Chip Up & Ship It (GGPoker, Spins recreational regular diary)

Be careful with your bipolar-disorder, to play the whole night is the fastet way in a (hypo-)manie. :f_cool::f_ugly::f_rolleyes:

This is very true, all-nighters are dangerous for my state. I have antipsychotics to prevent mania from developing - they knock me out for a very deep sleep and the next day I'm a bit slow.

I tried to put a pause on the session, but leaving half-way finished leaderboard run was unacceptable.

Another leak to work on - leaving things as they are in the middle without urge to win negative results back or finish the Leaderboard run.

40K Profit Challange Week 23 Update

Profit Start of the Week 23: $9168
Profit End of the Week 23: $8590
Weekly Profit: -$578

Number of tournaments: 494
Cash hands: 2988
Hours played: 30

# Summary

This week was very hectic. It started with that long and draining all-night session, followed by a day off, and then followed with low-volume, consistent Leaderboard shots. On the BLASTs front, all looks okay, though I'm quite concerned with my ChipEV for the week going negative. Big money drainers were cash sessions on top limit NL200. I've lost around $1.7K on this limit and decided not to practice/play on it before I beat NL50 and NL100.

Graphs from Cash and Blast under the spoiler

There are a few good new players on the limit that kicking my ass in heads-up play as well as 3handed. I'm concerned about the quality of my game overall, my GTO mistakes rate went from 13.3% average in the past to around 16% this week, will dedicate more time to studying and working in GTOWizard.

For cash, it is the whole different story. It's hard for me to play even basic GTOStrategy as there are so many more positions, 3bet / 4bet banks, pot controlling, options of action on the river, and moreover, combinations in Cash game are much stronger then in BLASTS. I gave up a few stacks just with the 3d nuts pushing stack on the river vs 1st nuts. I enjoy studying and learning, but it's going slower than I thought it would.

Played right now vs reg on my limit and I have shared that I have a blog - he said that he knows... little celebrity moment ))

I cought a really bad downstreak last 2 days, running 10K chips under EV line (about -32BI) in the last 170 tourneys. My EV line is not that great either (-2 ChipEV / Tourney), so within those 2 days I lost about 40% of current BR that was on my account. Will slow down with playing and put more efforts in learning.

I have this idea, that I'm bearing in my mind for a while now - to grab data from GTOWizard, put it in Excel and play around with classification of errors by street, position, stack sizes. Then create drills out of the most problematic spots. My approach of bulk-uploading session hands and then going through the biggest EV lost spots is not that effective. The fact that amount of errors is not going down is the best indicator that learning curve stopped going up.

I'm looking at the HU stats versus most popular opponents (regs) on the limit - I'm loosing 20-30 ChipsEV/Tourney to them. My overall HU vs the field is +15 ChipsEV/Tourney, so they are owning me personally more than I'm owning the field... I'm desperate - the best way to earn money for me right now is stop playing and do my homework

I blame my upstreak, that lasted before downstreak, for this situation. Since start of the month I was playing with ~ 4-6 ChipEV/Tourney, but had positive deviation from EV running extremely good result-wise and Leaderboards where raining money on me. If downstreak didn't hit me, I would continue playing like that, but not anymore.

hi,
Looks like an interesting blog that matches my interests. Looking forward to reading it through from the beginning.

I always thought that spins on other sites are much more variance heavy due to 300 chip starting stacks combined with 1- and 2-minute levels in 2x and 3x games which is vast majority of all games. Is the RB high at 888 to offset it or is the player pool much weaker compared to PokerStars?
Never even considered playing anywhere else than PS for those reasons, but maybe I am missing out?

Again, looking forward to read everything from the start.

GL

Edit: when i first posted then i read last couple of pages of your blog but now reading from the beginning i see the bonus system, which is pretty cool.

Was surprised that it took 5 pages until someone, namely Shqual brought BRM into discussion.
I think it is very important for spins to have very rigid and deep BRM, especially at higher stakes where naturally edges get smaller, less weak players and few ultra gamblers who know nothing and GII with ATC.

