How important are the last 30 hands?

[MS Sunshine]

My wife and I are both winning players, but we approach online game selection differently. She is a big believer in the game stats, looking for $120 and 30% as the start of a good game.

I look for players, live ones, and damn the numbers. I played in a game Sunday that had four 5's, three 6's and a 7. For a good period of time the average was under $100. Even so I'm trying to convince her how good the game was by naming the players to her. Yeah, but they are not gambling now so who cares how live they could be?, was her response.

I won $1,100 in this $10-20 game, but since we are both winning players we can't both be right about this subject.

MS Sunshine

[Jimbo]

Either one of you may be able to win more in the one specific game compared to the other or your particular playing styles (comfort levels) may be well suited for the type of games you seek out. Either way you can both be right and wrong at the same time and stiil both be winning players.

Jimbo

[drewjustdrew]

I don't think the stats are very important. The players are what counts. The stats change so often, you have no idea what they will be for the next 30 hands. Bad players are bad players in tight and loose games.

[GrannyMae]

I won $1,100 in this $10-20 game

i would say this alone makes YOU right

[MS Sunshine]

DUH, do you think I would has posted about a loss? /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

MS Sunshine

[lorinda]

I think my method of rolling a dice would be as effective as
using the MSSunshine ranking method.

Lori

[MS Sunshine]

Yeah, you are most likely right. I'm sorry if I haven't accurately ranked your brilliant play. By the way, who are you?

MS Sunshine

why not play together? you could double that figure. oh yeah, they don't allow you to cheat anymore. oh wait, yes they do, you cheat in tournaments

[CreamPuff]

Flop %'s and avg. pot sizes are good indicators of how
good a game is, but knowing your players is more important.

The party $15/$30 often has $150-$160 avg pots, which isn't
the greatest. But when I get in the game, I'll notice
one or two players that play about 75% of their hands.
The fact is that their passivity is what is keeping the
pots small (Party doesn't use avg flop % by the way).

Some players also play good preflop and bad postflop.
So if these players are okay after the flop then your
wife is right. If not, then I guess you would be right.
All depends on the players and your ability to beat them.

[Mike Haven]

"All depends on the players and your ability to beat them."

i think creampuff may have put his finger on the definition of whether or not you are a winner at poker

but I thought you said you & your wife always play in same game together on-line

[lorinda]

LOL,
Im not worried about your assessment of me, more the assessment of others, as to who i am, Im Lorinda everywhere, Ive played you many many times, so obviously you dont keep accurate records... as suspected.
I was just making the point that it depends how accurate your list is as to which is the best choice.
My opinion is that your list was way off the mark, this is not to be taken as offensive in the same way that you posting the list was not.
As we have effectively done the "How accurate is MSSunshine's list" thread I wont re-hash it but the best way to choose a game to sit in is obviously to watch the game for a while first, like you would anywhere else.

[MS Sunshine]

"best way to choose a game to sit in is obviously to watch the game for a while first, like you would anywhere else"

Ah, this is where we differ, I may not have an accurate picture of the best players, but I do know who the live ones are, right away. I want to sit behind them while the seat is still open.

We haven't played much, but you are in there. My question had more to do with "How can you judge, about something which you have little knowledge?" You maybe correct, my database maybe "completely off the mark", but not knowing anything about it your assessment maybe "completely off the mark".

My database is stuffed with comments that I think are important about how a player plays. My rankings are very subjective and I've always included this in my warnings about the sanitized list I post here.

Have a nice day.

MS Sunshine

[lorinda]

The last 30 hands are more important if you are going to just "sit down behind the live ones" as the live ones will be different people on a short term basis, and this sitting down immediately is a short term objective.
Long term a list would be better, but long term you would watch the games

[MS Sunshine]

My long term goals are a series of short-term plays behind the live ones. If you know little about the players in a game, watching has benefit, but if you have notes from playing hours with each player than you are just wasting time and you might lose out on a prime seat.

I don't think keeping a database is cost-effective below $10-20, but if I was advising someone new, and serious about moving up, who was playing smaller limits both to build a BR and to get skills needed for larger games, I would tell them to get in the habit of keeping notes on everyone they play with.

It makes it easier for game and seat selection. On problem hands having notes usually decides how you will play a hand.

MS Sunshine

[Jimbo]

When all we need to do is follow you around and sit in your games? Seems like if you do all the work why should we?

Jimbo

They are as accurate as you would expect from a career $10-$20 limit player.