Friday, January 30, 2004
Looking Forward
Today was my day off, so I only had to make a couple of work phone calls and do a little email. The problems continued, but were not quite as bad. I will need to stop by the "office" tomorrow and mark-up a special run sheet. When I do get a Friday off, these little inconveniences mean absolutely nothing.
Baby Royal had her two-month doctor's appointment today. She's doing a great job gaining weight and, so far, has no health issues. We'll get to deal with those next month when she starts day care. The big excitement was the 3 immunization shots the nurse had to give her! Obviously she did not care for them...all in all she did well though. Already making Daddy proud!
After Baby Royal's doctor appointment I was able to slip out of the house and hit the Community Center for an hour or so of basketball. There is a good group of guys (and gals) who playing during lunch and today did not disappoint. Our Tuesday night league game was cancelled due to weather and I'm glad I got to play ball today. It's good for my game and for my body.
I'm now over 7,000 hands on the $0.50 / $1 front and the $1/$2 limits are looming. Here are some interesting statistics:
7,130 hands played at $0.50/$1 on Party Poker's Network.
2,489 different opponents!
23 different players have over 50 hands against me and have voluntary put money in the pot 70% of time or greater. Come here fish!
The scary thing is, even with 2,500 different opponents I rarely sit down at a table with more than 1 or 2 players I've played against before. If not obvious before, there are a lot of $0.50/$1 players on Party!
Soaring Eagle Update
I've had several questions about the status of this local casino. No official news either way...here is from RGP.
--
It's like people have their fingers in their ears yelling "lalalalala!" as loud as they can. Motor City has NOT set a date when they are opening their room. It probably won't even be this year if they do. They are doing the worst of the three casinos in Detroit and adding a poker room ain't going to save them.
Soaring Eagle rumors have been going around ever since they closed it down! There (sigh - here I go again) has been NO (I repeat NO) progress towards bringing back poker to Mt. Pleasant. No tables back in the room, no dealers being trained and no promotions to the public. IF they do bring poker back to SE, it isn't going to be by the middle of next month.
--
Oh, and LordGeznikor, now that you've been to Vegas. The old poker room at Soaring Eagle was probably as nice as the one at The Orleans. If not, it was really close...
Dozer, AI -- you have any comments on that comparison? You guys played at both places?
Weekend
Local limit tournament tomorrow. Sweet!
Super bowl and party on Sunday. Sweet!
Today was my day off, so I only had to make a couple of work phone calls and do a little email. The problems continued, but were not quite as bad. I will need to stop by the "office" tomorrow and mark-up a special run sheet. When I do get a Friday off, these little inconveniences mean absolutely nothing.
Baby Royal had her two-month doctor's appointment today. She's doing a great job gaining weight and, so far, has no health issues. We'll get to deal with those next month when she starts day care. The big excitement was the 3 immunization shots the nurse had to give her! Obviously she did not care for them...all in all she did well though. Already making Daddy proud!
After Baby Royal's doctor appointment I was able to slip out of the house and hit the Community Center for an hour or so of basketball. There is a good group of guys (and gals) who playing during lunch and today did not disappoint. Our Tuesday night league game was cancelled due to weather and I'm glad I got to play ball today. It's good for my game and for my body.
I'm now over 7,000 hands on the $0.50 / $1 front and the $1/$2 limits are looming. Here are some interesting statistics:
7,130 hands played at $0.50/$1 on Party Poker's Network.
2,489 different opponents!
23 different players have over 50 hands against me and have voluntary put money in the pot 70% of time or greater. Come here fish!
The scary thing is, even with 2,500 different opponents I rarely sit down at a table with more than 1 or 2 players I've played against before. If not obvious before, there are a lot of $0.50/$1 players on Party!
Soaring Eagle Update
I've had several questions about the status of this local casino. No official news either way...here is from RGP.
--
It's like people have their fingers in their ears yelling "lalalalala!" as loud as they can. Motor City has NOT set a date when they are opening their room. It probably won't even be this year if they do. They are doing the worst of the three casinos in Detroit and adding a poker room ain't going to save them.
Soaring Eagle rumors have been going around ever since they closed it down! There (sigh - here I go again) has been NO (I repeat NO) progress towards bringing back poker to Mt. Pleasant. No tables back in the room, no dealers being trained and no promotions to the public. IF they do bring poker back to SE, it isn't going to be by the middle of next month.
--
Oh, and LordGeznikor, now that you've been to Vegas. The old poker room at Soaring Eagle was probably as nice as the one at The Orleans. If not, it was really close...
Dozer, AI -- you have any comments on that comparison? You guys played at both places?
Weekend
Local limit tournament tomorrow. Sweet!
Super bowl and party on Sunday. Sweet!
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Why do you play Poker? Because of Hands like this!
Wow, what a horrible day at work. It was one of those nightmare days where everything seemed to go wrong.
Broken Pump
Plugged Vent Stack
Off Spec Raw Materials
ARGGG!!
I'm in a great mood though…no really I am.
Pints of Bass were on sale
Baby Royal smiled at me when I got home
White Blood Cells is on the stereo
Funny how quick your mood can change when everything lines up right.
Mrs. Royal decided to go to yoga tonight, so Daddy / Daughter time comes early. We've read through The Mitten and had a snack. Now it is time for a nap. Switch the stereo to Crooked Rain Crooked Rain.
I figure we'll start reading Irving next week. :)
Links
Thanks to the following sites for linking me up!
Anisotropy
TightPocket - I see someone got a new Fragbox. What the heck is a frag? Maybe Iggy can fill me in on this Frag thing...whatever it is.
Also, be sure and checkout LordGeznikor's Vegas Trip Report. I took my first and second trips to Vegas last year and was reminded of many fond memories while reading this report. I played in the same NL Tournament at The Orleans and even made the final table like our hero, LordGeznikor. Unfortunately, I didn't get to smell the big bucks and busted out like 7th or 8th. It's just funny to read about someone from your general part of the country traveling so far, playing in a similar event, and also doing well.
On my first trip to Vegas I didn't play poker. Let me repeat that...I didn't play poker. Now, I was well into poker at that time and even had a relatively nice bankroll built up. However, this was a vacation for Mrs. Royal and I. The problem with poker is you typically play it forever in a casino. You also can't just there and have idle chat with a friend (spouse) who isn't playing in the game. There just never seemed to be a large enough chunk of time to sit down and play.
On the second trip we talked about it beforehand and reached a few agreements. I got to play in the one NL tournament and also got a few hours of ring game action in. Not the poker binge I wanted, but certainly a fair compromise. I had an incredible time both trips. Vegas is a blast...poker is that cherry on top!
Best for Last
Props to Dozer for hitting a royal yesterday! He even hit it at $10/$20 and got action. The raise on the turn was the key play since he "knew" he was going to fill the royal on the river! Oh, and for those of you wondering my name is actually Royal. Well, at least my middle name is. My Great Grandfather was named Royal and every first born male child since then has been given "Royal" as a middle name. I guess my family knew I was due for poker greatness!
I ran into this gem last night while continuing the $0.50/$1 quest. I'm guessing the raiser "might" have had KK, but what could the two callers have had? One had an A and the other a K? Oh wait; this is $0.50/$1 on PARTY POKER...probably 10Jo and 44. I’m probably even giving them too much credit there!
**** Hand History for Game 3xxxxxxxx *****
Table Card Room Table 3815 (Real Money)
Seat 5 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: Royal ( $22 )
Seat 3: ALLinPoker2 ( $53.25 )
Seat 4: SamWR ( $7 )
Seat 5: drewcog ( $12.5 )
Seat 7: repairman41 ( $60 )
Seat 9: larson621 ( $15 )
Seat 8: JuiceStain ( $25.5 )
Seat 6: DARREN1978 ( $22.5 )
Seat 2: mightyduck ( $14.5 )
Seat 10: SMARTPP ( $25 )
DARREN1978 posts small blind [$0.25].
repairman41 posts big blind [$0.5].
SMARTPP posts big blind [$0.5].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Royal [ As Kc ]
JuiceStain raises [$1].
larson621 folds.
SMARTPP calls [$0.5].