I have the following approach:

But people and their situations are different. If that works for you then great. It motivated me to be more willing to take shots and strive higher.

But I also believe that to have good longevity and keep poker, a side hustle a fun and a good experience we must have rigid BRM and stakes management, to move down or mix stakes for lower ABI.

Also, on the 9th page I finally found why you are not interested in PokerStars due to the lower RB you said. But games should have lower variance due to only 2x multiplier with 2min levels instead of 3 or 4min at 10x and all have 500 chips plus having 2x,3x,4x and 5x multis is good.
Plus leaderboards (somewhat luck based), Stars Rewards(chests) and weekly RB challenges can add up substantially in RB.

Superb blog enjoyed reading it and picked up good info and articles/other blogs along the way, many great inputs from other members.
Also, do post HH from time to time.

was double post and i dont see a delete option.

Hey leveleleven47, welcome to the blog.:f_drink::f_drink::f_drink:
I'm flattered that you read the whole thing and found something useful and interesting for you.

I always thought that spins on other sites are much more variance heavy due to 300 chip starting stacks combined with 1- and 2-minute levels in 2x and 3x games which is vast majority of all games. Is the RB high at 888 to offset it or is the player pool much weaker compared to PokerStars?

I haven't played much on PS. I know that they removed all bonuses and leaderboards for players from Germany - 7% Rake with no Rakeback is a tough one to beat. But may be it worth giving a shot. I particularly like 25bb stacks. As on 888 those games are only 5x+ multipliers, so when they hit, I feel like I'm lacking knowledge of ranges in such depths. Another regulation for German players - is a cross-rooms deposit limits, that are 1000/month. So if anyone decides to move BR to another site it would take a while for decent bankroll.

When I switched to GG for a brief episode I found, that it's hard to adjust from ante games to no-ante games. Ranges change, Push-fold Nash chart change, software adjustments, all in all cross-platform grinding has it's overhead and I see big incentive to stick with one room.

There is a home limit, this is the limit for what I have fat BR (100BI+) and reload option, this is the limit where I have proven to be profitable over 10k+ sample. Home limit means that no matter what I can keep grinding them without worry and without a need to move down.

Those are great descriptions of beating the limit. I'm a bit sceptical about "Home limit means that no matter what I can keep grinding them without worry". In poker there is nothing stable. On Party Poker there was 200 limit and one day it was removed from the platform. Regs from 200 limit went down to 100, games became tougher, usual regs from 100s had to move down to 50s to become profitable again and so on. So I wouldn't perceive limit as something that you beat no mater what, it is a combination of rake for that level, rake-back and the field. All those factors except rake can change and home limit won't feel like home anymore ))

I respect conservative BRM in Spins, though never could build and follow one. I'm a frequent shooter for higher limit and as I'm not dependent on the Poker income I'm fine going down one or two limits, play and study there and do a few shots on higher limit again. Now, I reached top limit 100 on the platform and I was asking myself how many BI should I keep on my balance. From one side those are a dead money, that don't work (alternatively they could be invested in stocks), on another hand it's not possible reload fast so they serve as a psychological back-up. How many BI do you keep in the room and how much of BR is not in the room?

888Poker right now offers sweetest deal for German Spin players, that's why according to SharkScope 25% of 100s limit players are from Germany )). My average rake-back level for the past 3-4 months is above 50% and for it I don't have to do a crazy rake races. I love 888 daily leaderboards approach, I play my amount to qualify for it and I have this feeling of "getting it done", unlike weekly - monthly rake-races in other rooms where I constantly stressed out that I haven't played enough, that I could do better if I'd play extra few hours...

About home limit thing, I guess I said it with such a confidence due to playing small stakes.

You do have valid points, nothing stable. That’s why i prefer pokerstars where games are with lower variance compared to other sites and to try not to be too much dependent on RB because promos and availability change constantly.

For those reasons I also started to diversify one year ago, adding MTTs to the mix and from this month I embark on a another yearn journey adding 6max cash into basket.
So ideally to be able to beat all disciplines within certain stakes and possibly take advantage of promos tailored for each variant.

following:f_drink:

Originally posted by leveleleven47
So ideally to be able to beat all disciplines within certain stakes and possibly take advantage of promos tailored for each variant.

