[Closed] The End.

I played a little bit of SSS FR before but I have to play like 18 tables to keep from falling asleep. You finding the same?

Originally posted by BDL
I played a little bit of SSS FR before but I have to play like 18 tables to keep from falling asleep. You finding the same?

Yup. First session I ended up 6 tabling, the second 9 tabling.

I keep wondering if I'm missing something, re-read articles, and no, its a very simple method of playing. I'm looking forward to getting enough hands in to play BSS - but I suspect that will be 6 months away at least.

I really find that 6 tables of SH FL is way more action than 18 of FR NL SSS. Makes me laugh a bit but true :P.

Totally agree... I've really only recently gotten as far as playing four tables of SH FL and generally don't play more than three.

I find myself making even more unusually dumb plays than usual if I'm not careful so I'm quite happy at around the three / four table limit - so far at least!

First FR $1/$2:

This just playing loose tables thing is working out okay so far... as long as I'm happy to only play 160 hands a week! (which I guess I am).

SH $.5/$1:

Hey dude, grab the defribulator!!!

I was really pleased I got to play over 3k hands this week... till I saw Amirapuato played about this many hands on one session a couple of days ago. GET A JOB YOU LAYABOUT!!!

The difference I guess is he actually MAKES money every now and then...

I had a couple of sessions during the week where I found myself not believing the stats and of villians and thinking their plays would not be in accordance with those stats - to my cost. This is okay, but not when I was calling incredibly thin - including a ridiculous call down with Q high against one nutter.

Just 'cause the villian had VPIP/PFR stats of something like 90/50 doesn't make a Q high call down a good idea. EVER.

So to update:

FR $1/$2 to date: 454 hands @ 7.8BB/100

SH $.50/$1 to date: 7777 hands @ 1.5BB/100

......................
PS I've had another couple of sessions since this week ended for a BR positive result:

FR $1/$2 sessions: 25 hands down approx 1BB

SH $.50/$1 sessions: 589 hands @ 9.1BB/100

BR ~$710

Originally posted by Waiboy
I was really pleased I got to play over 3k hands this week... till I saw Amirapuato played about this many hands on one session a couple of days ago. GET A JOB YOU LAYABOUT!!!

My record is 5k in one day... But it's not a GOOD idea !! --> You'll normally lose more than 100 BB. ♦

Hmmm... I'm on vacations till the 26th, after that my playing rate should reduce to about 3k-5k a week.

Originally posted by Waiboy
The difference I guess is he actually MAKES money every now and then...

You had to remark THAT. ♦ ♦

Originally posted by Amirapuato

Originally posted by Waiboy
The difference I guess is he actually MAKES money every now and then...

You had to remark THAT. ♦

Well, somebody has to give you some perspective - otherwise you'll be thinking raking in the cash, as you have been for a while now, is normal!! ♦

So, I've had a couple of okay days swimming with the fishes and I've managed to jump to a new high BR, which is cool. Given that I've had no rakeback/bonus for the last little while I'm feeling relatively pleased with myself. Almost half way to my first decent SH limit at $1/$2

I'm looking forward to getting some rakeback, but its still around 6-8 weeks until cashing in my Titan Points will make sense so that I can get $150. I much preferred having the cash released every 600 points. This way feels like much more of a grind. Still I guess it will be a nice little windfall when I get there.

My alternative of course is to just sort out my game, pwn this fishy limit, and start hauling in some much better coin at $1/$2. Like this alternative, think I'll go this way.

At the moment I figure that I'll be playing at Titan until I get established at $2/$4, possibly getting to $3/$6. Then it will be bonus whoring time at either Mansion or Cake (unless Titan and PS.com have come up with something to keep me there by then!).

Anyway, to update:

FR $1/$2: no change

SH $.50/$1 several sessions: 1471 hands @ 3.8BB/100
To date: 9249 hands @ 1.8BB/100

BR ~$720

Another okayish session for volume... more than I intended playing anyway. And now I REALLY AM half way to $1/$2 SH (at least for the moment anyway!).

