[Closed] From humble beginnings, how much pie will be eaten?

thanks bart, we're all doing fine and i will pass on you're best wishes to kay, and a happy new year to you too. I really enjoyed the int. league, the experience was better than the finish for me, and no doubt you too. Great to see you're still doing well and knowing when to stop and cut you're losses, something which is hard to do as you always think well i'm $10 down but a few good hands and i will be up, for me its 1 stack as in last night had AA which didnt hold up against 99 but i failed to stop at that, although i didn't lose anymore and managed to claw a little back.

How did you make you're video? i am tempted to make a video in 2-3 weeks once i get used to SH a little more to find and plug some leaks but don't know where to start

Good luck bart and you have my upmost respect, gaz

Originally posted by gaz639
thanks bart, we're all doing fine and i will pass on you're best wishes to kay, and a happy new year to you too. I really enjoyed the int. league, the experience was better than the finish for me, and no doubt you too. Great to see you're still doing well and knowing when to stop and cut you're losses, something which is hard to do as you always think well i'm $10 down but a few good hands and i will be up, for me its 1 stack as in last night had AA which didnt hold up against 99 but i failed to stop at that, although i didn't lose anymore and managed to claw a little back.

How did you make you're video? i am tempted to make a video in 2-3 weeks once i get used to SH a little more to find and plug some leaks but don't know where to start

Good luck bart and you have my upmost respect, gaz

Cheers mate.

Stiev pointed me to doing a google search on "free desktop recorders". The one I downloaded is called Debut Video Capture, but I understand they're all pretty much the same. Basically records whatever you have open on your screen. Still getting used to it, but think it might be useful to review my own sessions now & again after being pointed in the right direction by someone like Stiev/Gerv etc.

Bart

cheers i will download one later when i go onto the pc then and have a mess around with it over the next few days then i will post a couple of videos on my play, hopefully without being slaughtered. I would also be interested in watching you're session video

Solid start to 2009 so far.

Cash Tables NL25sss(fr)
01/01/2009 = +$37.15
02/01/2009 = +$13.58

MTT
02/01/2009: Titan $3k Guaranteed ($5+0.50) = 66th / 1,124 = +$14.05

Overall:

Overall cost to me = $0

> Cash Tables NL10/NL25 SSS = +$7.28 (prior to rakeback)
> STT/Matrix SNG's = +$44.95
> MTT Tournaments = +$211.79
Net "playing profit" = +$264.02

> Free Bankrolls = +$150.00
> Additional Bonus cleared = +$65.00 (#)
> Rakeback = +$76.60
Total "freebies" = +$291.60
Overall Fighting Fund therefore stands at $555.62

# Have also earnt an additional $75.00 IronMan Bonus, but will not include this until actually fully cleared (circa mid January).

Elephant Stats:

NB. I'm still having teething (trunk-ated ) problems with elephant which is missing a few thousand hands & circa $16.00 gain.

Stats prior to rakeback & the missing hands show:

Hands Played = 35,594
BB/100 = -0.61
I'm just 109 Strategy Points away from my Elephant Licence which would then hopefully allow me to analyse & post my full stats etc.
Will take the opportunity to reimport my hand history in an attempt to recover the missing ones.

Bart.

nice 1 bart, keep up the nice work, nice rakeback, wish i could play on full tilt :(, not tracked and im generating around $10 rake a night atm

Originally posted by gaz639
nice 1 bart, keep up the nice work, nice rakeback, wish i could play on full tilt :(, not tracked and im generating around $10 rake a night atm

Cheers Gaz,

Still not convinced stats are 100% accurate as can't tie up elephant against my own spreadsheet & the poker site cashiers, but not too far out I think.

Re Rakeback, yep it's a big help. Up until the last couple of weeks, I was turning a loss on cash tables prior to rakeback, although might have been partly due to the 10% rake taken on NL10 by Full Tilt (and the odd donk ). Things definately improved now I've stablished the move up to NL25.

Currently playing circa 2.5 to 3 hours a night (5x or 6x a week) on Full Tilt to achieve the 100 points required for IronMan Promo. This equates to roughly $25 rakeback a week. So guessing probably about $4.50/per day for 2.5 hours of NL25. It all helps.

Bart

EDIT: BTW, after re-reading something Gaz mentioned earlier, most of my cash table sessions often start with a small downturn but then pick up later on. I'd like to think it's because I adjust accordingly to the other players, but I seriously doubt it rofl ♦
When down, I just think right, this is now the new starting point. If you think too much about losses, you tend to play looser eager to catch back up (or at least I did).
I tend to recall that saying "You won't get even, your already even". Hope this makes sense!

Hi Bart, I've found your blog browsing through this part of the forums (I avoided it for a long time, dunno why, I've been missing a lot) and I have to say you're doing a great job here. I've read it all, made myself a coffee break in the middle and then got back to it, reads like a good book to be honest. If you ever happen to get bored with making money on the poker tables you should at least think about starting a writer's career and I mean it :).