Royal calls [$1].
mightyduck folds.
ALLinPoker2 folds.
SamWR folds.
drewcog calls [$1].
DARREN1978 folds.
repairman41 folds.
** Dealing Flop ** [ Ah, Ks, Ac ]
JuiceStain checks.
SMARTPP bets [$0.5].
Royal calls [$0.5].
drewcog calls [$0.5].
JuiceStain raises [$1].
SMARTPP raises [$1].
Royal calls [$1].
drewcog calls [$1].
JuiceStain calls [$0.5].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 9c ]
JuiceStain checks.
SMARTPP bets [$1].
Royal calls [$1].
drewcog calls [$1].
JuiceStain calls [$1].
** Dealing River ** [ 5s ]
JuiceStain checks.
SMARTPP bets [$1].
Royal raises [$2].
drewcog calls [$2].
JuiceStain calls [$2].
SMARTPP raises [$2].
Royal raises [$2].
drewcog calls [$2].
JuiceStain calls [$2].
SMARTPP calls [$1].
Royal shows a full house, Aces full of kings.
drewcog doesn't show.
JuiceStain doesn't show.
SMARTPP doesn't show.
Royal wins $29.75 from the main pot with a full house, Aces full of kings.
It's not atypical for me to play 50+ hands at these limits without winning a pot. Last night I played 71 hands without winning a pot. I was down about 10BB at the time. In the next 25 hands I went from -10BB to +47BB. The hand above was a big help, but the rush didn't start or end there.
Welcome to the madness that is $0.50/$1 Party Poker!
Wow, what a horrible day at work. It was one of those nightmare days where everything seemed to go wrong.
Broken Pump
Plugged Vent Stack
Off Spec Raw Materials
ARGGG!!
I'm in a great mood though…no really I am.
Pints of Bass were on sale
Baby Royal smiled at me when I got home
White Blood Cells is on the stereo
Funny how quick your mood can change when everything lines up right.
Mrs. Royal decided to go to yoga tonight, so Daddy / Daughter time comes early. We've read through The Mitten and had a snack. Now it is time for a nap. Switch the stereo to Crooked Rain Crooked Rain.
I figure we'll start reading Irving next week. :)
Links
Thanks to the following sites for linking me up!
Anisotropy
TightPocket - I see someone got a new Fragbox. What the heck is a frag? Maybe Iggy can fill me in on this Frag thing...whatever it is.
Also, be sure and checkout LordGeznikor's Vegas Trip Report. I took my first and second trips to Vegas last year and was reminded of many fond memories while reading this report. I played in the same NL Tournament at The Orleans and even made the final table like our hero, LordGeznikor. Unfortunately, I didn't get to smell the big bucks and busted out like 7th or 8th. It's just funny to read about someone from your general part of the country traveling so far, playing in a similar event, and also doing well.
On my first trip to Vegas I didn't play poker. Let me repeat that...I didn't play poker. Now, I was well into poker at that time and even had a relatively nice bankroll built up. However, this was a vacation for Mrs. Royal and I. The problem with poker is you typically play it forever in a casino. You also can't just there and have idle chat with a friend (spouse) who isn't playing in the game. There just never seemed to be a large enough chunk of time to sit down and play.
On the second trip we talked about it beforehand and reached a few agreements. I got to play in the one NL tournament and also got a few hours of ring game action in. Not the poker binge I wanted, but certainly a fair compromise. I had an incredible time both trips. Vegas is a blast...poker is that cherry on top!
Best for Last
Props to Dozer for hitting a royal yesterday! He even hit it at $10/$20 and got action. The raise on the turn was the key play since he "knew" he was going to fill the royal on the river! Oh, and for those of you wondering my name is actually Royal. Well, at least my middle name is. My Great Grandfather was named Royal and every first born male child since then has been given "Royal" as a middle name. I guess my family knew I was due for poker greatness!
I ran into this gem last night while continuing the $0.50/$1 quest. I'm guessing the raiser "might" have had KK, but what could the two callers have had? One had an A and the other a K? Oh wait; this is $0.50/$1 on PARTY POKER...probably 10Jo and 44. I’m probably even giving them too much credit there!
**** Hand History for Game 3xxxxxxxx *****
Table Card Room Table 3815 (Real Money)
Seat 5 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: Royal ( $22 )
Seat 3: ALLinPoker2 ( $53.25 )
Seat 4: SamWR ( $7 )
Seat 5: drewcog ( $12.5 )
Seat 7: repairman41 ( $60 )
Seat 9: larson621 ( $15 )
Seat 8: JuiceStain ( $25.5 )
Seat 6: DARREN1978 ( $22.5 )
Seat 2: mightyduck ( $14.5 )
Seat 10: SMARTPP ( $25 )
DARREN1978 posts small blind [$0.25].
repairman41 posts big blind [$0.5].
SMARTPP posts big blind [$0.5].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Royal [ As Kc ]
JuiceStain raises [$1].
larson621 folds.
SMARTPP calls [$0.5].
Royal calls [$1].
mightyduck folds.
ALLinPoker2 folds.
SamWR folds.
drewcog calls [$1].
DARREN1978 folds.
repairman41 folds.
** Dealing Flop ** [ Ah, Ks, Ac ]
JuiceStain checks.
SMARTPP bets [$0.5].
Royal calls [$0.5].
drewcog calls [$0.5].
JuiceStain raises [$1].
SMARTPP raises [$1].
Royal calls [$1].
drewcog calls [$1].
JuiceStain calls [$0.5].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 9c ]
JuiceStain checks.
SMARTPP bets [$1].
Royal calls [$1].
drewcog calls [$1].
JuiceStain calls [$1].
** Dealing River ** [ 5s ]
JuiceStain checks.
SMARTPP bets [$1].
Royal raises [$2].
drewcog calls [$2].
JuiceStain calls [$2].
SMARTPP raises [$2].
Royal raises [$2].
drewcog calls [$2].
JuiceStain calls [$2].
SMARTPP calls [$1].
Royal shows a full house, Aces full of kings.
drewcog doesn't show.
JuiceStain doesn't show.
SMARTPP doesn't show.
Royal wins $29.75 from the main pot with a full house, Aces full of kings.
It's not atypical for me to play 50+ hands at these limits without winning a pot. Last night I played 71 hands without winning a pot. I was down about 10BB at the time. In the next 25 hands I went from -10BB to +47BB. The hand above was a big help, but the rush didn't start or end there.
Welcome to the madness that is $0.50/$1 Party Poker!
Monday, January 26, 2004
A New Week
Update on Royal's Low Limit Quest:
I'm still mucking around in the $0.50/$1 limits with a little over 6,500 hands down. I didn't get a chance to play much this weekend and what time I did have was spent on two tournaments. I'll admit that the $0.50/$1 limit stakes are getting a bit old. I actually enjoy the mindless fun, but the money is sooooooooo small. That being said, I still have intentions to finish out the 10,000 hands. I'm learning a lot about table selection...which is something I probably did not give enough consideration to in the past. It really was never an issue in the casinos I played in since your selection was pretty limited. However, with over 33,000 players currently on Party there is no shortage of selection! I credit Iggy with helping (strongly encouraging) me in that respect.
From Carson's - The Complete Book of Hold 'Em Poker:
---
Your winnings from poker don't come from your excellent play. If everyone played perfectly, then the money would just be passed back and forth among players, with the house skimming...
Everybody would be a net loser... Some players are net winners, and some are net losers. Some of the losers are actually better players than some of the winners...
Losers play with people who play better than they do, and winners play with people who don't play as well.
---
Table Selection is Key!
The Local Scene
It's amazing how much my daughter has grown in these last eight weeks. Just this last week she has started to notice so many more things about her world. Dad now has the ability to make her smile and that is truly a wonderful feeling.
We're having our next local tournament this Saturday night and expecting a record crowd of around 24 people! I'd much rather play no-limit, but many in this group are still intimidated by the concept. I find this a little strange since it's the only thing you see on TV...and they all certainly watch...but hey it's a game. All the $0.50/$1 play will help me on Saturday because the field will be full of calling stations. The big difference is at $0.50/$1 you can afford to wait forever for cards, but in tournament format with a fairly rapid blind progression more action is required. I'll need to catch some cards and pick the right times to make moves.