On the down side, I'm making most of my BR improvements through fish on FR... hmm.. to misquote an old saying I guess you gotta make hay where the sun shines. ♦

Just before the update, here's some of the fishes donating at the Full Ring in a real swinging hand - here I guess your Hero gets some river justice on the fish!

Known players:
[tg]Position:hands/vp$ip/RaisePreflop/AF/WTS/ORL/BBvsSteal/W$SD;SB:56/54 /5 /0.6/68 /0 /0 /37 ;UTG1:128/32 /8 /0.7/42 /17 /-/33 ;[/tg]
1/2 Fixed-Limit Hold'em (9 handed)
Hand recorder used for this poker hand: PokerStrategy Elephant 0.67 by www.pokerstrategy.com.

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q♣, Q♥
UTG1 raises, 6 folds, SB calls, Hero 3-bets, UTG1 caps, SB calls, Hero calls.

Flop: (12.00 SB) 9♥, 8♣, 4♣ (3 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG1 bets, SB calls, Hero raises, UTG1 3-bets, SB calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (10.50 BB) T♣ (3 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG1 bets, SB calls, Hero calls.

River: (13.50 BB) 3♣ (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, UTG1 calls, SB calls.

Final Pot: 16.50 BB

Results follow (highlight to see):
Hero shows a flush, queen high (Qc Qh)
UTG1 shows a flush, ten high (9s 9c)
SB shows a straight, queen high (Qs Jh)

Hero wins with a flush, queen high (Qc Qh)
I could have donked this flop I guess but I figured UTG1 will bet here and a check/raise has more fold equity on a blank turn v an AK with a :club:. In reality I'm pretty sure I should be donking here, and expecting an UTG1 3-bet to try and kick out the SB.

And I LOVE the river play of these guys. I'm dithering hoping I'm not up against AA:club: or KK:club:, meanwhile these guys are thinking "this rugged, yet handsome TAG dude is bluffing us on this four suited board, not me, not today Mr Kinky!!!". I guess I'm being overly harsh here, because really this hand just got given to me. I just couldn't believe the showdown.

Obviously at this limit 99 = the nuts, QJo = the second nuts.

Update:

FR $1/$2 session: 96 hands @ 13.7BB/100
To date: 550 hands @ 8.9BB/100

SH $.50/$1 session: 124 hands @ 4.2BB/100
To date: 9373 hands @ 1.9BB/100

BR ~$750

Really short boring blah update:

FR $1/$2 session: 48 hands @ 2.4BB/100
To date: 598 hands @ 8.3BB/100

SH $.50/$1 session: 415 hands @ -4.2BB/100
To date: 9788 hands @ 1.6BB/100

BR ~$740

BUT ON THE LIGHTER SIDE...

Why mocking NL is only right and proper. Any game that allows this to happen to your Hero, and then what follows, is clearly just a disgraceful waste of time :P:

(NB excludes stack sizes as I only just noticed this toggle switch in Elephant!).

Known players:
[tg]Position:hands/vp$ip/RaisePreflop/AF/WTS/ORL/BBvsSteal/W$SD;MP2:322/14 /6 /2.0/43 /14 /-/48 ;MP3:61/31 /8 /3.8/16 /0 /100 /0 ;[/tg]
0.1/0.2 No-Limit Hold'em (8 handed)
Hand recorder used for this poker hand: PokerStrategy Elephant 0.67 by www.pokerstrategy.com.

Preflop: Hero is CO with K♠, K♥
2 folds, MP2 raises to $0.80, MP3 calls $0.80, Hero raises to $3.40 (All-In), 3 folds, MP2 calls $2.60, MP3 folds.

Flop: ($7.90) T♦, 4♦ , 3♠
Turn: ($7.90) Q♦
River: ($7.90) 3♦ (1 players)

Final Pot: $7.90

Results follow:
Hero shows two pairs, kings and threes (Ks Kh)
MP2 shows a flush, queen high (Jd Js)

MP2 wins with a flush, queen high (Jd Js)

And then your Hero on his 3rd last hand of the day, and kind of, well, not tilts exactly, but because I want to play just one hand to feel what it is like to be a crazy fish - and because its like 2BB of FL $1/$2:

Known players:
[tg]Position:hands/vp$ip/RaisePreflop/AF/WTS/ORL/BBvsSteal/W$SD;BB:167/11 /7 /2.3/47 /0 /100 /38 ;CO:22/50 /0 /4.0/17 /0 /-/50 ;[/tg]
0.1/0.2 No-Limit Hold'em (10 handed)
Hand recorder used for this poker hand: PokerStrategy Elephant 0.67 by www.pokerstrategy.com.