I'm very impressed by your self-discipline and willingness to learn and improve. I was far less patient myself and gave up SSS after the first major downswing. It tuned out good in the end cause I was able to adapt to play big stack but the disappointment remains, I really wanted to beat NL10 SSS.

Good luck at the tables, keep this blog going, you've just earned yourself another reader.

Re:
Pete

Originally posted by radyan111
Hi Bart, I've found your blog browsing through this part of the forums (I avoided it for a long time, dunno why, I've been missing a lot) and I have to say you're doing a great job here. I've read it all, made myself a coffee break in the middle and then got back to it, reads like a good book to be honest. If you ever happen to get bored with making money on the poker tables you should at least think about starting a writer's career and I mean it :).

I'm very impressed by your self-discipline and willingness to learn and improve. I was far less patient myself and gave up SSS after the first major downswing. It tuned out good in the end cause I was able to adapt to play big stack but the disappointment remains, I really wanted to beat NL10 SSS.

Good luck at the tables, keep this blog going, you've just earned yourself another reader.

Re:
Pete

Wow thank you Pete.

Tbh never really considered the structure/content much before, it was just what came into my head at the time & primarily for my own benefit. But I am truly humbled that others are actually reading it and some enjoying it or finding it useful. Thank you.

NL10 stinks & I truly struggled and yeah I too almost gave up. Looking back I don't think it's a great place to start as the stereotypical player there is gambling more than other levels, so getting a read is difficult and getting suk outs more frequent. But it served a purpose and I did learn lots.

Please do stick around, I would value your thoughts & opinions on many things, not least BSS when I do have a go in a month or two, as guessing might take a while, mentally, to adjust.

Re Structure going forward, I'm thinking of adding a thought for the day. To kick off, here's one:

The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.
- Moliere

Have fun,

Bart

Originally posted by EagleStar88
but think it might be useful to review my own sessions now & again after being pointed in the right direction by someone like Stiev/Gerv etc.

I am still waiting although I prefer judging sample hands rather than see if your stats are healthy because Variance can be a bitch

Originally posted by Gerv

Originally posted by EagleStar88
but think it might be useful to review my own sessions now & again after being pointed in the right direction by someone like Stiev/Gerv etc.

I am still waiting although I prefer judging sample hands rather than see if your stats are healthy because Variance can be a bitch

lol, yeah your not wrong ♦

Thanks Gerv, qualify for my elephant licence in approx 4 days, so will then spend a day or two decifering my hands. I made notes on a few and will post them in the sample hands thread.

Thanks again in advance for your help.

Bart

when you switch to bss if its any help to you if you want i will help you and advise you all i can (from my limited knowledge) and you could do the same for me, that would be better than 2 individuals both learning bss independantly i think. eg review eachothers videos, hands, compare stats if applicable etc

Originally posted by gaz639
when you switch to bss if its any help to you if you want i will help you and advise you all i can (from my limited knowledge) and you could do the same for me, that would be better than 2 individuals both learning bss independantly i think. eg review eachothers videos, hands, compare stats if applicable etc

That's kind of you gaz, sure thing that would be great, would really value your input, thanks.
Want to stick to sss just a little longer as I've only just got the hang of it & might relapse/still be more to learn. But will prob start in a month or so. Will keep in touch.

Today's sss session ended up pretty good (actually first time in memory that I've ended in profit for 3x sessions in a row prior to rakeback ♦ ):

03/01/2009 NL25sss(fr) +$6.15, 998 hands, +2.46 BB/100.

Anticipated $4 rakeback to be added later & have already cleared $15 of the $75 Ironman bonus, me liking 2009 so far but not getting too complacement

Bart.

nice one getting the 3 +$ sessions, always good to have a confidence booster like that, whenever you're ready to switch to BSS just let me know, whether it be one month or three, it doesn't matter. Keep up the good work

OMG - Unchartered territory for the boy Bart. 4th consecutive +ve session

Waiting for reality to kick in real soon (like New Year Eve's stinker) as whilst the rake is better, NL25 can't that that much better than NL10.

Could've run with it more whilst "in the zone", but sometimes you have to know when to cash in. Besides, will be fresher mentally for tomorrows session & had already reached my daily 100 FTP points (for the Ironman promo).

Results (new in blue):

Cash Tables NL25sss(fr)
01/01/2009 = +$37.15
02/01/2009 = +$13.58
03/01/2009 = +$6.15 (998 hands, +2.46 BB/100)
04/01/2009 = +$17.65 (839 hands, +8.41 BB/100)

MTT/SnG
None today

Todays Chart

Thought for the Day:

The best vision is insight.
- Malcolm Forbes

Take care,

Bart

nice session profits, good thing to come off when you feel it's right, if you get the mindset of being on a winning streak i find that it's possible to over do it and this is a form of tilt, makes you feel invinsible then before you know it you're seeing red, in you're bankroll. Are you finding NL25 a lot better than NL10 then so far? i'm looking forward to moving up but nervous as hell, although i'm really far from that goal yet. Keep us informed as you are and gl at the tables

Pinch me someone, pinch me.

