prize was 14 thousand. Call it a near miss.
2. I didn't try to qualify for the World Series when I was out there. For five hundred dollars, there just wasn't enough value. There were so many other good games and tournament around the World Series that I decided there were better places for my time and money. There's always next year.
3. I've won 2 tournaments since I've been back, both small buyins but paying over a thousand. I'm super confident in my tournament game.
4. My cash game results have settled in at $35/hr., lower than the first month, but still 40 percent higher than I expected at this point. I'm playing about 30 hours a week, so I'm making enough to get by. The plan is to continue to grind the cash games and to find good tournaments to take shots at five figure scores. I'll definitely break through soon.
5. I'm starting to play online again, with good results. I want to build my bankroll there slowly as opposed to depositing alot of cash. It will be awhile before I am playing stakes online for as much as I play live, but if I play 10 hours a week or so, I should have built up a few thousand by the end of the summer. Then I can start playing bigger.
6. I am devoting some time to practicing other poker games, notably Omaha. It's keeping me interested on days where I don't feel patient enough to play good Hold'em.
7. I'm not sick of poker at all. I still wake up excited to play.
8. There is an unspoken agreement between the pros that play at Foxwoods. We don't play hard at each other - instead we go after the fish. I am realizing that selecting the right game is unbelievably important, and that it is important to get up when you feel that you don't have a very big edge because the competition is tough. That's a very difficult thing for a competitive person to grasp, but humility is a huge part of being a winning player.
9. I'm playing in a large tournament on Wednesday. There will be at least five hundred players, so my chances of winning are slim but...$50,000 to the winner...trying to put myself in position for my break. What is it that they say, "luck is when preparation meets opportunity..." something like that.
10. Several people have told me that I should Twitter my poker results. I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with it, but I'll try. My twitter is Bmaggiacomo, or Brian Maggiacomo. I'm not sure how to find me but I'm on there under one of those names. I'll start tommorrow, with the tournament on Wednesday. I'm just going to do Poker stuff.
I hope to have a specific, one topic blog out soon.
Hope everyone is enjoying the summer as much as I am!
1. Vegas was great. I won a few thousand, and finished 8th in a tournament where the first prize was 14 thousand. Call it a near miss.
2. I didn't try to qualify for the World Series when I was out there. For five hundred dollars, there just wasn't enough value. There were so many other good games and tournament around the World Series that I decided there were better places for my time and money. There's always next year.
3. I've won 2 tournaments since I've been back, both small buyins but paying over a thousand. I'm super confident in my tournament game.
4. My cash game results have settled in at $35/hr., lower than the first month, but still 40 percent higher than I expected at this point. I'm playing about 30 hours a week, so I'm making enough to get by. The plan is to continue to grind the cash games and to find good tournaments to take shots at five figure scores. I'll definitely break through soon.
5. I'm starting to play online again, with good results. I want to build my bankroll there slowly as opposed to depositing alot of cash. It will be awhile before I am playing stakes online for as much as I play live, but if I play 10 hours a week or so, I should have built up a few thousand by the end of the summer. Then I can start playing bigger.
6. I am devoting some time to practicing other poker games, notably Omaha. It's keeping me interested on days where I don't feel patient enough to play good Hold'em.
7. I'm not sick of poker at all. I still wake up excited to play.
8. There is an unspoken agreement between the pros that play at Foxwoods. We don't play hard at each other - instead we go after the fish. I am realizing that selecting the right game is unbelievably important, and that it is important to get up when you feel that you don't have a very big edge because the competition is tough. That's a very difficult thing for a competitive person to grasp, but humility is a huge part of being a winning player.
9. I'm playing in a large tournament on Wednesday. There will be at least five hundred players, so my chances of winning are slim but...$50,000 to the winner...trying to put myself in position for my break. What is it that they say, "luck is when preparation meets opportunity..." something like that.
10. Several people have told me that I should Twitter my poker results. I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with it, but I'll try. My twitter is Bmaggiacomo, or Brian Maggiacomo. I'm not sure how to find me but I'm on there under one of those names. I'll start tommorrow, with the tournament on Wednesday. I'm just going to do Poker stuff.
I hope to have a specific, one topic blog out soon.
Hope everyone is enjoying the summer as much as I am!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Vegas Bound
Tommorrow I fly to Las Vegas for 3 days. The plan is to take a few shots at tournaments with high payouts...as a result, it's unlikely that the trip will be profitable. However, it has the potential for a "big score."
I plan to play in tournaments on Monday and Tuesday at the Venetian and Caesar's palace, and also at least one satellite tournament to try to get entry into the Main Event at the World Series of Poker (the one you see on ESPN.) Just being in Las Vegas during the World Series will be a thrill.
I've got the tournament bug. Recently, I won one with 83 entries, and also have a 4th and 3rd place finish with large fields. I've been running well and playing well too. I'm loaded with confidence heading into the trip...
I'll give a full trip report when I get back. Wish me luck!!
I plan to play in tournaments on Monday and Tuesday at the Venetian and Caesar's palace, and also at least one satellite tournament to try to get entry into the Main Event at the World Series of Poker (the one you see on ESPN.) Just being in Las Vegas during the World Series will be a thrill.
I've got the tournament bug. Recently, I won one with 83 entries, and also have a 4th and 3rd place finish with large fields. I've been running well and playing well too. I'm loaded with confidence heading into the trip...
I'll give a full trip report when I get back. Wish me luck!!
Monday, June 8, 2009
World Series of Poker
I'm thinking of selling "shares" of my action in a possible World Series of Poker entry. People would give me a portion of the $10,000 buy in, and in return, get a proportionate percentage of any potential winnings. It may be fun to follow my progress, as I will be able to twitter live updates throughout the tournament. Shareholders may also earn a ton of money! I will have a huge advantage over the field. It is primarily made up of amateurs with cash to throw around, or online players who got lucky in a satellite and have little to no live tournament experience.
Even with that advantage, only 10% of the entrants make any money. I estimate my chances of cashing at 20-25%. There is a lot of luck involved in tournament poker. One unlucky break can send you home.
This idea is in it's infancy. Please email me if you are interested at bmaggiacomo@vzw.blackberry.net.
Also, please feel no pressure. There is no minimum, and this is not a charity. Think of it as a lottery ticket where the odds are with you instead of against you. I don't need to play - there's always next year, when I should be able to buy my way in, or at the very least win my way in through some 1k satellites.