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 8♣, 8♥
Hero raises to $0.80, 5 folds, CO calls $0.80, 2 folds, BB raises to $27.01 (All-In), Hero raises to $3.64 (All-In), CO raises to $3.64 (All-In).

Flop: ($34.39) 4♦, 9♠, J♦
Turn: ($34.39) T♥
River: ($34.39) 7♦ (2 players)

Final Pot: $34.39

Results follow:
Hero shows a straight, jack high (8c 8h)
BB shows a pair of kings (Kh Kd)
CO shows a pair of fives (5h 5s)

Hero wins with a straight, jack high (8c 8h)

SO GET SOME OF THAT UGLY, HORRIBLE, CRAZY SUCK OUT JUSTICE IN YA!!!

Yours, Waiboy (AKA Jimmy Snuka Super Fish - for all you WAAAAYYY old WWF (when it was WWF) fans)... erm.... I'm guessing there won't be many of you. I'm so old.

FL Traitor!!!

Just Kidding. I have acually wrestled with the FL v NL dilema. Around where I live, there are soooo many live opportunities NL Texas Hold 'em is pretty big where I'm from. It would be nice to take PS.com to the tables and crush the community.

I tried switching to NL for this reason awhile ago, started with SSS, and regretted it. I would've had to start all over. Plus I like FL.

If you do continue to dabble in NL, I hope keep the progress updated (obviously if it costs you, don't do it). I'm curious to see how it goes dabbling in NL.

Originally posted by strat9
FL Traitor!!!

You are absolutely right. I disgust myself.

Just Kidding. I have acually wrestled with the FL v NL dilema. Around where I live, there are soooo many live opportunities NL Texas Hold 'em is pretty big where I'm from. It would be nice to take PS.com to the tables and crush the community.

I tried switching to NL for this reason awhile ago, started with SSS, and regretted it. I would've had to start all over. Plus I like FL.

If you do continue to dabble in NL, I hope keep the progress updated (obviously if it costs you, don't do it). I'm curious to see how it goes dabbling in NL.

All kidding aside, I like playing lots of variants of poker. To digress slightly, I actually really like games like HORSE. The downside is it just adds four poker variants that I suck at slightly more than FL HE (well strictly speaking three variants, as I rock at RAZZ. I totally pwn at losing hands!!).

Anywhom, I want at some point to start playing some NL MTTs consistantly, and the SSS at least helps keep me in the mode re calculating pot odds, implied odds, raising ranges and all that without committing any significant time.

Of course I'll stick to FL until I get to a some sort of decent level (well by my standards anyway) of say $2/$4 - dare I say $3/$6? - to have as a base game. The only way that could change is if I really romp through the levels at NL in which case I'd have some sort of decision to make.

We all have to choose the higher v the lower path, the light or the dark, at some stage of our time on this orb. At the moment I choose the FL path of the light. ♦

Variance, you cheeky minx:

SH $.50/$1:

FR $1/$2:

A couple of days ago I was nearly at an $800 bankroll. A thousand hands is a LONG time in poker. Actually that's complete rubbish. A thousand hands FEELS like a long time in poker. One hundred thousand hands IS a long time in poker. ♦

So got a lot of hands in but not hugely successfully. I find myself tilting when loose opponents hit hands on multiple occassions. I start looking for people exploiting me with check/raises and start disbelieving them.

However, because I look them up every now and then with A - sometimes K high (depending on the board of course), I have to realise a bluff or overplayed hand isn't always the case.

Having said this, toward the end of my third straight losing session I had a nice session of tilt where I bet out aggressively with my hands - where I had a huge equity advantage pre flop against thier limping / raising ranges, and managed to claw back around 15 BB in 10 mins. I have to say that felt good. And is my worst example of deliberate tilting - I have only ever experienced deliberate tilt in a given session on one or two hands at most.

