Cosimo
09-21-2004, 11:33 PM
AmateurQuest 20,000 month #3
Previous journal entry (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=micro&Number=1015212)
The purpose of this quest is to play 20,000 hands in a month. My game needs work, and I'm not moving up until I'm crushing the micro-limits. I figure I need both study and practice. This quest is my motivation to get the hands in.
Day 1 was September 10th, so I have until October 9th to play 20,000 hands. This works out to about 667 hands a day.
UB has been acting up, and I play at both work and home, so I don't have all my hand histories available. Results since day 2 have been pretty bad, and I haven't felt up to posting updates. =( But here I am now!
UB has also been loosening up lately. Used to be the 25c-50c tables only saw 3-5 to the flop, but it's a lot more common now to see 5-6. Blind steals still happen, but I think the games have gotten better. I also think my swings have gotten larger, too. My WLLHE/pre-SSH playstyle was more conservative--you'll see remnants of that below. Too many monsters under the bed, which also meant that I didn't bet too much on the flop or river.
I've been at the micro limits for a year now, which I consider pretty insulting. I've never made much of a win rate over a decent hand sample, however, or even played enough hands (until just a few months ago) to have a decent hand sample.
Day 3 - 435 hands, +6.2 BB
Day 5 - 380 hands, -15.5 BB
Day 7 - 338 hands, +27.3 BB
Not much for these three days. I've got hand histories here somewhere, but these were just 2-hour sessions. Insert a few trips to the gym over these few days.
Day 8 - 378 hands, -17.5 BB
This day, Friday, was horrible. Bad beats, draws didn't come in, high cards didn't hit. The loss wasn't too bad, but if it wasn't for bonus money my bankroll would be hurting. I actually started the month with just $37 in the account -- yet I've lost more at the tables than I won. If UB and PokerTracker liked each other better, I'd have a better idea if this was just bad luck or bad play. I've got plenty of bad play in me, I'm sure.
Day 9 - 752 hands, +36.9 BB
I played two long sessions on Saturday. It was fairly easy to get back to the tables after Friday's loss, mostly because I remember the same swings back in June. Saturday is also one of the few days that I can play for more than three hours.
I had a Hot Date (tm) on Saturday night with a girl I met at the gym, so all the hard work has already paid off. =) That said, it didn't go too swimmingly. Oh well, better food than I would have fixed if I had stayed home and played more poker.
Day 10 - 1161 hands, -78.9 BB
Yeah, well, turns out Friday wasn't that bad at all. I played most of these hands at work, so I don't have the hand histories here to see what went wrong. With a big swing like this, I know it's not bad play. I do remember one 27 BB pot where I had broadway against two sets, and the river paired (giving them both boats). I'll skip the bad beats.
Day 11 - 579 hands, +21.4 BB
Results on Monday were about +3.6BB/100h, which is where I hope to be if I were crushing this limit. Despite all the hands so far, the sample is still too small to conclude that I'm hopeless.
Two hands with jacks. Most of the other hands I have saved, I bet at every opportunity. The ones I post here are the times when I didn't.
Hand 1[ QUOTE ]
Ultimate Bet 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)
Preflop: Hero is CO with J/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
UTG calls, <font color="666666">4 folds</font>, MP3 calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="666666">1 fold</font>, SB calls, <font color="666666">1 fold</font>, UTG calls, MP3 calls.
Flop: (9 SB) A/images/graemlins/club.gif, 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 9/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, UTG checks, MP3 checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, SB folds, UTG calls, MP3 calls.
Turn: (6 BB) T/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
UTG checks, MP3 checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG calls, MP3 calls.
River: (9 BB) Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
UTG checks, MP3 checks, Hero checks.
Final Pot: 9 BB
[/ QUOTE ]
Hand 2[ QUOTE ]
Ultimate Bet 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (8 handed)
Preflop: Hero is Button with J/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, <font color="666666">2 folds</font>, CO calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, SB calls, <font color="666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, CO calls.
Flop: (9 SB) 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, UTG+1 checks, CO checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, SB calls, UTG+1 folds, CO calls.
Turn: (6 BB) A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, CO checks, Hero checks.
River: (6 BB) 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, CO checks, Hero checks.
Final Pot: 6 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 6 BB, between CO, Hero and SB.</font>
[/ QUOTE ]
I've got another hour planned tonight, then I'm off to the gym again. The motivational posters at the gym help me play more poker, I think. =) "Just do it! Set your goals, and then crush them!"