Off to start another grinding week!!
Even with that advantage, only 10% of the entrants make any money. I estimate my chances of cashing at 20-25%. There is a lot of luck involved in tournament poker. One unlucky break can send you home.
This idea is in it's infancy. Please email me if you are interested at bmaggiacomo@vzw.blackberry.net.
Also, please feel no pressure. There is no minimum, and this is not a charity. Think of it as a lottery ticket where the odds are with you instead of against you. I don't need to play - there's always next year, when I should be able to buy my way in, or at the very least win my way in through some 1k satellites.
Off to start another grinding week!!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Grinding on and on
It's been a good week back at the smaller game...up about 975 through 3 days. I've been playing well, and the cards still aren't running great - I guess that's the difference between the small and mid-stakes games for me right now. I can grind out a few hundred at the 1-2 table even when the cards aren't cooperating, but at the bigger game, I only break even without help from the cards. Breaking even when you're not running well is fine...I just want to book a few solid weeks of wins so that if I'm still breaking even when I go back to the bigger game, I can handle it emotionally. Hopefully, I'll run better. There are definitely some 4-5k weeks waiting for me.
Today I finished 5th out of 94 in a hundred dollar buyin tournament. It was nice to mix it up a little, and see how my improved play translated into a live tournament setting. I felt in complete control of the action the entire day. I think that over the next few weeks I will play a few more tournaments to keep sharp and to keep things interesting.
I've been writing a lot in a journal about Suzy and stuff. I may post that stuff in a blog, too, and maybe someday in a book...I've been told that my stories and thoughts about her help the people who miss her. It's definitely therapeutic for me - I'm just not sure about having 2 blogs at once...it seems a little self-important.
Either way I'll continue to update this blog. Right now I'm definitely just grinding...no TV appearances, celebrity run-ins, etc., so there's not a huge amount of interesting stuff for me to write about - I'm just a card player trying to make some money, and it's not very glamorous, but I love it.
Today I finished 5th out of 94 in a hundred dollar buyin tournament. It was nice to mix it up a little, and see how my improved play translated into a live tournament setting. I felt in complete control of the action the entire day. I think that over the next few weeks I will play a few more tournaments to keep sharp and to keep things interesting.
I've been writing a lot in a journal about Suzy and stuff. I may post that stuff in a blog, too, and maybe someday in a book...I've been told that my stories and thoughts about her help the people who miss her. It's definitely therapeutic for me - I'm just not sure about having 2 blogs at once...it seems a little self-important.
Either way I'll continue to update this blog. Right now I'm definitely just grinding...no TV appearances, celebrity run-ins, etc., so there's not a huge amount of interesting stuff for me to write about - I'm just a card player trying to make some money, and it's not very glamorous, but I love it.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Movin on down
After 2 frustrating weeks of break even results, I'm moving down to 1-2 no limit for at least a week. I haven't been playing badly (or great, either), but the cards have continually been uncooperative. I've been dealt KK four times when someone else had AA (statistically that should happen once in every 4500 hands). I've folded all four times, but still...I've missed every flush draw, been rivered over and over again - it's starting to get frustrating. I'm pretty happy that I'm break even over this period where I'm "running bad."
I'm starting to walk into the cardroom with a feeling that something bad is going to happen, instead of something good. I don't want to play like that. There is no way to play your best with a negative attitude. This is a learning experience for me.
My solution is to play a smaller game to get some mojo back. I sat there for a few hours yesterday, and immediately felt in complete control again. It was the easiest 300 I've won in weeks. There were no pros, just weak players who I can treat as sort of puppets (I know that sounds cocky but it's true, and it's good to be a little cocky sometimes. )
There is a bit of pride to swallow in moving down a level, but it's important for me to be honest about my own mindset, and put myself in positive situations. I'll be back to a bigger game in a week or two.
Thanks for reading.
I'm starting to walk into the cardroom with a feeling that something bad is going to happen, instead of something good. I don't want to play like that. There is no way to play your best with a negative attitude. This is a learning experience for me.
My solution is to play a smaller game to get some mojo back. I sat there for a few hours yesterday, and immediately felt in complete control again. It was the easiest 300 I've won in weeks. There were no pros, just weak players who I can treat as sort of puppets (I know that sounds cocky but it's true, and it's good to be a little cocky sometimes. )
There is a bit of pride to swallow in moving down a level, but it's important for me to be honest about my own mindset, and put myself in positive situations. I'll be back to a bigger game in a week or two.
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
"Stuck"
When you lose in poker, we call it being "stuck." Well, I'm stuck over the past three sessions for about $700. It was as bad as $1200, but I won my first big pot in a week late yesterday.
Yesterday and Monday I played great, but both were losing sessions. On Friday, the cards ran badly and I played badly, which is obviously a bad recipe.
I bought myself a Blackberry Storm to help me stay patient through the inevitable boring times where all I do for hours is fold. I can watch videos, surf the web, etc., It helps me resist the urge to force something to happen when it's just not there. I think it saved me a few hundred yesterday. Thanks Blackberry.
I haven't done my hourly calculations since last week. Right now I'm happy with how I am handling my longest losing streak yet. I feel refreshed again today, and am not bringing the disappointments of the past few days with me. I don't feel like analyzing my results until I turn it around, or unless I continue the downswing.
Three days is not a long downswing. I've really only played about 15 hours in that time. Eventually, I will hit a streak where I'm running bad for weeks. It's just part of the job. I just hope that streak isn't here yet.
Yesterday and Monday I played great, but both were losing sessions. On Friday, the cards ran badly and I played badly, which is obviously a bad recipe.
I bought myself a Blackberry Storm to help me stay patient through the inevitable boring times where all I do for hours is fold. I can watch videos, surf the web, etc., It helps me resist the urge to force something to happen when it's just not there. I think it saved me a few hundred yesterday. Thanks Blackberry.
I haven't done my hourly calculations since last week. Right now I'm happy with how I am handling my longest losing streak yet. I feel refreshed again today, and am not bringing the disappointments of the past few days with me. I don't feel like analyzing my results until I turn it around, or unless I continue the downswing.