Anyway, the (long overdue - damn you work!!!) update:

FR $1/$2 to date: 677 hands @ 5.4BB/100

SH $.50/$1 to date: 12 079 hands @ 1.2BB/100

BR ~$700

PS. I love the FL quiz of the weeks. If you've been avoiding them to date I recommend you give them a real go, study them, use them. Each and every time I've gone through one of these quizzes it has improved my game.

PPS. The dark game has been jumping around on me - through around 2k hands on NL20 playing SSS I'm break even - jumping up and down between +- 8BB/100 so far.

Hey mate,

Your volume of posts are slowing down, and I'm getting withdrawals from not knowing how you're getting on with beating that old minx "variance"... Is real life getting in the way?

Thought I'd take up Mansion's kind offer, so I might now be able to catch you in action on the iPoker network.

My handle's gdjonline250 if you want to look me up on the micro limits...

Hey gdj!!

Yeah, I've been actually working. Lots. So only getting just enough time to play, let alone update teh blog!

Couple of things:

i. You've made silver. YAY!

ii. You've decided playing on iPoker is okay? MAJOR paradigm shift, fella. MAJOR.

iii. I'm going to Mansion too. They've found my only weakness: throwing free cash at me. Damn them. Damn them all to hell.

iv. And what's the story, on ps.com at work?? That's what working in the public sector will do for you. (apologies if time is actually 5:50pm not 4:50pm.... however I am prepared to believe the worst!!!).

Really looking forward to the 21st. Lets actually win cash from the fish this time. I think my credibility is taking just too big a hit.

Yup - finally silver. Can't see myself moving to gold any time soon playing micro limits and having a wife frowning and muttering about the opportunity cost of playing poker versus family. Not sure I see her point, as every time I offer to spend time with her she's not interested

Re: iPoker - free money - it's my weakness too. That plus, any points will be tracked on PS.com

Re: Work - how quickly you think the worst of us lowly civil servants. It was 5.50pm, but I confess I had left work early to pick Aimee up from her holiday program

Re: Poker weekend - yes, it's about time we took those fish for all their dollars. But make sure you take the 7th of March off rather than the 21st. Will send out an email next week.

Take care of yourself, and I'll look for you over on Mansion

So, the big decision of the day has been when to move to Mansion. If you're unaware, there is an outstanding offer to move to Mansion - do yourself a favour and read the article here.

I decided I'd half arse it and move $300 to get the full value from the bonus, and move the rest after clearing the last bit of the cash I'm likely to clear from Titan loyalty bonus ($45 clears in about 10 days of play).

I figured in the meantime I'd attempt to withdraw from Titan to Neteller to try it (as I've only withdrawn twice before). In doing so I discovered I could only withdraw if I'd deposited previously - and of course I had a first deposit bonus offered of 100% up to $500.

What to do. Well, the Mansion offer is still a no brainer, I just hate giving up the potential for free money (in the form of the Titan bonus) at some time in the future. And of course I'm ultimately hamstrung by my "never ever deposit my own money" promise so an alternate deposit source is not an option.

Oh, look. I'm just spieling. When I'm playing $3/$6 in 8 months time, I won't care about this stuff. Just small BR mentality. Get over yourself fella!

FR was okay last couple of days. One session down a bit, one session up a reasonable amount due to AA v a couple of high VPIP guys and one hand holding JTo in BB v Q8o in SB on a T83 two suited flop where SB 3 bet both PF and on flop.

SH one session down, one session started down 30BB in 10 mins on one table and ended up around 40BB. Ever had one of those sessions where you hit a good sequence of starting hands and are either dominated or rivered on every one? -30BB in 10 mins is the result.

After that, it was all gravy - including this hand first up on a new table!!

Known players:
[tg]Position:hands/vp$ip/RaisePreflop/AF/WTS/ORL/BBvsSteal/W$SD;MP2:05/40 /40 /-/50 /-/-/0 ;MP3:15/67 /27 /0.4/70 /0 /-/0 ;CO:36/56 /22 /1.2/61 /10 /0 /57 ;[/tg]
0.5/1 Fixed-Limit Hold'em (6 handed)
Hand recorder used for this poker hand: PokerStrategy Elephant 0.67 by www.pokerstrategy.com.