Results (new in blue):

Cash Tables NL25sss(fr)
01/01/2009 = +$37.15
02/01/2009 = +$13.58
03/01/2009 = +$6.15 (998 hands, +2.46 BB/100)
04/01/2009 = +$17.65 (839 hands, +8.41 BB/100)
05/01/2009 = +$33.85 (1,164 hands, +11.63 BB/100)

MTT/SnG
Have a GUKPT Qualifying Freeroll tonight. Hardly worth playing in some respects as Super Turbo/complete lottery format, but hey, not costing anything & you never know

Todays Chart

Most pleasing of all is that I didn't have the usual early downturn in the session, but I did lose 3x consec stacks in the middle (which made me sit up in my seat lol). Ak followed by QQ consecutive hands on the same table both went down whilst at the same time on another table, my KK fell to T9o (like they do ), ho hum, all part of life's rich tapestry.

Thought for the day:
I must not get complacent, I must not get complacent, I must not........

Bart.

<pinches EagleStar88>

Cool graph and cool result, congratulations, you might want to move to Monaco in the near future if things keep going like they do

Originally posted by radyan111
<pinches EagleStar88>

Cool graph and cool result, congratulations, you might want to move to Monaco in the near future if things keep going like they do

lol thanks Pete.

Nah, not yet. I'm just very conscious that a downswing is well overdue now. Had a pretty large loss on New Years Eve & think another is lurking out there somewhere

I do think that posting the daily charts is good for me though, it makes me think at the time, 'I mustn't donk this hand as everyone will see in the chart' ♦

p.s. I would stress to all Bronze members out there who maybe following this, do read up on the Silver NL guides when you reach that status, they dramactically help your game.

Bart

Ok seriously guys, I need your help, this is getting beyond a joke and genuinely beginning to worry me, albeit in a good way of course.

Wtf is going on here, what the hell am I doing & if we can identify it, can it be bottled & saved for the hard times ahead?

Is this just (very good) form of variance? (I think today was because if you look at the days chart, rarely lost an all-in during the 2nd half of the session. But I'm asking in relation to the YTD where this isn't always the case).

Also, why is it that I generally have a downswing at the start of a session but not in mid to late session? Is it just a case of settling into the play, no early reads from players or something else?

I'm playing circa 98% sss rules (don't have a go at me, we are all entitled to play however we like & please read my reasons for this below ), the only deviation is where I have picked up player reads where I open up the blind steal starting hands slightly. I would stress however that I'm doing this extremely sensibly i.e. :
- only slightly more than standard starting hands,
- only from late position,
- only against carefully identified players,
- only once in a while, not abusing/raising suspicion,
- drop at first sign of trouble.
The only other thing I can think of is that I do have auto buyin & auto top up switched on. Max(Ingo) has confirmed that he approves of auto buyin, but not auto top up as sss is best at circa 17/18BB. My stats however has significantly improved after introducing this & it's one less thing to check leaving time free to identify playing patterns, number of sitouts etc.

I would also stress again like earlier in my blog, I'm not in this for the money pursay, I want to fine tune my overall poker play including for mtt's etc. It would be easy to carry on with a strict sss "script" and play robotically, but I really want to learn & in particular try to fine tune my "reads" of people.

Ok, enough chatter for now, here's the day's stats & chart together with the ridiculously (good) looking year to date chart.
I just know that I am now tempting fate & will hit a ridiculously bad downswing

Any views/opinions/guidance greatly received, especially from coaches/pro's or anyone recently gone through the same process.

Cash Tables NL25sss(fr)
06/01/2009 = +$58.80 (856 hands, +27.48BB/100)

Thought for the Day:
After this kind of day...... speechless!

Tc,

Bart

p.s. rediculously, I now have grown the $100 free money up to a BR level where I could start NL100, eeek!
But I have absolutely no intention of upgrading from NL25 for at least a couple of months, maybe longer. The key here is knowing/learning as much as possible and then moving sensibly up (through each) level.

Originally posted by EagleStar88
Ok seriously guys, I need your help, this is getting beyond a joke and genuinely beginning to worry me, albeit in a good way of course.

I do not see exactly what to help you with but ehrm I can see that your Attitude & Mindset towards Poker

Also, why is it that I generally have a downswing at the start of a session but not in mid to late session? Is it just a case of settling into the play, no early reads from players or something else?

Downswing is Long Term as in 10k+++ hands, there is no downswing when you play, SSS is just Swingy.

I just know that I am now tempting fate & will hit a ridiculously bad downswing

Sorry but Say What! You have a very good session and now you are announcing your doomswitch so unconsciously your mind is already preparing to a losing session.. Stay Positive, Stay Positive, It helps. Imo, what you said is a serious insult to your skills and capalibities, don't do this to yourself please.. =(

Now if you need specific advice, I will answer if needed but I recommend changing your mindset towards Poker in a positive way

Best regards,
Gerv