AleoMagus
04-09-2005, 02:58 AM
hi all
It's been a while since I have posted, and I suppose I have no excuse other than to say I have been busy. No, I have not been at sea as one person suggested (I gave that racket up over a year ago). I have just been busy and it's been refreshing to not think too much about poker and to just play. This board can be very time consuming if you try to take it all in and I needed a break. This forum in particular is getting to be a lot more busy than it once was and I no longer have an interest in reading everything that is posted, especially when half of it has already been done to death.
Now, that is not to suggest that I'd discourage so many of these repetitive questions that pop up, but I'm just not reading them anymore. It was a real learning experience answering them and thinking about them so it's valuable that they keep getting posted but not for me. I'll let others take advantage of that task.
So anyways, there are some things that have come up in the past few weeks that I'd like to comment on:
Saabpo:
Yeah, this happened right about the time I stopped posting. Pretty cool to actually have a somewhat confirmed bot sighting, even if it did probably suck. As I think Eastbay mentioned, the most interesting part of all was how a strictly push fold strategy seemed to be good enough to break even at that level.
Success and Failure:
The threads on success and failure that Irie and Gigabet made were good, and definitely thought provoking, but I disagree with both of them. I just don't think it matters anymore. Some winners are total basket cases and some losers have the buddha's temperment. If you want to react to your 7 OTM streak by worrying and punching things, and if you want to deem it a failure, then I think that is fine. It may not be totally healthy, but then again, the opposite might not be healthy either (it can border on apathy and can lead to terminal boredom if you are too zen about your results). I strongly suspect that a lot of top pro's react badly to losing, even though they know deep down that so much can be attributed to variance. This may even be what makes a winner. I could elaborate on this for pages, but I have more to cover...
Backing issues:
Too may backers and backees on this forum for my liking. Some of it has been positive, but all in all, I think one way or another somebody gets screwed. To those who have been screwed on either side (whether they know it or not) I cannot feel too much pity. Ugh... Why am I even commenting on this.
5+1 SNGs
Ok, this has not been a topic of conversation here, but it's something I've had the opportunity to think about as I've been helping a player along who initially insisted on playing these. After a while, and out of my own curiousity, I 8-tabled (I never 8-table) about 100 of these in a weekend.
The result is that I take back everything I have ever said about not playing them. If you are just starting, they are great. They are NOT the same as the 10+1, they are way weaker, presumably becasue so many knowledgeable players recommend never playing them. With a 25%+ rakeback, you can earn 4.5% ROI just breaking even, and I think the most basic and robotic play can do far more than break even. The stars 5+.50 is much harder and doesn't give rakeback.
SNG Tracker:
Very cool. I have thrown my spreadsheet out. This thing is great, and I can only anticipate it getting better. There are some features that I wish it had (confidence calcs, Rakeback functions, better and possibly preprogrammed filters and filter options) but it's fine with me for now as I have given up caring what my stats say anyways.
The 'Aleomagus' spreadsheet updates:
Good work guys. It's nice to see that this thing finally got posted many of the bugs fixed. I think I heard a mention that someone was going to make a program to populate the SS via pokertracker database. That would be very cool too. All that said... Have you guys seen Hood's SNG tracker? /images/graemlins/smirk.gif
My SNG book, or lack thereof...
No progress since Jan, for which I should apologize to some who may have expected a draft in early march. Sorry. This thing may never get done. Or rather, it probably will, but it will not be something I'd recommed to any of you, as it will likely just be a 120 page version of the 'Aleo guide'. I guess as long as that stupid guide is making it's way around the internet, I just wanna reap some rewards while I can. I can be the Ken Warren of SNG poker! /images/graemlins/tongue.gif
...We shall see...
Which brings me to... The 'Aleo Guide':
Good god. I beg of you all. I implore you. Please, Please, Please... Stop linking to that guide. Stop discussing it. Stop talking about it. Stop recommending it to the newbies. I am flattered really, but are we so set in our ways? I think it has been over a year now, and I have to assume that someone can do better. I never was a big fan of the Part two anyways becasue of it's condensed rule based format and I strongly suspect that most are not reading the surrounding threads anyways. They are too big and full of crap now to hold anyone's interest. There was an expanded beta post that I liked, but even it was just more detail with regards to a 'do this, do that' kind of structure.
If anything, people should just link to the shadow's ridiculously good first post (come on who are you really? Nobody's 'first' post is that good.)
...
And I have not been entirely MIA as I did play you all in the Pacific trout tourney this week. I was the one who kept calling you weak tight and dominated the table with my small stack. Well, until the HU vs wuwei, that is. Fun tourney anyways, even if I did do most of the chatting. What's up with you guys? these things used to be all about the chat. Oh well, I'll settle for taking your money if I have to.
As for my own results of late, well... what can I say...
the first 4.5 months of 2005 have been my best ever. I am mostly playing 20+2 SNGs right now (yeah, those 30+3 do seem inordinately difficult) and I have been laying them to waste. Variance has been to the right for some time now and I'm just loving it while it lasts.
More importantly, I have finally started to acheive some success in the big multis. Three final tables in as many weeks and a nice big fat 2nd (I was 2-1 in chips HU but my top pair ran into a flopped straight and it was all downhill from there) have made me love poker again.