Preflop: Hero is BB with A♠, K♠
MP2 raises, MP3 3-bets , CO calls, 2 folds, Hero caps, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, CO calls.

Flop: (16.50 SB) K♥, 6♦ , 3♣ (4 players)
Hero bets, MP2 folds, MP3 raises, CO 3-bets, Hero caps, MP3 calls, CO calls.

Turn: (14.25 BB) 5♠ (3 players)
Hero bets, MP3 calls, CO calls.

River: (17.25 BB) 8♣ (3 players)
Hero bets, MP3 calls, CO calls.

Final Pot: 20.25 BB

Results follow:
Hero shows a pair of kings (As Ks)
CO shows a pair of kings (Kd Js)
MP3 shows a pair of sevens (7d 7s)

Hero wins with a pair of kings (As Ks)

♦

Forgot to mention, SH session was notable for the first occassion of your correspondent being called a "wanker". What I want to know is, how did he know???

Maybe it was how long it took me to make each play with only one hand on ..... umm... I'm sharing too much. Sorry.

Update:

FR $1/$2 recent sessions: 86 hands @ 4.4BB/100

SH $.50/$1 recent sessions: 625 hands @ 4.03/100 (YAY!)

BR ~$800 (boosted by $60 deposit ex a small balance I held at P*s).
And I guess to include $45 bonus available to claim, and a $45 bonus pending. Gosh, with Mansion $50 + $100 + deposit bonus, I'm almost rolled for a shot at $1/$2 SH!!

Barring too many further sessions where +ve variance isn't enough to counter my poor play of course...:(

Originally posted by Waiboy

Maybe it was how long it took me to make each play with only one hand on ..... umm... I'm sharing too much. Sorry.

O dear o dear....................

Haha nice update, glad to hear things are going smoothly and you're building your bankroll. I'm also going to head over to mansion, that offer is just way too good. If I can play some catch up on you maybe we'll see each other ♦.

Originally posted by BDL
Haha nice update, glad to hear things are going smoothly and you're building your bankroll. I'm also going to head over to mansion, that offer is just way too good. If I can play some catch up on you maybe we'll see each other ♦.

Geez mate, you're on fire! I'll just wave as you shoot on by then, shall I??!! ♦

Hope you liked the Spandau Ballet too. Just one of the best drunken sing-a-long songs of all time!

A real short update... got home late from work. Did a bit of ps.com surfing as you do. Downloaded Mansion and put in a new, way cool Nickname for my third iPoker site (second tracked). Hoping my Username is entered into ps.com properly... think it is. Show me the monies!!!

Then, 11:30pm... figure I'll just sneak in 20mins of playing SH $.50/$1 on Titan. I cut it short at 12 minutes because when you have a perfect session like this, there is no point in going on - it would only spoil the moment ♦:

SH $.50/$1 session: 112 hands @ 43.1BB/100

You know how you call passive villian's donk on river with TPTK never really thinking villian might NOT hold that straight/flush his call down and donk on river represents? And villian semi bluffs with bottom pair?

Or you c-bet on the flop with your A9o after opening from MP3 to be called by two villians, and hit your A on the turn?

Or you are dealt AKs, QQ, KK, 88 in short time on the same table? (although, to be fair, AKs and QQ both lost ;)).

Or you call PF raise by TAGish dude (over 150 hands) with one caller with 99 from BB, c/r flop of J84r, turn J and get called down by TAGish dudes K8o?

If you do know these things, having them all happen in 112 hands means 43.1BB/100. ♦

And to top it off, the first 4 hands were all playable, included AKs, QQ, and all lost dropping me 10BB in the first 2 mins!!!

So next time I play 800 hands in a day, and spend the entire time getting rivered, making calldowns and losing v nutters raising 96s, flopping ugly board after ugly board and losing, I'm going to open this post and remember the sweet taste of concentrated positive variance.

Tastes like chocolate covered donuts..... mmmmm.... donuts....

Originally posted by Waiboy
A real short update...

How can I keep lying like this?