Three days is not a long downswing. I've really only played about 15 hours in that time. Eventually, I will hit a streak where I'm running bad for weeks. It's just part of the job. I just hope that streak isn't here yet.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Probability and Bet Sizing
One area I've improved tremendously upon is the size of my bets. In No-Limit Hold'em, you can bet any amount, at any time. It's the reason people love the game. The possiblities of how to play certain situations are almost endless. I want to discuss a situation that comes up a few times a session, and how some relatively simple math can help make tons more money in the long run.
On the last round of betting, sometimes you have a hand that you are absolutely certain is the best hand. Your dilemna becomes "how much should I bet?"
We need to look at the size of the bets in terms of their expected value (EV). In a very simple example, a $10 dollar bet that you feel will be called 90% of the time has an EV of
$9 ($10 x .9). A $20 bet that will be called 60% of the time has a $12 EV ($20 x .6). Over the long term, betting $20 will make you more money.
Here's a situation that came up a few days ago. On the river, I had the "nuts" (an unbeatable hand.) We were in a large pot, and I had about $400 dollar left in front of me. Here is how I analyed my options.
1. Bet around $150, which would be called almost 100% of the time. (EV of $150)
2. Bet $200, which would be called about 80% of the time. (EV of $160)
3. Move "all -in" for $400, which only has about a 50% chance of being called. (EV of $200)
I chose to move all in, because it has the highest EV, even though half the time I make absolutely nothing. Now that I am properly bankrolled, I can make this decision over and over, and it will make me money in the long run. When you don't play often, or "need" the money, as I did a few weeks ago, then you probably choose option 1 - since you are guaranteed $150. There is an understandable tendency to take the guaranteed profit over a riskier play. However, I don't look at the situation in a vacuum. I look at it as having this decision over and over, and figuring out how to maximize it's EV.
If this situation presents itself 5 times a week, playing it to maximum EV makes me an extra $250/wk, $1k/mo, $12k/yr.
This is just one example of the many aspects of the game I spend alot of time thinking and talking about. I'm sure I'm doing hundreds of things that can be improved, and as I discover and improve them, my winnings will continue to grow.
I talked at first at how "a light goes on" for some people and they go from good to great. I am not calling myself a great player, but a light has definitely gone on. I'm better today than I was yesterday, and I'll be better tommorrow than I was today.
Earnings are now over $5o/hr, and $65/hr since I moved to higher stakes.
I'll probably write again about some poker concepts soon. I hope those of you that play a little can follow and enjoy.
On the last round of betting, sometimes you have a hand that you are absolutely certain is the best hand. Your dilemna becomes "how much should I bet?"
We need to look at the size of the bets in terms of their expected value (EV). In a very simple example, a $10 dollar bet that you feel will be called 90% of the time has an EV of
$9 ($10 x .9). A $20 bet that will be called 60% of the time has a $12 EV ($20 x .6). Over the long term, betting $20 will make you more money.
Here's a situation that came up a few days ago. On the river, I had the "nuts" (an unbeatable hand.) We were in a large pot, and I had about $400 dollar left in front of me. Here is how I analyed my options.
1. Bet around $150, which would be called almost 100% of the time. (EV of $150)
2. Bet $200, which would be called about 80% of the time. (EV of $160)
3. Move "all -in" for $400, which only has about a 50% chance of being called. (EV of $200)
I chose to move all in, because it has the highest EV, even though half the time I make absolutely nothing. Now that I am properly bankrolled, I can make this decision over and over, and it will make me money in the long run. When you don't play often, or "need" the money, as I did a few weeks ago, then you probably choose option 1 - since you are guaranteed $150. There is an understandable tendency to take the guaranteed profit over a riskier play. However, I don't look at the situation in a vacuum. I look at it as having this decision over and over, and figuring out how to maximize it's EV.
If this situation presents itself 5 times a week, playing it to maximum EV makes me an extra $250/wk, $1k/mo, $12k/yr.
This is just one example of the many aspects of the game I spend alot of time thinking and talking about. I'm sure I'm doing hundreds of things that can be improved, and as I discover and improve them, my winnings will continue to grow.
I talked at first at how "a light goes on" for some people and they go from good to great. I am not calling myself a great player, but a light has definitely gone on. I'm better today than I was yesterday, and I'll be better tommorrow than I was today.
Earnings are now over $5o/hr, and $65/hr since I moved to higher stakes.
I'll probably write again about some poker concepts soon. I hope those of you that play a little can follow and enjoy.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Great Week
41 hours = +$3041
I moved up to 2-5 no limit with the expectation that I'd play a little and then go back to the smaller game. However, I crushed the game all week, and it's clear that I have a huge advantage over most of the players at this level. There are about a dozen other "pros" who play at this level - I know who they are and should be able to avoide major pots with them as there are still usually 6-8 amateurs playing at the same time. With the big win for the week, my bankroll is also appropriate for the increase in stakes. I won over 2k in one marathon session.
As I said before, I did not expect the first few months to be this good. I have exceeded all my goals and expectations. After 200 hours, I will re-examine and adjust them.
Week - 41 hours = +$3041 = $64.70/hr
Total - 145 hours = $7022 = $48.42/hr
That hourly is almost double what I anticipated for April. I'm loving it.
I moved up to 2-5 no limit with the expectation that I'd play a little and then go back to the smaller game. However, I crushed the game all week, and it's clear that I have a huge advantage over most of the players at this level. There are about a dozen other "pros" who play at this level - I know who they are and should be able to avoide major pots with them as there are still usually 6-8 amateurs playing at the same time. With the big win for the week, my bankroll is also appropriate for the increase in stakes. I won over 2k in one marathon session.
As I said before, I did not expect the first few months to be this good. I have exceeded all my goals and expectations. After 200 hours, I will re-examine and adjust them.
Week - 41 hours = +$3041 = $64.70/hr
Total - 145 hours = $7022 = $48.42/hr
That hourly is almost double what I anticipated for April. I'm loving it.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
James Woods, Poker, and a Bad Beat
Last night I sat right next to actor James Woods for 4 hours at Foxwoods. We were playing 2-5 no limit, and we chatted the entire time. Today, I found out that he is rumored to be a genius, with an IQ just higher than Plato, Galileo, and Stephen Hawking, and just a hair below DaVinci and chess champion Gary Kasparov.