Why Do You Play Poker
I find this topic absolutely fascinating for the following reasons:
I've thought about this a lot the last couple weeks, took some notes, and discovered some interesting aspects of my poker playing. Here's what I came up with.
1) Competition
I'm competitive in virtually everything I do and poker is no exception. Competition drives me a work, on the basketball court, playing video games, or sitting at the poker table. The person I'm mainly competing with is I.
I compete in an attempt to win, but more so to improve, to get better. This sounds strange...
I play poker to get better at poker.
As mentioned above I'm learning a lot about table selection, but it goes against every competitive bone in my body. I want to play the 9 best players in the world, and I only get 1 hole card! I don't care if they beat my head in repeatedly. Both my feet are on the ground and I realize that I can get better by playing different tables and adapting to different styles of play. Maybe someday I'll get my chance at the 9.
2) Friends / Fun
I'm able to stay interested in poker because I have several close friends who also play. Poker is the most frequent dinner conversation when we go out. We also have a blast once or twice a month during home games. If my friends were not interested I would not play as much or at all. As you know, poker consumes much time. I couldn't see my close friends nearly enough if we didn't have poker in common.
Friends > Poker
Poker is fun! Grinding can sometimes be a chore, but so can shooting free throws and running laps. See number one above. When poker stops being fun I will stop playing. There are too many things out there to waste my time on something I don't enjoy.
3) Money
I went to college and got a job, that's where I get money from. The money is a helluva lot more prevalent in my fulltime job than in my poker playing. Even if I get good enough to go pro I probably wouldn't do it. Maybe frequent trips to tournaments or Vegas...but not a pro.
I still want to be profitable though. Money is the trophy, the indicator that I'm good and / or getting better. I'd be willing to spend some money if I thought it would make me better. I'm pretty darn realistic of my talents. If poker becomes a huge money pit I'd bail. Mrs. Royal is also willing to give a lot more rope with the bank roll in the black!
It's just so much more fun to win, isn't it?
Summary
So, I play poker:
What makes your poker world tick?
Update on Royal's Low Limit Quest:
I'm still mucking around in the $0.50/$1 limits with a little over 6,500 hands down. I didn't get a chance to play much this weekend and what time I did have was spent on two tournaments. I'll admit that the $0.50/$1 limit stakes are getting a bit old. I actually enjoy the mindless fun, but the money is sooooooooo small. That being said, I still have intentions to finish out the 10,000 hands. I'm learning a lot about table selection...which is something I probably did not give enough consideration to in the past. It really was never an issue in the casinos I played in since your selection was pretty limited. However, with over 33,000 players currently on Party there is no shortage of selection! I credit Iggy with helping (strongly encouraging) me in that respect.
From Carson's - The Complete Book of Hold 'Em Poker:
---
Your winnings from poker don't come from your excellent play. If everyone played perfectly, then the money would just be passed back and forth among players, with the house skimming...
Everybody would be a net loser... Some players are net winners, and some are net losers. Some of the losers are actually better players than some of the winners...
Losers play with people who play better than they do, and winners play with people who don't play as well.
---
Table Selection is Key!
The Local Scene
It's amazing how much my daughter has grown in these last eight weeks. Just this last week she has started to notice so many more things about her world. Dad now has the ability to make her smile and that is truly a wonderful feeling.
We're having our next local tournament this Saturday night and expecting a record crowd of around 24 people! I'd much rather play no-limit, but many in this group are still intimidated by the concept. I find this a little strange since it's the only thing you see on TV...and they all certainly watch...but hey it's a game. All the $0.50/$1 play will help me on Saturday because the field will be full of calling stations. The big difference is at $0.50/$1 you can afford to wait forever for cards, but in tournament format with a fairly rapid blind progression more action is required. I'll need to catch some cards and pick the right times to make moves.
Why Do You Play Poker
I find this topic absolutely fascinating for the following reasons:
- There is no right answer
- I don't think most poker players even think about it
- I consider it crucial to being a long term winner
I've thought about this a lot the last couple weeks, took some notes, and discovered some interesting aspects of my poker playing. Here's what I came up with.
1) Competition
I'm competitive in virtually everything I do and poker is no exception. Competition drives me a work, on the basketball court, playing video games, or sitting at the poker table. The person I'm mainly competing with is I.
I compete in an attempt to win, but more so to improve, to get better. This sounds strange...
I play poker to get better at poker.
As mentioned above I'm learning a lot about table selection, but it goes against every competitive bone in my body. I want to play the 9 best players in the world, and I only get 1 hole card! I don't care if they beat my head in repeatedly. Both my feet are on the ground and I realize that I can get better by playing different tables and adapting to different styles of play. Maybe someday I'll get my chance at the 9.
2) Friends / Fun
I'm able to stay interested in poker because I have several close friends who also play. Poker is the most frequent dinner conversation when we go out. We also have a blast once or twice a month during home games. If my friends were not interested I would not play as much or at all. As you know, poker consumes much time. I couldn't see my close friends nearly enough if we didn't have poker in common.
Friends > Poker
Poker is fun! Grinding can sometimes be a chore, but so can shooting free throws and running laps. See number one above. When poker stops being fun I will stop playing. There are too many things out there to waste my time on something I don't enjoy.
3) Money
I went to college and got a job, that's where I get money from. The money is a helluva lot more prevalent in my fulltime job than in my poker playing. Even if I get good enough to go pro I probably wouldn't do it. Maybe frequent trips to tournaments or Vegas...but not a pro.
I still want to be profitable though. Money is the trophy, the indicator that I'm good and / or getting better. I'd be willing to spend some money if I thought it would make me better. I'm pretty darn realistic of my talents. If poker becomes a huge money pit I'd bail. Mrs. Royal is also willing to give a lot more rope with the bank roll in the black!
It's just so much more fun to win, isn't it?
Summary
So, I play poker:
- To get better
- Because my close friends also play
- It's fun
- And profitable
What makes your poker world tick?
Friday, January 23, 2004
Bring on the Weekend!
First off, props to my boy Dozer who finished 4th of 500+ in a mutli-player tournament last night (this morning). Dozer played great and was the cheap leader for much of the tournament. I know he's a little disappointed about not taking home the trophy, but a 30x entry fee return is some serious cash. Great work bud!
6,350 hands down and still above my goal of 2BB / 100 hands. For those of you who are not yet playing online and are considering, the $0.50/$1 tables on Party Poker are beatable. I'd be happy to give advice to anyone who emails me.
I'm going to try my luck at the $3 qualifier tonight on Stars...just started. Qualification is extra tough with the tournament being $500 this week. I gave it a shot last night and played well, but busted out around 150 or so with only the top 10 winning entries. So, no where near smelling da cash.
A friend (the Cat) and I played basketball at the local community center today during lunch. It was great to get back out on the court since we had a bye this week in normal league play. We played several good games and I'm hurting some now. Ball during lunch is a great way to break up the work day.
10 Emerging Technologies That Will Change Your World
Special thanks to everyone who has linked me recently!
Poker Soup
Tao of Pauly
Vagaries of an online poker player
Poker Grub
First off, props to my boy Dozer who finished 4th of 500+ in a mutli-player tournament last night (this morning). Dozer played great and was the cheap leader for much of the tournament. I know he's a little disappointed about not taking home the trophy, but a 30x entry fee return is some serious cash. Great work bud!
6,350 hands down and still above my goal of 2BB / 100 hands. For those of you who are not yet playing online and are considering, the $0.50/$1 tables on Party Poker are beatable. I'd be happy to give advice to anyone who emails me.
I'm going to try my luck at the $3 qualifier tonight on Stars...just started. Qualification is extra tough with the tournament being $500 this week. I gave it a shot last night and played well, but busted out around 150 or so with only the top 10 winning entries. So, no where near smelling da cash.
A friend (the Cat) and I played basketball at the local community center today during lunch. It was great to get back out on the court since we had a bye this week in normal league play. We played several good games and I'm hurting some now. Ball during lunch is a great way to break up the work day.
10 Emerging Technologies That Will Change Your World
Special thanks to everyone who has linked me recently!