I had those thoughts as well, though when I try to diversify I quickly realize that I'm not mastering my main format/craft and spreading thin on different formats. Don't want to be a jack of all trades and master of none ))).
Narrow specialization leads to a higher hourly and narrowing your focus will yield a bigger ROI from the study when put in one discipline. Though Spin'n'go is a very tricky format to be invested in, it is not played offline, it is not played on big series, it is different in different rooms and investment is risky by default.

Originally posted by aedigao
following:f_drink:

:f_drink::f_drink::f_drink:

You express insightful thoughts, and I comprehend your perspective. However, the truth, as I've realized quite some time ago, is that I'm not the sharpest pencil in poker. Studying and fully grasping advanced concepts is challenging for me, or they take a considerable amount of time to sink in. By nature, I'm not an aggressive person, nor am I ultra-competitive. Moreover, I don't handle high-pressure or high-stakes situations particularly well. Recognizing these aspects led me to the understanding that competing at higher stakes against players who are more talented and harder working than me might not be a viable option.

Nevertheless, I still see value in improving and continuing to enhance my skills. Take spins, for instance; even a slight improvement might not drastically change things at my current stakes, but it could potentially reduce overall variance. However, I acknowledge that significant improvement is necessary for the long term, especially if I aspire to play at the next stake or beyond and achieve reasonable results.

Though Spin'n'go is a very tricky format to be invested in, it is not played offline, it is not played on big series, it is different in different rooms and investment is risky by default.

This is very well said. When I observed the shifts in the spins landscape, with the reductions in starting stacks and blind levels for regular spins, it became clear to me that spins pose long-term risks. Initially, I played spins on PokerStars and later Winamax, where I made solid profits at €10 and €25 stakes for almost two years, spanning around 30k games. Then one day, during a session, I noticed an unusual pace – games were faster, stacks quickly shallower. It took a moment to realize that blind levels had been halved.
This realization served as a wake-up call for me to reevaluate my approach to poker. While I still find spins reasonable and want to continue playing them, I recognized about a year ago that committing 100% of my volume to spins isn't the ideal path for me. Consequently, I ventured into tournaments and am now trying cash games.
In the long run, I anticipate that the volume of cash games will surpass that of spins for me. Spins might become a daily routine of playing 10-30 games while concurrently having one or two tournaments open. Though I have many thoughts and uncertainties about the future, these are my current perspectives.

Originally posted by leveleleven47
By nature, I'm not an aggressive person, nor am I ultra-competitive. Moreover, I don't handle high-pressure or high-stakes situations particularly well. Recognizing these aspects led me to the understanding that competing at higher stakes against players who are more talented and harder working than me might not be a viable option.

Can relate to what you are saying. I have trouble expressing anger in real life, my default defense mechanism is either humor or avoiding conflicts, especially in relations. But, poker taught me how aggressive lines are more profitable, it's not aggressive to click a "raise" or "bet" button, but somehow it projects aggression and let's it out. So for me, Poker is a safe place to let the aggressive side of me out.

Though not being aggressive in real life, I find myself quite competitive. It is hard to be competitive in physical challenges or knowledge / skill / talent-heavy fields, but I don't consider poker to be one of those. Frankly speaking, with modern tools and information out there, it is not that hard to build a strategy to reach mid-high stakes levels in 1-2 years. This is not the case with most fields, where in sports you need to start at age 6 to reach the peak at 28, career you need to build a solid background by investing in education 4-6 years, then start in micro stakes as intern or associate and one can reach the top (top-manager) level 15-20 years down climbing the ladder. Poker gave this perception and false expectations of the career progression with hot-heads climbing to the top in a year or two. But , I think if you take a random person, build a learning / playing routine, sign them up in the poker school or community, get a coach and they will spend 40 hours/week on Poker - in 2-3 years they will be in top 5% of the field independent of talent.