We talked about Warwick politics, statistical probability, Swine Flu, cellular proliferation, the ethics of border closings, and Family Guy. For what it's worth, his "genius" didn't really wow me. As a matter of fact, he may be smarter than me, but if I had to guess I'd be right up there with Galileo and Hawking. (kidding). Mostly we talked about poker. We see the game the same way, and I correctly guessed his hand several times, and he did the same to me. There was also an NBA player (Josh Boone of UCONN and the New Jersey Nets) at our table. He is a really nice kid and took the game seriously, which impressed me given that he could lose a few grand and not really feel it. I ended up with a small $145 win.
On Friday night, I had worked my way up to +$725 after about 12 hours, when the following hand came up (warning : detailed poker description to follow) :
In a 2-5 no limit game, I was dealt AK under the gun (first to act). I raised to $30, and was reraised by a weak player to $100. Against a strong player, I would likely fold here, but I knew that his range included hands like AQ, QQ, JJ, and 1010, all of which presented good opportunities for me. I had about $1200 in front of me, and he had $700 The flop came KK5, giving me 3 Kings. I decided to play this hand "fast" meaning aggressive. Most players at this level try to trap their opponents with such a big hand. Knowing that I was against a weak player, I thought the best disguise for my hand was to make a large bet that looked like I was trying to bluff and steal the pot. I bet $150, and he moved all in almost immediately. Just as quickly, I called and turned over my monster hand. Sheepishly, he said "I have sevens". He obviously thought I was bluffing, and went all-in to make me fold. My plan had worked perfectly, and I was about to take his $700, book a $1400 win, and go to bed. I was over a ninety percent favorite, after all.
The turn card was an awful 7, giving him a full house. It's hard to describe how crappy that felt. I had played my ass off for 12 hours, found a great spot for a lot of chips, and the deck punched me in the stomach.
Anyway, "that's poker!" It's going to happen again, so I have to get used to it. I took a few days off and shook off the bad energy. I am feeling good and have 20 hours scheduled over the next 2 days. A thousand dollar session awaits.....
We talked about Warwick politics, statistical probability, Swine Flu, cellular proliferation, the ethics of border closings, and Family Guy. For what it's worth, his "genius" didn't really wow me. As a matter of fact, he may be smarter than me, but if I had to guess I'd be right up there with Galileo and Hawking. (kidding). Mostly we talked about poker. We see the game the same way, and I correctly guessed his hand several times, and he did the same to me. There was also an NBA player (Josh Boone of UCONN and the New Jersey Nets) at our table. He is a really nice kid and took the game seriously, which impressed me given that he could lose a few grand and not really feel it. I ended up with a small $145 win.
On Friday night, I had worked my way up to +$725 after about 12 hours, when the following hand came up (warning : detailed poker description to follow) :
In a 2-5 no limit game, I was dealt AK under the gun (first to act). I raised to $30, and was reraised by a weak player to $100. Against a strong player, I would likely fold here, but I knew that his range included hands like AQ, QQ, JJ, and 1010, all of which presented good opportunities for me. I had about $1200 in front of me, and he had $700 The flop came KK5, giving me 3 Kings. I decided to play this hand "fast" meaning aggressive. Most players at this level try to trap their opponents with such a big hand. Knowing that I was against a weak player, I thought the best disguise for my hand was to make a large bet that looked like I was trying to bluff and steal the pot. I bet $150, and he moved all in almost immediately. Just as quickly, I called and turned over my monster hand. Sheepishly, he said "I have sevens". He obviously thought I was bluffing, and went all-in to make me fold. My plan had worked perfectly, and I was about to take his $700, book a $1400 win, and go to bed. I was over a ninety percent favorite, after all.
The turn card was an awful 7, giving him a full house. It's hard to describe how crappy that felt. I had played my ass off for 12 hours, found a great spot for a lot of chips, and the deck punched me in the stomach.
Anyway, "that's poker!" It's going to happen again, so I have to get used to it. I took a few days off and shook off the bad energy. I am feeling good and have 20 hours scheduled over the next 2 days. A thousand dollar session awaits.....
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The First 100 Hours
Here are recent results (all live)
4/13 +240 5 hrs
4/14 -620 15 hrs
4/16 +580 4 hrs
4/17 +630 5 hrs
4/18 - 410 12 hrs
4/20 -210 4 hrs
4/21 +610 6 hrs
4/22 +550 4 hrs
4/23 +600 4 hrs
Total +$2070/59 hrs = $35.09/hr
Net Totals to date $3981/101 hrs = $39.41/hr
Right now, I'm playing better than I ever have. I feel like the 39/hr is sustainable. I have made some ridiculous calls catching large bluffs, and folded hands correctly that I never could have folded before. I've folded sets (3 of a kind), pocket aces, small flushes to bigger flushes - all of these are saving me hundreds of dollars, and are probably the main difference between my historical 25/hr and my current 39/hr.
I am unbelievably excited about my progress. I did not expect to improve this much in such a short time. I know that my skill set is ready to beat bigger games, but I am trying to be patient and build my bankroll responsibly. I will probably begin to spend a few hours a week in a larger buyin, just to get a feel for the action and start thinking about things I may have to change at the next level.
I'm playing a marathon session tommorrow night. The past 2 long sessions have been losing ones, for 2 reasons. One is the cards - I lost a 600 dollar pot as a 97 percent favorite. When you play enough, this is bound to happen, and I'm actually surprised that it only happened once in a huge pot. The other reason is that I've gotten a little cocky in these long sessions. I feel like I can outplay people so badly after the flop that I'm putting myself in marginal situations that I should be avoiding. Tommorrow I'm bringing a novel to help get me through the inevitable 4 or 5 hours where I should be folding. It's kind of strange that I'll be reading a novel in the middle of the night at the casino, but I've done stranger things in the past.
Thanks for reading. I'm taking Saturday and Sunday off and will try to write about some of the poker theory that I've been playing around with.
4/13 +240 5 hrs
4/14 -620 15 hrs
4/16 +580 4 hrs
4/17 +630 5 hrs
4/18 - 410 12 hrs
4/20 -210 4 hrs
4/21 +610 6 hrs
4/22 +550 4 hrs
4/23 +600 4 hrs
Total +$2070/59 hrs = $35.09/hr
Net Totals to date $3981/101 hrs = $39.41/hr
Right now, I'm playing better than I ever have. I feel like the 39/hr is sustainable. I have made some ridiculous calls catching large bluffs, and folded hands correctly that I never could have folded before. I've folded sets (3 of a kind), pocket aces, small flushes to bigger flushes - all of these are saving me hundreds of dollars, and are probably the main difference between my historical 25/hr and my current 39/hr.