Poker Soup
Tao of Pauly
Vagaries of an online poker player
Poker Grub
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
6,000 Hand Analysis
Baby Royal didn't want to hit the cradle so early last night and it lead to an extended session on Party. Another milestone has been reached as I've crossed the 6,000 hand mark! Just like with 3,000 hands I'm taking some time to analyze what hands are working well and which ones are not. I am really looking for those hands that stand out one way or another. They might provide a clue as to which other hands might be long term winners or losers. For example, if A7s is a long term winner due to seeing a cheap flop and riding the flush draw then maybe K9s is worth playing late and cheap? I'm not saying this is the case...just giving a little insight into what kind of things I'm looking for. You'd think I would be sick of analyzing data sets since I do it EVERY DAY at work, but hey this is poker! Speaking of work, thank goodness I don't work at Lowes!
After 6,000 hands can you guess what my biggest loser, in terms of money, is? Would you believe 99? It was like this at 3,000 hands and the trend is continuing...wow. Seeing this made me take a closer look at pocket pairs, flopping sets, and having them cracked. Here is what I found out:
Baby Royal didn't want to hit the cradle so early last night and it lead to an extended session on Party. Another milestone has been reached as I've crossed the 6,000 hand mark! Just like with 3,000 hands I'm taking some time to analyze what hands are working well and which ones are not. I am really looking for those hands that stand out one way or another. They might provide a clue as to which other hands might be long term winners or losers. For example, if A7s is a long term winner due to seeing a cheap flop and riding the flush draw then maybe K9s is worth playing late and cheap? I'm not saying this is the case...just giving a little insight into what kind of things I'm looking for. You'd think I would be sick of analyzing data sets since I do it EVERY DAY at work, but hey this is poker! Speaking of work, thank goodness I don't work at Lowes!
After 6,000 hands can you guess what my biggest loser, in terms of money, is? Would you believe 99? It was like this at 3,000 hands and the trend is continuing...wow. Seeing this made me take a closer look at pocket pairs, flopping sets, and having them cracked. Here is what I found out:
Hand Times Dealt Win % Flopped Sets Sets Cracked
AA 25 72.0 5 0
KK 28 57.1 3 0
QQ 23 39.1 2 0
JJ 21 47.6 3 0
TT 27 44.4 2 0
99 25 8.0 2 2
88 23 34.8 6 1
77 34 26.5 6 1
66 34 17.7 7 3
55 30 13.3 2 0
44 36 13.9 3 0
33 20 15.0 1 1
22 21 4.7 5 3
Anything stick out in this data? How about the 8% win percentage for 99! The QQ seems a little low too, but maybe the JJ and TT are just a bit high?
Running some more numbers:
Set flopped= 13.5% (statistically this should be 12.2% which is really close)
Set cracked = 23.4% (almost 25% of the time a set gets cracked)
Key Learnings:
1) 6,000 hands is not nearly enough data to get a completely accurate picture. The 8% win percentage for 99 clearly indicates that.
2) Big sets don't get cracked. Top 7 hands cracked 13.0%
3) Little sets get cracked more! Bottom 6 hands cracked 33.3%
Comments?
Books:
Thanks for all the good comments on Vonnegut and Hesse. I've read several slections by Vonnegut (SH5, Breakfast of Champions, Cat's Cradle, God Bless You... etc), but this is my first Hesse book. Along with the Carson book I'll be sure and give a brief opinion when I'm done with the books.
Monday, January 19, 2004
The Quest Continues
Over 5,600 hands down and moving towards 6,000 rapidly. Thanks for all the positive feedback! Sometimes it's tough to battle it out at these low limits when I'm used to, and can afford, much higher stakes. However, I believe in the long run it will make my game stronger. Plus $0.50/$1 is pretty mind dumbing and I can easily multi-task while playing several tables. This is someting I can't do at the higher limits.
I'll provide a little more statistical analysis once I reach 6,000 hands.
This weekend was pretty up and down, but ended with a bang! Sunday night I found this monster:
**** Hand History for Game 3xxxxxxxx *****
Table Water Falls (Real Money)
Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: sampee ( $34 )
Seat 3: Lenny29 ( $22.5 )
Seat 4: Darlene14468 ( $8 )
Seat 5: kicker_ace ( $26 )
Seat 7: Royal ( $32.5 )
Seat 2: kapprapid ( $51 )
Seat 8: FunkButter ( $21.5 )
Seat 9: damaged ( $19.25 )
Seat 6: Beer2Brew ( $10 )
Seat 10: Gtool ( $50 )
Darlene14468 posts small blind [$0.25].
kicker_ace posts big blind [$0.5].
Beer2Brew posts big blind [$0.5].
Gtool posts big blind [$0.5].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Royal [ 9d Ad ]
Beer2Brew checks.
Royal calls [$0.5].
FunkButter folds.
damaged folds.
Gtool checks.
sampee calls [$0.5].
kapprapid raises [$1].
Lenny29 raises [$1.5].
Darlene14468 calls [$1.25].
kicker_ace folds.
Beer2Brew folds.
Royal calls [$1].
Gtool folds.
sampee calls [$1].
kapprapid raises [$1].
Lenny29 calls [$0.5].
Darlene14468 calls [$0.5].
Royal calls [$0.5].
sampee calls [$0.5].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 2d, 5d, 6d ]
Darlene14468 checks.
Royal checks.
sampee checks.
kapprapid bets [$0.5].
Lenny29 raises [$1].
Darlene14468 folds.
Royal calls [$1].
sampee folds.
kapprapid raises [$1].
Lenny29 raises [$1].
Royal calls [$1].
kapprapid calls [$0.5].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 4h ]
Royal checks.
kapprapid bets [$1].
Lenny29 raises [$2].
Royal calls [$2].
kapprapid raises [$2].
Lenny29 raises [$2].
Royal calls [$2].
kapprapid calls [$1].
** Dealing River ** [ Td ]
Royal checks.
kapprapid bets [$1].
Lenny29 folds.
Royal raises [$2].
kapprapid raises [$2].
Royal raises [$2].
kapprapid calls [$1].
Royal shows a flush, ace high.
kapprapid doesn't show.
Royal wins $36.50 from the main pot with a flush, ace high with ace kicker.
Hands like these make up for all that tight folding!
Is Iggy the man or what? Hosting a 50+ person NL tournament...WoW! I really wanted to attend, but it's a long drive and with the new baby my reins are much shorter...which is to be expected.
Over 5,600 hands down and moving towards 6,000 rapidly. Thanks for all the positive feedback! Sometimes it's tough to battle it out at these low limits when I'm used to, and can afford, much higher stakes. However, I believe in the long run it will make my game stronger. Plus $0.50/$1 is pretty mind dumbing and I can easily multi-task while playing several tables. This is someting I can't do at the higher limits.
I'll provide a little more statistical analysis once I reach 6,000 hands.
This weekend was pretty up and down, but ended with a bang! Sunday night I found this monster:
**** Hand History for Game 3xxxxxxxx *****
Table Water Falls (Real Money)
Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: sampee ( $34 )
Seat 3: Lenny29 ( $22.5 )
Seat 4: Darlene14468 ( $8 )
Seat 5: kicker_ace ( $26 )
Seat 7: Royal ( $32.5 )
Seat 2: kapprapid ( $51 )
Seat 8: FunkButter ( $21.5 )
Seat 9: damaged ( $19.25 )
Seat 6: Beer2Brew ( $10 )
Seat 10: Gtool ( $50 )
Darlene14468 posts small blind [$0.25].
kicker_ace posts big blind [$0.5].
Beer2Brew posts big blind [$0.5].
Gtool posts big blind [$0.5].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Royal [ 9d Ad ]
Beer2Brew checks.
Royal calls [$0.5].
FunkButter folds.
damaged folds.
Gtool checks.
sampee calls [$0.5].
kapprapid raises [$1].
Lenny29 raises [$1.5].
Darlene14468 calls [$1.25].
kicker_ace folds.
Beer2Brew folds.
Royal calls [$1].
Gtool folds.
sampee calls [$1].
kapprapid raises [$1].