Consequently, I ventured into tournaments and am now trying cash games.
In the long run, I anticipate that the volume of cash games will surpass that of spins for me.

I considered both formats as well. With MTTs schedule and flexibility is not good for me. The perspective of ruining the next day, because I reach the final table around 4 a.m., is not worth it. After finding out how late reg strategy is much more profitable in MTTs I start reconsidering it, though. But still having 4-5 hours-long sessions with no possibility to end it is a big minus.

Cash games are much better in this regard. My reasons for not going into cash games are:
- cash games make me tilty faster, you have less play on cash game tables and when I wait for the hand and finally get the action, an expensive mistake on the river just brings so many negative emotions in me towards myself.
- according to regs hourly in cash games is lower than in Spins.
- And third point for Spins is that the game is much more dynamic, you have different table sizes, wider ranges, and different stack sizes - which makes Spins more complex and interesting, whereas in cash you always re-buy to 100bb and the game is very standardized.

All being said, I understand that I'm dependent on one format in one poker room, and rely on the rakeback offers from the room and affiliate site. I accept this fact and try to get as much as possible from the current setup.

Frankly speaking, with modern tools and information out there, it is not that hard to build a strategy to reach mid-high stakes levels in 1-2 years.

But , I think if you take a random person, build a learning / playing routine, sign them up in the poker school or community, get a coach and they will spend 40 hours/week on Poker - in 2-3 years they will be in top 5% of the field independent of talent.

This is likely very true. But unfortunately, it seems that I don’t have such a drive or deep down I am scared to imagine that I could possibly do that. It’s hard to explain exactly what I mean by that.
I’m overall a relaxed type of person, been my whole life and although it is nice to imagine and dream to play high stakes at the high level the reality is that for most people for various reasons it is just out of reach.

I considered both formats as well. With MTTs schedule and flexibility is not good for me. The perspective of ruining the next day, because I reach the final table around 4 a.m., is not worth it. After finding out how late reg strategy is much more profitable in MTTs I start reconsidering it, though. But still having 4-5 hours-long sessions with no possibility to end it is a big minus.

In my yearlong MTT project I learned a lot on how to approach them going forward.
I understand that the best is to play tourneys that run daytime within my main grinding time. Because I too don’t like to alter my regular schedule, nor do I like to grind until early morning hours and then have next day or two messed up. For that must look for smaller field/higher buy in tourneys. But they will still run around 4 hours, so it is important to prepare well. Things like eating before or prepping some food beforehand that can be grabbed on a 5-minute break.
And occasionally play some Sundays, usually would leave to the end of the month when monthly goals are met and after a Sunday session can comfortably relax next day or two. And to play said Sunday session when ready to play many or most main Sunday majors not just one or two tournaments.
The preparation for that must start a day or two before. Preparation includes playing satellites, doing shopping and food prepping and going sleep later for two days and on Sunday plan a nap before evening to be ready for 10+ hour session.

Also, I have the exact same feelings about cash games as you do. But I think that the key here is to play enough tables. But I don’t really know. Never played any significant volume. But I shall find out.

Interesting thought you have. Makes me think and wonder about my approaches and views.

Finally got my hands on a to-do item that was sitting at the bottom of my todo list - got a proper HUD for 3handed play ( https://spinngo.pro/3-handed-hud/). Now my BLAST tables looks like stock trader desktop:

I have bunch of new numbers, that don't make any sense to me at the moment. But as you know - you can't improve something that you don't measure and my 3handed game needs improvement! A quick win for now - I don't need to mark players as "green" when I see btn limp anymore as it right there in the "BTN" table in the top-right corner

I got the same HUD.
To make it less crowded i hide SBvBB under BTN hud for the player on the left and hide BBvsSB for the player on the left.

Originally posted by leveleleven47
I got the same HUD.
To make it less crowded i hide SBvBB under BTN hud for the player on the left and hide BBvsSB for the player on the left.

For some reason, this trick didn't work for me in PT4 when I tried to save layout. I assumed it was because the tables were overlapping. Right now I have to do a lot of moving around, on 888Poker HUD layouts constantly jumping.