I am unbelievably excited about my progress. I did not expect to improve this much in such a short time. I know that my skill set is ready to beat bigger games, but I am trying to be patient and build my bankroll responsibly. I will probably begin to spend a few hours a week in a larger buyin, just to get a feel for the action and start thinking about things I may have to change at the next level.
I'm playing a marathon session tommorrow night. The past 2 long sessions have been losing ones, for 2 reasons. One is the cards - I lost a 600 dollar pot as a 97 percent favorite. When you play enough, this is bound to happen, and I'm actually surprised that it only happened once in a huge pot. The other reason is that I've gotten a little cocky in these long sessions. I feel like I can outplay people so badly after the flop that I'm putting myself in marginal situations that I should be avoiding. Tommorrow I'm bringing a novel to help get me through the inevitable 4 or 5 hours where I should be folding. It's kind of strange that I'll be reading a novel in the middle of the night at the casino, but I've done stranger things in the past.
Thanks for reading. I'm taking Saturday and Sunday off and will try to write about some of the poker theory that I've been playing around with.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Results
I played 29 live hours this week for a $1526 profit. I also played 8 online hours and netted $133.
$1526/29 hours = $52.62/hr live
$133/8 hours = $16.25/hr online
Total since tracking
$1911/42 hours = $45.5/hr live
$384/31 hours = $12.38/hr online
As I build my bankroll and can play in bigger online games, I expect that the earning rate will increase dramatically. I am moving up to a bigger online game the next time I play, which should consistently yield $15-$20/hour. I think I can move up several times to higher stakes before I find really good player. I just don't want to deposit a lot of money online, because it takes weeks to get out. I'd rather build it slowly, then cash out a few thousand when I'm ready.
Excellent week. I'm not playing live this weekend. I've got a ton of poker related thoughts that I will write about for those of you interested in the nuts and bolts of the game.
Happy Easter!
$1526/29 hours = $52.62/hr live
$133/8 hours = $16.25/hr online
Total since tracking
$1911/42 hours = $45.5/hr live
$384/31 hours = $12.38/hr online
As I build my bankroll and can play in bigger online games, I expect that the earning rate will increase dramatically. I am moving up to a bigger online game the next time I play, which should consistently yield $15-$20/hour. I think I can move up several times to higher stakes before I find really good player. I just don't want to deposit a lot of money online, because it takes weeks to get out. I'd rather build it slowly, then cash out a few thousand when I'm ready.
Excellent week. I'm not playing live this weekend. I've got a ton of poker related thoughts that I will write about for those of you interested in the nuts and bolts of the game.
Happy Easter!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Done moving and time to get serious
Most of the last 2 weeks were spent moving Amber and I out of our apartment and into my parent's house. We're staying until we find the right house to rent in a school system. I also had a slight issue with some of the paperwork related to my right to operate a motor vehicle, which I finally cleared up on Friday. Those are my excuses for only playing live poker twice in the last 2 weeks. They are both out of the way now, and I've started playing alot, both online and live.
I pulled all-nighters at Foxwoods on Friday and Sunday night. The results are really great. Friday night I won $695 in a little over four hours, and Sunday night $240 in 5 hours, for a total of $935 in 9 hours. On Sunday, I could have won more, but played a horrendous hand that cost a little over $300...more about that in a minute.
Obviously, I'm not going to average over $100/hr, even on weekend nights. However, now that I've been in the middle of the night 3 times, I'm convinced that I can average $50/hr without playing in games that require a large cash risk from me. The downside is that I'm up all night, and then trying to catch naps while Amber is at daycare. I'll need to figure out how to schedule sleep and exercise so that I'm taking good care of myself.
My online play has mostly been single table tournaments. I found myself getting pretty bored of the cash games, and I've been refreshed by mixing it up. I'm up several hundred (my records are on my other computer) - but that's not what I'm excited about. I'm excited because I'm finding so many ways to improve. When you play alot, and pay attention to your mistakes, 2 good things happen. The first is obvious - you try not to repeat your mistakes, and you change your style to adapt to something that's obviously not working.
The second is more subtle, but probably more powerful. Your subconscious begins to notice things about the game that can help you. You pick up betting patterns of your opponents without really concentrating on it. I've found myself catching people's bluffs with greater accuracy, and I can't really tell you why, except that my subconscious notices things that just don't add up about how a player played the hand. Certainly I try to do those things thoughtfully, as well - but for the first time, I just find myself knowing the strength of an opponents hand. It's not really instincts - it's learned, but on a subconscious level. The mind is pretty amazing. When this starts happening at live games, I know I'll take my game to the next level. If your subconscious can pick this stuff up by playing on a computer, imagine what it can do when you add observing body language into it's "database."
Here's a little bit about the bad hand that I played on Sunday night. If you don't like math, stop reading now. I'm trying to keep things interesting for the non-poker player, but some of you may find the detailed poker related concepts stuff interesting. It's the kind thing that I'll think about for hours.
I found myself in a big pot with an aggressive player who had an enormous stack of chips - probably over $2500. I had a strong hand, but one that was very vulnerable given the texture of the board (the community cards). On the last round of betting (the "river"), my opponent bet $200. The pot already had around $350 in it. I was pretty sure that I was behind, and if I called I would lose the $200. Sounds like I should fold easily, right? It costs 200 bucks, and I think that I don't have the best hand.
It's not that simple. Although $200 is alot of money to me, I cannot let the amount of the bet affect my decision making process. Here is how I analyzed my decision. With $350 in the pot, plus the $200 my opponent bet, the potsize was $550. I had to call $200 to win $550. Therefore, my the pot was laying me 2.75 to 1 odds. (For every dollar I bet, I had an opportunity to win 2.75)
From there, I have to convert the odds into a percentage in order to help make my decision. I would have to have the better hand only 30% of the time for me to call the last $200 profitably Remember, I'm calling a $200 bet to win $550. So, I decided that I had about a 35% chance that I had the better hand, I called, and lost.
I have no problem with how I did the math. It's absolutely correct. I'm able to do it quickly and without letting my opponents know that I am calculating these kinds of odds.