Lenny29 calls [$0.5].
Darlene14468 calls [$0.5].
Royal calls [$0.5].
sampee calls [$0.5].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 2d, 5d, 6d ]
Darlene14468 checks.
Royal checks.
sampee checks.
kapprapid bets [$0.5].
Lenny29 raises [$1].
Darlene14468 folds.
Royal calls [$1].
sampee folds.
kapprapid raises [$1].
Lenny29 raises [$1].
Royal calls [$1].
kapprapid calls [$0.5].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 4h ]
Royal checks.
kapprapid bets [$1].
Lenny29 raises [$2].
Royal calls [$2].
kapprapid raises [$2].
Lenny29 raises [$2].
Royal calls [$2].
kapprapid calls [$1].
** Dealing River ** [ Td ]
Royal checks.
kapprapid bets [$1].
Lenny29 folds.
Royal raises [$2].
kapprapid raises [$2].
Royal raises [$2].
kapprapid calls [$1].
Royal shows a flush, ace high.
kapprapid doesn't show.
Royal wins $36.50 from the main pot with a flush, ace high with ace kicker.
Hands like these make up for all that tight folding!
Is Iggy the man or what? Hosting a 50+ person NL tournament...WoW! I really wanted to attend, but it's a long drive and with the new baby my reins are much shorter...which is to be expected.
Saturday, January 17, 2004
Gary Carson Blog
Based on feedback from Iggy I finally added Gary Carson's The Complete Book of Hold 'Em Poker to my library. This book is supposed to help improve my game at the loose tables found on Party Poker. So far I've skimmed past the basic rules and beginner Casino information, since I'm well beyond that stage in my poker life. I'll be sure and give you a quick review when I'm finished.
Other books I'm currently reading:
Steppenwolf -by Hermann Hesse
The Sirens of Titan -by Kurt Vonnegut
Thanks to my friend TG for the continuous hook-up of good reads.
I continue my $0.50/$1 quest as I write this update. It's amazing how well poker goes when you're running hot. So far I've seen 29 hands, voluntarily played 2 of them winning both pots. I'm up 14BB in 15min. At that rate I'm making ~$60 / hr. I've figured it out! I can now quit my job and play $0.50/$1 for a living! Oh wait, it's not quite that simple. Whenever I get on one of those hot streaks I try to enjoy it, but also to remember how fast things can change.
If you want to get rich quick, go play the lottery. Poker is continuous process where the patient and more skilled players will make money...long term. On that note, congrats to my buddy Dozer who's had a great week on Party playing the 100NL Ring Games. I personally saw him run his initial buy-in up 4.5 times. One of the best sessions I've ever seen at those tables.
Great work Dozer! Are you picking up the tab next time we're out?
On the local front there are more rumors circulating about the return of poker to Soaring Eagle Casino. Apparently several people have even heard confirmation from the casino. However, one observer says no way it will be ready by mid February.
RGP Thread on Soaring Eagle
Based on feedback from Iggy I finally added Gary Carson's The Complete Book of Hold 'Em Poker to my library. This book is supposed to help improve my game at the loose tables found on Party Poker. So far I've skimmed past the basic rules and beginner Casino information, since I'm well beyond that stage in my poker life. I'll be sure and give you a quick review when I'm finished.
Other books I'm currently reading:
Steppenwolf -by Hermann Hesse
The Sirens of Titan -by Kurt Vonnegut
Thanks to my friend TG for the continuous hook-up of good reads.
I continue my $0.50/$1 quest as I write this update. It's amazing how well poker goes when you're running hot. So far I've seen 29 hands, voluntarily played 2 of them winning both pots. I'm up 14BB in 15min. At that rate I'm making ~$60 / hr. I've figured it out! I can now quit my job and play $0.50/$1 for a living! Oh wait, it's not quite that simple. Whenever I get on one of those hot streaks I try to enjoy it, but also to remember how fast things can change.
If you want to get rich quick, go play the lottery. Poker is continuous process where the patient and more skilled players will make money...long term. On that note, congrats to my buddy Dozer who's had a great week on Party playing the 100NL Ring Games. I personally saw him run his initial buy-in up 4.5 times. One of the best sessions I've ever seen at those tables.
Great work Dozer! Are you picking up the tab next time we're out?
On the local front there are more rumors circulating about the return of poker to Soaring Eagle Casino. Apparently several people have even heard confirmation from the casino. However, one observer says no way it will be ready by mid February.
RGP Thread on Soaring Eagle
Thursday, January 15, 2004
Daddy / Daughter Time
Tonight Mrs. Royal is going to see a play with a few friends. This will be the longest she has left the baby and I alone. I'm actually really looking forward to it. It's a great chance to hang out with my daughter and mom gets a much deserved night out. Now, just don't screw it up Royal!
I'm almost 1/2 way to my 10,000 hand goal at $0.50/$1 limits. I now have 4,800 hands under my belt and just over 5,000 to go. I'm also above my 2 BB / 100 hand requirement. The money is certainly not great at these limits and rake, but there is money to be made. If you don't have a huge bankroll and want to get into online poker you can make it at $0.50/$1. There is no real secret except play tight and have patience. Your sets will get cracked over and over again, get used to it and move on. You'll also get your top pair called by second and third pair all day. In 5,000 hands I have not yet sat down and lost my initial $25 table buy-in...ever. Patience is key and the bad players swarm all over the place without it.
Party Poker $25 Sign-up Bonus: Code = royalpoker
Do not call if the pot odds (or implied odds) do not justify it.
Do not be concerned at the outcome of a single session. Did you play correct? What is your current bankroll at? These things should concern you. Not whether you lost or won 20BB last night.
I might try and play in one of the $200 NL qualifiers tonight. We'll see how the lil' one is doing later.
http://www.homepokergames.com/
I see that Boblog linked back to Royal Poker and I'm reminded of one of my favorite concert trips:
I was attending college in Rapid City, SD and heard that Bob would be playing a night or two at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Being a huge fan I of course had to get tickets and attend! Finished classes on Friday and drove the 5 hrs to Sioux Falls, SD where I grew up. The show was on Sunday, so I had Saturday to mess around. Sunday a friend and I made the 4 hr drive to Minneapolis for the show. Bob was a little late getting on stage...rumor was he was at the WWF event next door...anyway Bob / Wishing Well / great show as usual.
Concert gets out ~midnight CST and we start the trip home. Drop my friend off in Sioux Falls and start tearing across the state to get to my 8:00 AM Chem Lab where two lab partners are waiting for me. Thanks to the time zone change I'm able to get in by 8:30 AM MST. I pull up right to the lab and proceed to go through 6 hrs of class. 1000 miles, 36 sleepless hours, and worth every bit!
Tonight Mrs. Royal is going to see a play with a few friends. This will be the longest she has left the baby and I alone. I'm actually really looking forward to it. It's a great chance to hang out with my daughter and mom gets a much deserved night out. Now, just don't screw it up Royal!
I'm almost 1/2 way to my 10,000 hand goal at $0.50/$1 limits. I now have 4,800 hands under my belt and just over 5,000 to go. I'm also above my 2 BB / 100 hand requirement. The money is certainly not great at these limits and rake, but there is money to be made. If you don't have a huge bankroll and want to get into online poker you can make it at $0.50/$1. There is no real secret except play tight and have patience. Your sets will get cracked over and over again, get used to it and move on. You'll also get your top pair called by second and third pair all day. In 5,000 hands I have not yet sat down and lost my initial $25 table buy-in...ever. Patience is key and the bad players swarm all over the place without it.
Party Poker $25 Sign-up Bonus: Code = royalpoker
Do not call if the pot odds (or implied odds) do not justify it.
Do not be concerned at the outcome of a single session. Did you play correct? What is your current bankroll at? These things should concern you. Not whether you lost or won 20BB last night.
I might try and play in one of the $200 NL qualifiers tonight. We'll see how the lil' one is doing later.
http://www.homepokergames.com/
I see that Boblog linked back to Royal Poker and I'm reminded of one of my favorite concert trips:
I was attending college in Rapid City, SD and heard that Bob would be playing a night or two at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Being a huge fan I of course had to get tickets and attend! Finished classes on Friday and drove the 5 hrs to Sioux Falls, SD where I grew up. The show was on Sunday, so I had Saturday to mess around. Sunday a friend and I made the 4 hr drive to Minneapolis for the show. Bob was a little late getting on stage...rumor was he was at the WWF event next door...anyway Bob / Wishing Well / great show as usual.