Total: 5393 hands, -20.1 BB
Projected: 14708 hands, -55 BB
Previous journal entry (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=micro&Number=1015212)
The purpose of this quest is to play 20,000 hands in a month. My game needs work, and I'm not moving up until I'm crushing the micro-limits. I figure I need both study and practice. This quest is my motivation to get the hands in.
Day 1 was September 10th, so I have until October 9th to play 20,000 hands. This works out to about 667 hands a day.
UB has been acting up, and I play at both work and home, so I don't have all my hand histories available. Results since day 2 have been pretty bad, and I haven't felt up to posting updates. =( But here I am now!
UB has also been loosening up lately. Used to be the 25c-50c tables only saw 3-5 to the flop, but it's a lot more common now to see 5-6. Blind steals still happen, but I think the games have gotten better. I also think my swings have gotten larger, too. My WLLHE/pre-SSH playstyle was more conservative--you'll see remnants of that below. Too many monsters under the bed, which also meant that I didn't bet too much on the flop or river.
I've been at the micro limits for a year now, which I consider pretty insulting. I've never made much of a win rate over a decent hand sample, however, or even played enough hands (until just a few months ago) to have a decent hand sample.
Day 3 - 435 hands, +6.2 BB
Day 5 - 380 hands, -15.5 BB
Day 7 - 338 hands, +27.3 BB
Not much for these three days. I've got hand histories here somewhere, but these were just 2-hour sessions. Insert a few trips to the gym over these few days.
Day 8 - 378 hands, -17.5 BB
This day, Friday, was horrible. Bad beats, draws didn't come in, high cards didn't hit. The loss wasn't too bad, but if it wasn't for bonus money my bankroll would be hurting. I actually started the month with just $37 in the account -- yet I've lost more at the tables than I won. If UB and PokerTracker liked each other better, I'd have a better idea if this was just bad luck or bad play. I've got plenty of bad play in me, I'm sure.
Day 9 - 752 hands, +36.9 BB
I played two long sessions on Saturday. It was fairly easy to get back to the tables after Friday's loss, mostly because I remember the same swings back in June. Saturday is also one of the few days that I can play for more than three hours.
I had a Hot Date (tm) on Saturday night with a girl I met at the gym, so all the hard work has already paid off. =) That said, it didn't go too swimmingly. Oh well, better food than I would have fixed if I had stayed home and played more poker.
Day 10 - 1161 hands, -78.9 BB
Yeah, well, turns out Friday wasn't that bad at all. I played most of these hands at work, so I don't have the hand histories here to see what went wrong. With a big swing like this, I know it's not bad play. I do remember one 27 BB pot where I had broadway against two sets, and the river paired (giving them both boats). I'll skip the bad beats.
Day 11 - 579 hands, +21.4 BB
Results on Monday were about +3.6BB/100h, which is where I hope to be if I were crushing this limit. Despite all the hands so far, the sample is still too small to conclude that I'm hopeless.
Two hands with jacks. Most of the other hands I have saved, I bet at every opportunity. The ones I post here are the times when I didn't.
Hand 1[ QUOTE ]
Ultimate Bet 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)
Preflop: Hero is CO with J/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
UTG calls, <font color="666666">4 folds</font>, MP3 calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="666666">1 fold</font>, SB calls, <font color="666666">1 fold</font>, UTG calls, MP3 calls.
Flop: (9 SB) A/images/graemlins/club.gif, 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 9/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, UTG checks, MP3 checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, SB folds, UTG calls, MP3 calls.
Turn: (6 BB) T/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
UTG checks, MP3 checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG calls, MP3 calls.
River: (9 BB) Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
UTG checks, MP3 checks, Hero checks.
Final Pot: 9 BB
[/ QUOTE ]
Hand 2[ QUOTE ]
Ultimate Bet 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (8 handed)
Preflop: Hero is Button with J/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, <font color="666666">2 folds</font>, CO calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, SB calls, <font color="666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, CO calls.
Flop: (9 SB) 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, UTG+1 checks, CO checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, SB calls, UTG+1 folds, CO calls.
Turn: (6 BB) A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, CO checks, Hero checks.
River: (6 BB) 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, CO checks, Hero checks.
Final Pot: 6 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 6 BB, between CO, Hero and SB.</font>
[/ QUOTE ]
I've got another hour planned tonight, then I'm off to the gym again. The motivational posters at the gym help me play more poker, I think. =) "Just do it! Set your goals, and then crush them!"
Total: 5393 hands, -20.1 BB
Projected: 14708 hands, -55 BB