The reason I say I played the hand horribly was because after thinking more about the information that my opponent had given me, I know that my assumption that I would have the better hand 35% of the time was a terrible assumption. Basically, there was information that I missed - clues that he gave me that I didn't take into account properly. In retrospect, I should have put that percentage at 10-15, and folded the hand. It's something I'm usually pretty good at, but in this case I erred, and it really cost me. Even though I had a winning session, and played pretty well, this is the hand I replayed over and over on the ride home. It's the one I learned the most from. It's also a hand that I probably would have played better online, with help from my now ultra-perceptive subconscious.
Poker is about making good decisions with only incomplete information. The value of my math and probability skills are only as good as the accuracy of my assumptions and observations. It's what makes it a great game. The more you learn, the more you realize you can learn.
I should be playing during the day tommorrow. I'll try to do a quick update with my total results to date after the session.
I pulled all-nighters at Foxwoods on Friday and Sunday night. The results are really great. Friday night I won $695 in a little over four hours, and Sunday night $240 in 5 hours, for a total of $935 in 9 hours. On Sunday, I could have won more, but played a horrendous hand that cost a little over $300...more about that in a minute.
Obviously, I'm not going to average over $100/hr, even on weekend nights. However, now that I've been in the middle of the night 3 times, I'm convinced that I can average $50/hr without playing in games that require a large cash risk from me. The downside is that I'm up all night, and then trying to catch naps while Amber is at daycare. I'll need to figure out how to schedule sleep and exercise so that I'm taking good care of myself.
My online play has mostly been single table tournaments. I found myself getting pretty bored of the cash games, and I've been refreshed by mixing it up. I'm up several hundred (my records are on my other computer) - but that's not what I'm excited about. I'm excited because I'm finding so many ways to improve. When you play alot, and pay attention to your mistakes, 2 good things happen. The first is obvious - you try not to repeat your mistakes, and you change your style to adapt to something that's obviously not working.
The second is more subtle, but probably more powerful. Your subconscious begins to notice things about the game that can help you. You pick up betting patterns of your opponents without really concentrating on it. I've found myself catching people's bluffs with greater accuracy, and I can't really tell you why, except that my subconscious notices things that just don't add up about how a player played the hand. Certainly I try to do those things thoughtfully, as well - but for the first time, I just find myself knowing the strength of an opponents hand. It's not really instincts - it's learned, but on a subconscious level. The mind is pretty amazing. When this starts happening at live games, I know I'll take my game to the next level. If your subconscious can pick this stuff up by playing on a computer, imagine what it can do when you add observing body language into it's "database."
Here's a little bit about the bad hand that I played on Sunday night. If you don't like math, stop reading now. I'm trying to keep things interesting for the non-poker player, but some of you may find the detailed poker related concepts stuff interesting. It's the kind thing that I'll think about for hours.
I found myself in a big pot with an aggressive player who had an enormous stack of chips - probably over $2500. I had a strong hand, but one that was very vulnerable given the texture of the board (the community cards). On the last round of betting (the "river"), my opponent bet $200. The pot already had around $350 in it. I was pretty sure that I was behind, and if I called I would lose the $200. Sounds like I should fold easily, right? It costs 200 bucks, and I think that I don't have the best hand.
It's not that simple. Although $200 is alot of money to me, I cannot let the amount of the bet affect my decision making process. Here is how I analyzed my decision. With $350 in the pot, plus the $200 my opponent bet, the potsize was $550. I had to call $200 to win $550. Therefore, my the pot was laying me 2.75 to 1 odds. (For every dollar I bet, I had an opportunity to win 2.75)
From there, I have to convert the odds into a percentage in order to help make my decision. I would have to have the better hand only 30% of the time for me to call the last $200 profitably Remember, I'm calling a $200 bet to win $550. So, I decided that I had about a 35% chance that I had the better hand, I called, and lost.
I have no problem with how I did the math. It's absolutely correct. I'm able to do it quickly and without letting my opponents know that I am calculating these kinds of odds.
The reason I say I played the hand horribly was because after thinking more about the information that my opponent had given me, I know that my assumption that I would have the better hand 35% of the time was a terrible assumption. Basically, there was information that I missed - clues that he gave me that I didn't take into account properly. In retrospect, I should have put that percentage at 10-15, and folded the hand. It's something I'm usually pretty good at, but in this case I erred, and it really cost me. Even though I had a winning session, and played pretty well, this is the hand I replayed over and over on the ride home. It's the one I learned the most from. It's also a hand that I probably would have played better online, with help from my now ultra-perceptive subconscious.
Poker is about making good decisions with only incomplete information. The value of my math and probability skills are only as good as the accuracy of my assumptions and observations. It's what makes it a great game. The more you learn, the more you realize you can learn.
I should be playing during the day tommorrow. I'll try to do a quick update with my total results to date after the session.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
More Poker
I had an unexpected free night last night. Amber had a sleepover with her friend Cammie (Thanks Sam!!). I was deciding between beer pong at Bill's and poker. I remembered my Friday hangover, and my commitment to play more liver poker, so I went down to Foxwoods at about 9.
I haven't played alot on weekend nights before - I have to get down there at least every other Saturday. The games are filled with drunks and people who are there expecting to lose. All I have to do is sit there and wait for them to make mistakes. It's how poker was played right after the boom started. Alot of people saw the game on TV, and figured they could play - a few years later, they were honest with themselves, realized that they were down a few thousand, and went back to the Blackjack table. The game has gotten much, much tougher since then since most of the regulars are break even, winners, or just small losers. The bad players (most of whom are alot of fun to play with) seem to come back on weekends. I wish someone had told me this before!
So I played for six hours and won $347. There are some thousand dollar sessions waiting for me on weekend nights. Here are some results for the week.
Online - 22 hours - +$251 = $11.4/hr
Live - 13 hours - +$385 = $32.1/hr
Total - 35 hours - + $636 = $18.0/hr
It's short of my $25/hr goal, but I can attribute that to too much online play and not enough live.
Pretty good start.
I haven't played alot on weekend nights before - I have to get down there at least every other Saturday. The games are filled with drunks and people who are there expecting to lose. All I have to do is sit there and wait for them to make mistakes. It's how poker was played right after the boom started. Alot of people saw the game on TV, and figured they could play - a few years later, they were honest with themselves, realized that they were down a few thousand, and went back to the Blackjack table. The game has gotten much, much tougher since then since most of the regulars are break even, winners, or just small losers. The bad players (most of whom are alot of fun to play with) seem to come back on weekends. I wish someone had told me this before!