Concert gets out ~midnight CST and we start the trip home. Drop my friend off in Sioux Falls and start tearing across the state to get to my 8:00 AM Chem Lab where two lab partners are waiting for me. Thanks to the time zone change I'm able to get in by 8:30 AM MST. I pull up right to the lab and proceed to go through 6 hrs of class. 1000 miles, 36 sleepless hours, and worth every bit!
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Sleeping Baby?
Well, for the first time in ever Baby Royal is asleep at 10:30 EST. It is a little said since for the past two weeks 10:00 PM - 1:00 AM has been daddy / daughter poker time. Of course the little one was not always keen at watching daddy play 3 tables of $0.50/$1 on Party Poker. She always wanted to get in on the $200 SNGs...or at least that is my best interpretation of a screaming six week old.
My guess is this sleeping thing will not last and daddy / daughter will be back before long. Either way it is a win / win for me!
I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my favorite musicians start a Blog. While I don't appreciate some of his more recent stuff it was always a treat to see him play live at First Avenue.
Basketball tonight went pretty well. We lost a hard fought game, but played well most of the game. We're improving!
The next local game has been announced for Jan 31st. I've already received permission to go. Woohoo!
Well, for the first time in ever Baby Royal is asleep at 10:30 EST. It is a little said since for the past two weeks 10:00 PM - 1:00 AM has been daddy / daughter poker time. Of course the little one was not always keen at watching daddy play 3 tables of $0.50/$1 on Party Poker. She always wanted to get in on the $200 SNGs...or at least that is my best interpretation of a screaming six week old.
My guess is this sleeping thing will not last and daddy / daughter will be back before long. Either way it is a win / win for me!
I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my favorite musicians start a Blog. While I don't appreciate some of his more recent stuff it was always a treat to see him play live at First Avenue.
Basketball tonight went pretty well. We lost a hard fought game, but played well most of the game. We're improving!
The next local game has been announced for Jan 31st. I've already received permission to go. Woohoo!
Monday, January 12, 2004
Busy Weekend
Even though we're doing a lot less out of the house it sure seems like the weekends go so much faster now that Baby Royal is around. It just takes a little longer to do everything. Our sleep patterns are also so messed up that we tend to take extra advantage on the weekends with both of us around the house. On Friday night we went out to eat with a couple of friends. This was the first dinner outing for the new family. Baby Royal behaved like a true champ. She was wide awake for over an hour in the restaurant without making any fuzz. She finally got hungry and made a small scene, but a quick bottle later and she was back to good behavior. This went better than either of us could have hoped!
As Iggy mentioned, on Saturday I mentioned to place in a qualifier for the Big Sunday NL event. I played great through two qualifiers on Saturday. Fell a little short on the first one and made it through on the second. Unfortunately Sunday did not go as well. I didn't play poor...I just didn't play. I tend to play tight in NL and strike very hard when I think I've got the best of it. Lost half my stack with QQ when the lone pre-flop caller 4-bet a flop of KK9. At that point I put him on a King. Went out when I lost the coin flip between my low pocket pair vs. two over cards.
I'm now over 4,000 hands in my 10,000 hand $0.50/$1 quest and I'm above my 2BB / 100 hands requirement. Some good table selection advice from a friend has worked well the last 500 hands. Only 6,000 more hands to go!
I also spent a decent portion of Sunday evening selling things on eBay. What an incredible resource for getting rid of junk or making a little extra cash for your leg work.
We had a big announcement at work about a re-organization. We've known this was coming for over a month, but the specific details were up for guess until today. I've got a new boss...my 6th in less than 5 years. Overall I'm happy with the changes. Change seems to truly be the only constant working in Corporate America.
Even though we're doing a lot less out of the house it sure seems like the weekends go so much faster now that Baby Royal is around. It just takes a little longer to do everything. Our sleep patterns are also so messed up that we tend to take extra advantage on the weekends with both of us around the house. On Friday night we went out to eat with a couple of friends. This was the first dinner outing for the new family. Baby Royal behaved like a true champ. She was wide awake for over an hour in the restaurant without making any fuzz. She finally got hungry and made a small scene, but a quick bottle later and she was back to good behavior. This went better than either of us could have hoped!
As Iggy mentioned, on Saturday I mentioned to place in a qualifier for the Big Sunday NL event. I played great through two qualifiers on Saturday. Fell a little short on the first one and made it through on the second. Unfortunately Sunday did not go as well. I didn't play poor...I just didn't play. I tend to play tight in NL and strike very hard when I think I've got the best of it. Lost half my stack with QQ when the lone pre-flop caller 4-bet a flop of KK9. At that point I put him on a King. Went out when I lost the coin flip between my low pocket pair vs. two over cards.
I'm now over 4,000 hands in my 10,000 hand $0.50/$1 quest and I'm above my 2BB / 100 hands requirement. Some good table selection advice from a friend has worked well the last 500 hands. Only 6,000 more hands to go!
I also spent a decent portion of Sunday evening selling things on eBay. What an incredible resource for getting rid of junk or making a little extra cash for your leg work.
We had a big announcement at work about a re-organization. We've known this was coming for over a month, but the specific details were up for guess until today. I've got a new boss...my 6th in less than 5 years. Overall I'm happy with the changes. Change seems to truly be the only constant working in Corporate America.
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Fear and Loathing Blog
Just finished watching Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I'm really not sure how anyone not having read the book could get anything from the movie. In general, I though it was okay and maybe even good. Certainly not great, but my expectations weren't too high either. Afterwards we commented on how Depp has sure played a wide range of characters in his movies.
10,000 Hand March
I continue towards my 10,000 hands at the $0.50/$1 limits on Party. A couple of lost big pots hurt me the last two days and I've fallen below my required 2 BB / 100 hands to move up limits. Still over 6,000 hands to go though!
Just finished watching Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I'm really not sure how anyone not having read the book could get anything from the movie. In general, I though it was okay and maybe even good. Certainly not great, but my expectations weren't too high either. Afterwards we commented on how Depp has sure played a wide range of characters in his movies.
10,000 Hand March
I continue towards my 10,000 hands at the $0.50/$1 limits on Party. A couple of lost big pots hurt me the last two days and I've fallen below my required 2 BB / 100 hands to move up limits. Still over 6,000 hands to go though!
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
Behind The Numbers
My basketball league resumed tonight after a hiatus for the holidays. We played one of the best teams in the league and got crushed. We did have some flashes of brilliance, but they were way too few to compete with this power house team. I played okay, but certainly not up to my expectations. Had a few nice rebounds, but also missed a couple shots I needed to make. I guess there is always next week.
I picked up Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas from a friend, thanks AI! I read the book for the first time last year and was absolutely floored. One of the funniest books I've ever read. I now need to check out some of Hunter S. Thompson's other material. I also see that Iggy used a Thompson quote on his Blog today...funny coincidence. I plan to watch the movie tomorrow with another buddy. Like most movies, I'm sure it won't be nearly as good as the book, but I'm still looking forward to seeing it.
So in further analyzing my first 3,000 hands at $0.50/$1:
If I had never played ATo, I would be greater than 0.66 BB / 100 hands more positive! Yes, my data set is not large enough yet. However, I'm going to need to win several massive pots to even get this hand close to the black. It's a pure loser! From now on I only play it late and I better catch a monster. Are you tracking yet? Do you have this data on your games? Okay, I'm a somewhat geeky scientist who loves data...c'mon though...this is powerful information that can greatly improve ones play.
Are you a profitable player who wants to improve? Start tracking your hands! We haven't even started talking about tagging the fish yet...
My basketball league resumed tonight after a hiatus for the holidays. We played one of the best teams in the league and got crushed. We did have some flashes of brilliance, but they were way too few to compete with this power house team. I played okay, but certainly not up to my expectations. Had a few nice rebounds, but also missed a couple shots I needed to make. I guess there is always next week.
