Pokertracker, and improving ones play

[donkeyradish]

So - I got the beta version of Pokertracker and decided to auto-rate myself based on all my old histories

It rated me as sL-AP (a frowning green face) which I wasnt very happy about.

So I had an idea, I

a) created a brand new database
b) joined a $2/$4 table
c) turned on auto-rate, auto-import and ran a "game window"

And I played with the primary intention of getting the money bag icon (rated as Tight Agressive Aggressive). /images/graemlins/cool.gif

As a result I played much more of a raise/fold game than I normally might, and was very pleased how well it seemed to work.

It gave me a little mouse icon after the first 50 hands, which changed to the money bag after I had had a couple more raising hands.

So far so good.... /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[ChicagoTroy]

How do you run a game window?

[donkeyradish]

Sorry didnt explain that too well

When you have the ring game stats showing there is a "Game Time" tab.

Clicking on preferences allows you to select a particular session, and it autopopulates this screen with a list of people at the table.

While thats going on, you can now have Pokertracker automatically loading hand histories every minute or so (I set it at 2 minutes). And for Partypoker thats now easier than ever (they are automatically stored on your disk, no more need for e-mail)

Finally you configure this to 'autorate players on import'

So I have 2 windows up, my Holdem game and my 'Pokertracker game time window" which is only ever 2 or 3 hands behind the action.

After about half an hour the people at your table will have played enough hands to be rated (I set that to 30) and so you see an icon.

These change over time but it gives you a general idea, and the main benefits include:

When someone does something, you can form some sort of opinion by their playing style what its likely to mean,

e.g.

A passive player who raises probably has a hand.

An aggressive player who checks might be trying to check-raise

.... and so on.

[theghost]

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry didnt explain that too well

When you have the ring game stats showing there is a "Game Time" tab.

Clicking on preferences allows you to select a particular session, and it autopopulates this screen with a list of people at the table.

While thats going on, you can now have Pokertracker automatically loading hand histories every minute or so (I set it at 2 minutes). And for Partypoker thats now easier than ever (they are automatically stored on your disk, no more need for e-mail)

Finally you configure this to 'autorate players on import'

So I have 2 windows up, my Holdem game and my 'Pokertracker game time window" which is only ever 2 or 3 hands behind the action.

After about half an hour the people at your table will have played enough hands to be rated (I set that to 30) and so you see an icon.

These change over time but it gives you a general idea, and the main benefits include:

When someone does something, you can form some sort of opinion by their playing style what its likely to mean,

e.g.

A passive player who raises probably has a hand.

An aggressive player who checks might be trying to check-raise

.... and so on.

[/ QUOTE ]
I agree that the gametime feature on PT is awesome (especially w/ the new real-time update for stats), but I would be careful about tweaking my game based on my stats for a session. Even 200 hands can be too short a run to get good numbers.

You might be getting exceptionally good cards and have a higher than usual vp$ip - that doesn't mean you should play less hands to bring it down to be in line with a TA-A profile. If the hands you are dealt are good, play them regardless of your stats (I know this is obvious, but I'm using this example to make a general point about changing your play to fit the numbers).

The numbers will tell you something about how you play in the long run. If you look at your stats and decide you need to tighten up/ find more spots to raise, then do it. Don't look at short term stats and adjust your play to change them.

Personally, I leave myself out of the gametime lineup. If I want to see my stats for the session, I take a peek at the ringgame 'sessions' window. Sometimes my vp$ip is down around 5-7%, and sometimes it's up in the mid 20s - eiother way I'm going to play the same game I always do (I avg around 19% over 6,500 hands).

The point is, these #s are highly unreliable in the short term. Certainly adjust your play if you need to - but don't base it on one session's PT numbers.

[donkeyradish]

Yes you're right, good point which was borne out in my next couple of sessions

Sometimes you just don't get the cards...

Sometimes simply calling people down is an appropriate thing to do, (or simply calling because you have the pot odds to do it) which can muck up your aggression stats for that session.

Still, I'm playing more aggressively than I was, and profitably. It's building my confidence.

I'm now Tight-Aggressive-Neutral based on the hands since I started the experiment; I'm happy enough with that, will see what develops over time.