So I played for six hours and won $347. There are some thousand dollar sessions waiting for me on weekend nights. Here are some results for the week.
Online - 22 hours - +$251 = $11.4/hr
Live - 13 hours - +$385 = $32.1/hr
Total - 35 hours - + $636 = $18.0/hr
It's short of my $25/hr goal, but I can attribute that to too much online play and not enough live.
Pretty good start.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Finally some Poker!
I am well short of my goal of 40 hours for the week. I have excuses (St.Patty's day, NCAA tourney, still battling cold) but ultimately, I have to commit time more regularly.
I played for 7 hours live on Monday. Some of this stuff will be about poker hands, and if you're unfamiliar with the game, just skip right over it. I sat down with $300, and on the fourth hand of the session, was dealt KcQc in middle position. I raised to $12, and was called by the button, who had about $400 in front of him. The flop came Kh9c7c. Huge flop for me as it gave me top pair with a Flush draw. I bet $15, and he quickly raised to $45. I was pretty sure that he had AK. With $84 in the pot, and only $30 to call, I make the easy call and hope for a Q or a Club. The turn is the 2c, giving me the flush. I bet $60 into this pot, thinking that if he has the Ac, I need to make it expensive to beat me with a bigger flush. He calls, and the river is a blank (meaning a card that doesn't seem to help anyone.) I bet $75, which I think is a bet he may call with just AK (a pair of aces). To my surprise he moves all in. At this point, I'm pretty sure that he has a bigger flush, but with only about $120 left, and the pot at $480, I cannot fold. I call and he turns over AcJC...5 minutes in I'm down $300. There's really nothing I can do here. Sometimes the cards make you go broke.
I'm proud of how I handled it. I took a walk, sat back down, and tried to pretend that I was just getting there. I was able to control my emotions, and not try to get it all back at once. For the next 7 hours, I played solid poker without any remarkable hands. I won my $300 back, plus $37. What could have been a terrible day turned out to be a little better than break even.
There are days like this in poker. In fact, there will be much, much worse days. One of the keys to my success will be the ability to handle losing money without getting emotional, and having it affect my decisions.
I did play a fair amount online this week. I logged 17 hours, and made a net profit of $317. I am going to play 3 hours right now, and 3 hours tonight. That will give me 30 hours of play for the week - my first missed goal. Next week I am comitting to 40 hours, with at least 20 hrs of live play(much more profitable for me). I have to if this is going to work.
I played for 7 hours live on Monday. Some of this stuff will be about poker hands, and if you're unfamiliar with the game, just skip right over it. I sat down with $300, and on the fourth hand of the session, was dealt KcQc in middle position. I raised to $12, and was called by the button, who had about $400 in front of him. The flop came Kh9c7c. Huge flop for me as it gave me top pair with a Flush draw. I bet $15, and he quickly raised to $45. I was pretty sure that he had AK. With $84 in the pot, and only $30 to call, I make the easy call and hope for a Q or a Club. The turn is the 2c, giving me the flush. I bet $60 into this pot, thinking that if he has the Ac, I need to make it expensive to beat me with a bigger flush. He calls, and the river is a blank (meaning a card that doesn't seem to help anyone.) I bet $75, which I think is a bet he may call with just AK (a pair of aces). To my surprise he moves all in. At this point, I'm pretty sure that he has a bigger flush, but with only about $120 left, and the pot at $480, I cannot fold. I call and he turns over AcJC...5 minutes in I'm down $300. There's really nothing I can do here. Sometimes the cards make you go broke.
I'm proud of how I handled it. I took a walk, sat back down, and tried to pretend that I was just getting there. I was able to control my emotions, and not try to get it all back at once. For the next 7 hours, I played solid poker without any remarkable hands. I won my $300 back, plus $37. What could have been a terrible day turned out to be a little better than break even.
There are days like this in poker. In fact, there will be much, much worse days. One of the keys to my success will be the ability to handle losing money without getting emotional, and having it affect my decisions.
I did play a fair amount online this week. I logged 17 hours, and made a net profit of $317. I am going to play 3 hours right now, and 3 hours tonight. That will give me 30 hours of play for the week - my first missed goal. Next week I am comitting to 40 hours, with at least 20 hrs of live play(much more profitable for me). I have to if this is going to work.
Friday, March 13, 2009
This week was supposed to be my first week playing 5 days...well, Amber got sick, I got sick, and I haven't played live at all (I did win a few hundred online.)
So what exactly is a professional poker player? We have all seen the poker boom on TV - people with larger than life images and personalities playing for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yes, those are poker professionals, and many have even gotten name recognition and make a nice living on just endorsements. Of course, that's the ultimate dream...but for every one of those players you recognize, there are thousands of other "professionals" who will never get a second of air time. The majority of them are what we call "grinders." That, I guess, is how I'm starting out.
A grinder basically plays low to mid stakes cash games, just trying to have a solid hourly winning rate - enough to pay his bills, while putting away some money to take occasional shots at higher limits, looking for bigger wins.
I've kept some loose records over the past few years on my wins/losses. The results have been pretty good - I average about $25/hr playing live, and $12/hr on the internet. The reasons I am a better live than internet player will be the subject of another blog.
$25x40hrs = $1000/wk. With a few weeks off, and assuming that I don't improve, means 45-50k per year, in cash.
Amber and I can live on that - for now. Our healthcare (a long term problem for the poker player) is taken care of for awhile. She is too young to "need" the latest things, and I really don't spend any money on myself. The things I like to do with my money are basically to eat at good restaurants, travel, or go to sporting events, and with Suzy gone, I don't feel like doing any of that yet. My point is that I don't have alot of bills right now.
However, that will change. I want to pay for Amber's college education, take vacations with her - and see the world myself. That will be very difficult on 50k per year, which is why I have to set goals that I must meet, or else I jump back into the traditional workplace. Here are short term goals - I will not set an ultimate goal, because the truth is I don't know how good I can be. I don't want to cap it - for some players, a light suddenly goes on and they go from good to great. I'm hoping that's me. Anyway, goals :
March, April, May - maintain $25/hr, at least 35 hours per week
June, July, August - increase hourly rate to $30/hr. Build a sufficient poker bankroll to play regularly at a higher game by the end of August ($7,500).