I picked up Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas from a friend, thanks AI! I read the book for the first time last year and was absolutely floored. One of the funniest books I've ever read. I now need to check out some of Hunter S. Thompson's other material. I also see that Iggy used a Thompson quote on his Blog today...funny coincidence. I plan to watch the movie tomorrow with another buddy. Like most movies, I'm sure it won't be nearly as good as the book, but I'm still looking forward to seeing it.
So in further analyzing my first 3,000 hands at $0.50/$1:
If I had never played ATo, I would be greater than 0.66 BB / 100 hands more positive! Yes, my data set is not large enough yet. However, I'm going to need to win several massive pots to even get this hand close to the black. It's a pure loser! From now on I only play it late and I better catch a monster. Are you tracking yet? Do you have this data on your games? Okay, I'm a somewhat geeky scientist who loves data...c'mon though...this is powerful information that can greatly improve ones play.
Are you a profitable player who wants to improve? Start tracking your hands! We haven't even started talking about tagging the fish yet...
Monday, January 05, 2004
2004 Goals
We've been talking a lot about 2004 goals at work the last week or so. How are we going to increase sales by xx%? What is a reasonable variable expense reduction target? You might think I would be sick of goals...and you would be somewhat right. However, I completely buy into the importance of setting goals. I mentioned to Mrs. Royal that I'd be writing on this topic today and we discussed a few of our 2004 goals during dinner tonight. I'll share with you a few of our personal goals, my poker goals, and throw out a few more for anyone looking for ideas.
-Personal Goals-
Anyone who has been in a serious relationship understands the importance of setting goals TOGETHER with your significant other. You will not lose weight or quit smoking if your spouse does not support you, make the same changes, and help kick your ass when needed.
1) Eat Healthier: This has been a goal for the past two years and we've continued to improve our eating habits every year. Notice the goal is not to diet or even lose weight...though I do anticipate shedding a few pounds. A true life of eating relatively healthy is the only way for us normal people to get to that ideal weight and stay there. We've improved in fitness the last two years and plan to continue the trend this year as well.
Be careful to avoid going Vegan though. Iggy has been on a Vegan rampage lately!
2) Continue to improve the yard around our house: Another goal from last year that will be continued. Most of our neighborhood is retired and has much more time and desire to work on their yard than I do. However, I want something acceptable and won’t be a hindrance when re-sale time comes. Last year we installed an underground sprinkler system and an invisible fence for the dogs. This year we have some trees to remove and grass to replace.
3) Continue investing: I won't list specifics here, but we have goals for the 401Ks at work, our Roth IRAs, mortgage, and separate investing.
-Poker Goals-
1) Have a profitable year: Ideally more profitable than last year. Now the poker purists would say this goal should really be "Play better poker" or "Play perfect poker". Over the course of a few weeks or even months anything can and will happen. However, if you're putting in much time at all playing poker then a year should be enough time to even out the randomness. This is the Golden Age! If you can't win at your current game then you need to find a new game. There are more soft games available now than anytime in poker history.
Money is not a huge motivator for my playing poker. It is, however, an indicator of how well I'm doing and if I am improving. To that end I expect to be profitable in 2004 and will be disappointed if I am not. I'll know I played in the wrong games...
2) Play more Omaha hi-lo (O8): This game is a blast and I tended to have success playing this in tournament formats. I will at some point introduce this to our home game. The gamblers will love it! Now, I need to be careful that playing more O8 is not detrimental to Poker Goal #1.
3) Re-learn to play limit Hold-em: See yesterday's post for why. I'm starting at $0.50/$1 and working my way up, probably stopping at $5/$10 if I get there. Now, I've played at virtually all online limits. I even sat $15/$30 for a week or so, but soon realized there was no way my bankroll at the time could handle the swings at that level. As mentioned above, money is not a huge motivator for my playing poker. I want to get better. I want to prove to myself that I'm getting better. That means working my way up from the bottom.
10,000 hands at each level and I need to average a profit of 2BB per 100 hands. If I don't average that level of profit then I stay put. If I get to a point where I can't win, then I go back down. My goal for 2004 is to get to the $2/$4 level.
4) Make the final table at 5 events with greater than 100 entrants: These can be either in real life or on-line. This is actually less than 2003 where I made final table at 2 real life and 6 online tournaments with the 100 entrant criteria. As mentioned yesterday, I suspect having less time for tournaments with new Baby Royal around. I think I may get in as much poker time, but it will be more segmented. So, less tournaments means less chances at that final table.
-Other Ideas-
Nothing above spur your imagination for your own personal goals? Here are a few more possibilities:
1) Start playing online! You're not already? Get to Party Poker now!
2) Start playing in real life or play more in the brick n' mortar establishments. You'll find it much slower than playing on-line, but more social. You might even play better in real life --- just ask that Moneymaker guy.
2b) Start or join a non-casino poker group. This is great fun with friends once a month. Friends are an excellent reason to play poker!
3) Start tracking hands and / or your monetary results! You're not using Poker Tracker or some equivalent? You're not keeping track of how much you win or lose? Make 2004 the year you start!
4) Play xxx hands per week or xx hours per week. This might be an increase or decrease depending on your current life situation. I consider it very healthy to ask yourself questions like: "Would it be profitable for me to play more hours?" or "Am I spending too much time online playing poker?"
Other ideas? Am I off my rocker on any of these? Leave a comment or shoot me a note.
Local Notes
LordGeznikor mentioned he too had heard the rumors of poker returning to Soaring Eagle Casino, thanks! A six table setup in the middle would be very different than the 20+ tables in a separate room like they had before. It would still be a welcome addition to the region though. I used to play occasionally at the old poker room and it was one of the largest and nicest I've seen anywhere. Nicer than all but a few of the rooms in Vegas.
There are also several other smaller casino poker rooms in Michigan.
Michigan Casinos
Home Front
Baby Royal started getting feed occasionally by bottle last week. This means Dad's responsibilities have been increased, but not matter. The only real problem I'm having is trying to keep her from spitting up every time I get dealt pocket aces.
We've been talking a lot about 2004 goals at work the last week or so. How are we going to increase sales by xx%? What is a reasonable variable expense reduction target? You might think I would be sick of goals...and you would be somewhat right. However, I completely buy into the importance of setting goals. I mentioned to Mrs. Royal that I'd be writing on this topic today and we discussed a few of our 2004 goals during dinner tonight. I'll share with you a few of our personal goals, my poker goals, and throw out a few more for anyone looking for ideas.
-Personal Goals-
Anyone who has been in a serious relationship understands the importance of setting goals TOGETHER with your significant other. You will not lose weight or quit smoking if your spouse does not support you, make the same changes, and help kick your ass when needed.
1) Eat Healthier: This has been a goal for the past two years and we've continued to improve our eating habits every year. Notice the goal is not to diet or even lose weight...though I do anticipate shedding a few pounds. A true life of eating relatively healthy is the only way for us normal people to get to that ideal weight and stay there. We've improved in fitness the last two years and plan to continue the trend this year as well.
Be careful to avoid going Vegan though. Iggy has been on a Vegan rampage lately!
2) Continue to improve the yard around our house: Another goal from last year that will be continued. Most of our neighborhood is retired and has much more time and desire to work on their yard than I do. However, I want something acceptable and won’t be a hindrance when re-sale time comes. Last year we installed an underground sprinkler system and an invisible fence for the dogs. This year we have some trees to remove and grass to replace.
3) Continue investing: I won't list specifics here, but we have goals for the 401Ks at work, our Roth IRAs, mortgage, and separate investing.
-Poker Goals-
1) Have a profitable year: Ideally more profitable than last year. Now the poker purists would say this goal should really be "Play better poker" or "Play perfect poker". Over the course of a few weeks or even months anything can and will happen. However, if you're putting in much time at all playing poker then a year should be enough time to even out the randomness. This is the Golden Age! If you can't win at your current game then you need to find a new game. There are more soft games available now than anytime in poker history.
Money is not a huge motivator for my playing poker. It is, however, an indicator of how well I'm doing and if I am improving. To that end I expect to be profitable in 2004 and will be disappointed if I am not. I'll know I played in the wrong games...