August through December - be a consistent winner at larger games (2-5 no limit, 5-10 no limit). Achieving that should yield $40-$50 per hour, and give me a large enough bankroll to take shots at some larger buyin tournaments.
How do I get there? I need some basic rules to follow. Here are a few :
1. Treat is as a job - enjoy the game, but respect it as the way I am providing for Amber.
2. Set a schedule, and stick to it. Prearrange babysitters, and write it down, as if I am punching a clock.
3. Never drink while I'm playing.
4. Exercise, eat well, and bring my own food to the casino - when you feel better, you think clearer. Plus, I'll be on my ass for 40 hours per week, and don't want to gain any more weight.
5. Read and study the game - I should be reading one poker book per month - any more, and I risk confusing myself.
6. Become active in poker online communities - post interesting hands, get feedback from other serious players on how to improve.
So that's it - hopefully my next blog will be the results of my first few full time days next week. Tonight, I'm actually playing at my friends house in a home game. Ironically, these guys are so bad that I have no idea how to play them. They are so bad they're good! Sorry Lowds but it's true!!
So what exactly is a professional poker player? We have all seen the poker boom on TV - people with larger than life images and personalities playing for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yes, those are poker professionals, and many have even gotten name recognition and make a nice living on just endorsements. Of course, that's the ultimate dream...but for every one of those players you recognize, there are thousands of other "professionals" who will never get a second of air time. The majority of them are what we call "grinders." That, I guess, is how I'm starting out.
A grinder basically plays low to mid stakes cash games, just trying to have a solid hourly winning rate - enough to pay his bills, while putting away some money to take occasional shots at higher limits, looking for bigger wins.
I've kept some loose records over the past few years on my wins/losses. The results have been pretty good - I average about $25/hr playing live, and $12/hr on the internet. The reasons I am a better live than internet player will be the subject of another blog.
$25x40hrs = $1000/wk. With a few weeks off, and assuming that I don't improve, means 45-50k per year, in cash.
Amber and I can live on that - for now. Our healthcare (a long term problem for the poker player) is taken care of for awhile. She is too young to "need" the latest things, and I really don't spend any money on myself. The things I like to do with my money are basically to eat at good restaurants, travel, or go to sporting events, and with Suzy gone, I don't feel like doing any of that yet. My point is that I don't have alot of bills right now.
However, that will change. I want to pay for Amber's college education, take vacations with her - and see the world myself. That will be very difficult on 50k per year, which is why I have to set goals that I must meet, or else I jump back into the traditional workplace. Here are short term goals - I will not set an ultimate goal, because the truth is I don't know how good I can be. I don't want to cap it - for some players, a light suddenly goes on and they go from good to great. I'm hoping that's me. Anyway, goals :
March, April, May - maintain $25/hr, at least 35 hours per week
June, July, August - increase hourly rate to $30/hr. Build a sufficient poker bankroll to play regularly at a higher game by the end of August ($7,500).
August through December - be a consistent winner at larger games (2-5 no limit, 5-10 no limit). Achieving that should yield $40-$50 per hour, and give me a large enough bankroll to take shots at some larger buyin tournaments.
How do I get there? I need some basic rules to follow. Here are a few :
1. Treat is as a job - enjoy the game, but respect it as the way I am providing for Amber.
2. Set a schedule, and stick to it. Prearrange babysitters, and write it down, as if I am punching a clock.
3. Never drink while I'm playing.
4. Exercise, eat well, and bring my own food to the casino - when you feel better, you think clearer. Plus, I'll be on my ass for 40 hours per week, and don't want to gain any more weight.
5. Read and study the game - I should be reading one poker book per month - any more, and I risk confusing myself.
6. Become active in poker online communities - post interesting hands, get feedback from other serious players on how to improve.
So that's it - hopefully my next blog will be the results of my first few full time days next week. Tonight, I'm actually playing at my friends house in a home game. Ironically, these guys are so bad that I have no idea how to play them. They are so bad they're good! Sorry Lowds but it's true!!
Monday, March 9, 2009
What this is all about
Before Suzy went to the other side, we always talked about when I would pursue professional poker as a full time job. She knows it is what's in my heart. We always thought it would be when she finished school and started working again. As you know, things happened differently for us. What hasn't changed is that Suzanne taught me to follow my heart, and she also enjoyed having a few hundreds in her pocket after a winning session. Winning at poker has always come pretty easily for me, and to a large extent, I have been paying the bills through poker for awhile. Now that I have time on my hands, I want to see how far I can take it. I have a unique, but relatively small window to pursue one of my dreams, and I'm going after it.
This blog will be about my career as a professional poker player. I hope it's a great creative outlet for me. It will not be my forum for pouring my heart out about Suzy, or life without her - unless it relates to poker. Instead, I will be posting updates about my wins and losses, struggles and victories. It will serve 2 purposes : it may be entertaining for some to follow and root me on, while learning about the "grind" that it takes to gamble professionally, and it will also hold me accountable for my results by posting them publicly. I will be setting achievement goals, and posting them - I need tangible results versus expectations to gauge success. Gamblers lie much more to themselves than others, and by keeping things public, I will avoid that pitfall.
My next post will have an introduction to what being a "low-level" professional poker player means, as well as my specific performance metrics. I hope you enjoy this blog. I anticipate that I will enjoy writing it. I need a project for my own therapeutic purposes, and this is what I'm choosing.
This blog will be about my career as a professional poker player. I hope it's a great creative outlet for me. It will not be my forum for pouring my heart out about Suzy, or life without her - unless it relates to poker. Instead, I will be posting updates about my wins and losses, struggles and victories. It will serve 2 purposes : it may be entertaining for some to follow and root me on, while learning about the "grind" that it takes to gamble professionally, and it will also hold me accountable for my results by posting them publicly. I will be setting achievement goals, and posting them - I need tangible results versus expectations to gauge success. Gamblers lie much more to themselves than others, and by keeping things public, I will avoid that pitfall.
My next post will have an introduction to what being a "low-level" professional poker player means, as well as my specific performance metrics. I hope you enjoy this blog. I anticipate that I will enjoy writing it. I need a project for my own therapeutic purposes, and this is what I'm choosing.
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