2) Play more Omaha hi-lo (O8): This game is a blast and I tended to have success playing this in tournament formats. I will at some point introduce this to our home game. The gamblers will love it! Now, I need to be careful that playing more O8 is not detrimental to Poker Goal #1.
3) Re-learn to play limit Hold-em: See yesterday's post for why. I'm starting at $0.50/$1 and working my way up, probably stopping at $5/$10 if I get there. Now, I've played at virtually all online limits. I even sat $15/$30 for a week or so, but soon realized there was no way my bankroll at the time could handle the swings at that level. As mentioned above, money is not a huge motivator for my playing poker. I want to get better. I want to prove to myself that I'm getting better. That means working my way up from the bottom.
10,000 hands at each level and I need to average a profit of 2BB per 100 hands. If I don't average that level of profit then I stay put. If I get to a point where I can't win, then I go back down. My goal for 2004 is to get to the $2/$4 level.
4) Make the final table at 5 events with greater than 100 entrants: These can be either in real life or on-line. This is actually less than 2003 where I made final table at 2 real life and 6 online tournaments with the 100 entrant criteria. As mentioned yesterday, I suspect having less time for tournaments with new Baby Royal around. I think I may get in as much poker time, but it will be more segmented. So, less tournaments means less chances at that final table.
-Other Ideas-
Nothing above spur your imagination for your own personal goals? Here are a few more possibilities:
1) Start playing online! You're not already? Get to Party Poker now!
2) Start playing in real life or play more in the brick n' mortar establishments. You'll find it much slower than playing on-line, but more social. You might even play better in real life --- just ask that Moneymaker guy.
2b) Start or join a non-casino poker group. This is great fun with friends once a month. Friends are an excellent reason to play poker!
3) Start tracking hands and / or your monetary results! You're not using Poker Tracker or some equivalent? You're not keeping track of how much you win or lose? Make 2004 the year you start!
4) Play xxx hands per week or xx hours per week. This might be an increase or decrease depending on your current life situation. I consider it very healthy to ask yourself questions like: "Would it be profitable for me to play more hours?" or "Am I spending too much time online playing poker?"
Other ideas? Am I off my rocker on any of these? Leave a comment or shoot me a note.
Local Notes
LordGeznikor mentioned he too had heard the rumors of poker returning to Soaring Eagle Casino, thanks! A six table setup in the middle would be very different than the 20+ tables in a separate room like they had before. It would still be a welcome addition to the region though. I used to play occasionally at the old poker room and it was one of the largest and nicest I've seen anywhere. Nicer than all but a few of the rooms in Vegas.
There are also several other smaller casino poker rooms in Michigan.
Michigan Casinos
Home Front
Baby Royal started getting feed occasionally by bottle last week. This means Dad's responsibilities have been increased, but not matter. The only real problem I'm having is trying to keep her from spitting up every time I get dealt pocket aces.
Sunday, January 04, 2004
Party Poker Low Limit Blog
As mentioned previously I've gone back to playing the lower limits on Party, Empire, etc. I plan to complete 10,000 hands at the $0.50 / $1 limits and assuming I'm happy with the results, then move up to $1/$2 and play 10,000 hands there. After completing the first 3,000 hands I sat down today and went over the Poker Tracker results. I'm positive and not doing too shabby, but I'm sure I could be doing better. Poker Tracker pointed out several hands I'm losing with that I need to be more careful with.
ATo
JTo
JTs
QJs
All are currently losers and indicate that I need to fold more, especially from early position. I know 3,000 hands is not a big enough data set to make completely accurate statistical predictions. However, I think it is enough play at this limit to allow me to adapt my game. I'll let you know how the next 3,000 hands fare.
Anyone else have experience at these ultra-low limits with hands similar to these? Are they even worth playing? If so, how have you had sucess playing them?
On a local note, there is once again rumors that Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant, MI will be re-opening their poker room. There has been a huge poker void here in Michigan since they closed down ~18 months ago. There are a few smaller rooms within 2-3 hrs, but that's an unrealistic drive for normal play. Online will still be a much more attractive choice to me, espeically with the new family addition, but a closer local poker room would certainly be nice.
As mentioned previously I've gone back to playing the lower limits on Party, Empire, etc. I plan to complete 10,000 hands at the $0.50 / $1 limits and assuming I'm happy with the results, then move up to $1/$2 and play 10,000 hands there. After completing the first 3,000 hands I sat down today and went over the Poker Tracker results. I'm positive and not doing too shabby, but I'm sure I could be doing better. Poker Tracker pointed out several hands I'm losing with that I need to be more careful with.
ATo
JTo
JTs
QJs
All are currently losers and indicate that I need to fold more, especially from early position. I know 3,000 hands is not a big enough data set to make completely accurate statistical predictions. However, I think it is enough play at this limit to allow me to adapt my game. I'll let you know how the next 3,000 hands fare.
Anyone else have experience at these ultra-low limits with hands similar to these? Are they even worth playing? If so, how have you had sucess playing them?
On a local note, there is once again rumors that Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant, MI will be re-opening their poker room. There has been a huge poker void here in Michigan since they closed down ~18 months ago. There are a few smaller rooms within 2-3 hrs, but that's an unrealistic drive for normal play. Online will still be a much more attractive choice to me, espeically with the new family addition, but a closer local poker room would certainly be nice.
Friday, January 02, 2004
Bring on 2004
Wow was 2003 a great year for my family and definitely for the poker world. I'm currently working on setting my goals for 2004, both personal and poker related. Look for them in an upcoming post!
We went over to a friend's house for New Year's Eve and as anticipated there was a low limit HE game. We had 5-7 people most of the night and the table was actually surprisingly tight for the low limits. Normally this game is extremely loose, but some of the true gamblers didn't show up. This left the better players to fight over what little money was available. I played pretty tight and actually caught some cards. I never catch cards in this certain low limit game...never never ever. As guess karma had finally started kicking in. I had AA and KK more times than the last 8 sessions combined.
On the home front we just opened up our daughter's first savings account. She was, of course, extremely excited. Grandpa Royal has been eagerly awaiting her SSN so he can set up a stock trading account for her as well. Our daughter is the first Grandchild on both sides of the family...she is a really big deal for them.
I've also been focusing more on playing the $0.50 / $1 on Party. Even with the rake these games are clearly beatable by the patient player. In 2003 I did great playing tournaments, but hardly won money at all in the ring games. I'm just much better at NL right now than limit and I want to change that. There is just so many times where I can't commit the time to sit down for a large multiplayer event. I'm forced to settle for a ring game. Which is fine, but I need to make that time more profitable. I'll discuss this more in my goal's post.
Also, congrats to Iggy for his recent qualifier victory. Tear 'em up this weekend Iggs!
Wow was 2003 a great year for my family and definitely for the poker world. I'm currently working on setting my goals for 2004, both personal and poker related. Look for them in an upcoming post!
We went over to a friend's house for New Year's Eve and as anticipated there was a low limit HE game. We had 5-7 people most of the night and the table was actually surprisingly tight for the low limits. Normally this game is extremely loose, but some of the true gamblers didn't show up. This left the better players to fight over what little money was available. I played pretty tight and actually caught some cards. I never catch cards in this certain low limit game...never never ever. As guess karma had finally started kicking in. I had AA and KK more times than the last 8 sessions combined.
On the home front we just opened up our daughter's first savings account. She was, of course, extremely excited. Grandpa Royal has been eagerly awaiting her SSN so he can set up a stock trading account for her as well. Our daughter is the first Grandchild on both sides of the family...she is a really big deal for them.
I've also been focusing more on playing the $0.50 / $1 on Party. Even with the rake these games are clearly beatable by the patient player. In 2003 I did great playing tournaments, but hardly won money at all in the ring games. I'm just much better at NL right now than limit and I want to change that. There is just so many times where I can't commit the time to sit down for a large multiplayer event. I'm forced to settle for a ring game. Which is fine, but I need to make that time more profitable. I'll discuss this more in my goal's post.
Also, congrats to Iggy for his recent qualifier victory. Tear 'em up this weekend Iggs!
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