Regards
Brad S
PS - I'm sure there is way more to comment on, but this is all I can think of for now.
It's been a while since I have posted, and I suppose I have no excuse other than to say I have been busy. No, I have not been at sea as one person suggested (I gave that racket up over a year ago). I have just been busy and it's been refreshing to not think too much about poker and to just play. This board can be very time consuming if you try to take it all in and I needed a break. This forum in particular is getting to be a lot more busy than it once was and I no longer have an interest in reading everything that is posted, especially when half of it has already been done to death.
Now, that is not to suggest that I'd discourage so many of these repetitive questions that pop up, but I'm just not reading them anymore. It was a real learning experience answering them and thinking about them so it's valuable that they keep getting posted but not for me. I'll let others take advantage of that task.
So anyways, there are some things that have come up in the past few weeks that I'd like to comment on:
Saabpo:
Yeah, this happened right about the time I stopped posting. Pretty cool to actually have a somewhat confirmed bot sighting, even if it did probably suck. As I think Eastbay mentioned, the most interesting part of all was how a strictly push fold strategy seemed to be good enough to break even at that level.
Success and Failure:
The threads on success and failure that Irie and Gigabet made were good, and definitely thought provoking, but I disagree with both of them. I just don't think it matters anymore. Some winners are total basket cases and some losers have the buddha's temperment. If you want to react to your 7 OTM streak by worrying and punching things, and if you want to deem it a failure, then I think that is fine. It may not be totally healthy, but then again, the opposite might not be healthy either (it can border on apathy and can lead to terminal boredom if you are too zen about your results). I strongly suspect that a lot of top pro's react badly to losing, even though they know deep down that so much can be attributed to variance. This may even be what makes a winner. I could elaborate on this for pages, but I have more to cover...
Backing issues:
Too may backers and backees on this forum for my liking. Some of it has been positive, but all in all, I think one way or another somebody gets screwed. To those who have been screwed on either side (whether they know it or not) I cannot feel too much pity. Ugh... Why am I even commenting on this.
5+1 SNGs
Ok, this has not been a topic of conversation here, but it's something I've had the opportunity to think about as I've been helping a player along who initially insisted on playing these. After a while, and out of my own curiousity, I 8-tabled (I never 8-table) about 100 of these in a weekend.
The result is that I take back everything I have ever said about not playing them. If you are just starting, they are great. They are NOT the same as the 10+1, they are way weaker, presumably becasue so many knowledgeable players recommend never playing them. With a 25%+ rakeback, you can earn 4.5% ROI just breaking even, and I think the most basic and robotic play can do far more than break even. The stars 5+.50 is much harder and doesn't give rakeback.
SNG Tracker:
Very cool. I have thrown my spreadsheet out. This thing is great, and I can only anticipate it getting better. There are some features that I wish it had (confidence calcs, Rakeback functions, better and possibly preprogrammed filters and filter options) but it's fine with me for now as I have given up caring what my stats say anyways.
The 'Aleomagus' spreadsheet updates:
Good work guys. It's nice to see that this thing finally got posted many of the bugs fixed. I think I heard a mention that someone was going to make a program to populate the SS via pokertracker database. That would be very cool too. All that said... Have you guys seen Hood's SNG tracker? /images/graemlins/smirk.gif
My SNG book, or lack thereof...
No progress since Jan, for which I should apologize to some who may have expected a draft in early march. Sorry. This thing may never get done. Or rather, it probably will, but it will not be something I'd recommed to any of you, as it will likely just be a 120 page version of the 'Aleo guide'. I guess as long as that stupid guide is making it's way around the internet, I just wanna reap some rewards while I can. I can be the Ken Warren of SNG poker! /images/graemlins/tongue.gif
...We shall see...
Which brings me to... The 'Aleo Guide':
Good god. I beg of you all. I implore you. Please, Please, Please... Stop linking to that guide. Stop discussing it. Stop talking about it. Stop recommending it to the newbies. I am flattered really, but are we so set in our ways? I think it has been over a year now, and I have to assume that someone can do better. I never was a big fan of the Part two anyways becasue of it's condensed rule based format and I strongly suspect that most are not reading the surrounding threads anyways. They are too big and full of crap now to hold anyone's interest. There was an expanded beta post that I liked, but even it was just more detail with regards to a 'do this, do that' kind of structure.
If anything, people should just link to the shadow's ridiculously good first post (come on who are you really? Nobody's 'first' post is that good.)
...
And I have not been entirely MIA as I did play you all in the Pacific trout tourney this week. I was the one who kept calling you weak tight and dominated the table with my small stack. Well, until the HU vs wuwei, that is. Fun tourney anyways, even if I did do most of the chatting. What's up with you guys? these things used to be all about the chat. Oh well, I'll settle for taking your money if I have to.
As for my own results of late, well... what can I say...
the first 4.5 months of 2005 have been my best ever. I am mostly playing 20+2 SNGs right now (yeah, those 30+3 do seem inordinately difficult) and I have been laying them to waste. Variance has been to the right for some time now and I'm just loving it while it lasts.
More importantly, I have finally started to acheive some success in the big multis. Three final tables in as many weeks and a nice big fat 2nd (I was 2-1 in chips HU but my top pair ran into a flopped straight and it was all downhill from there) have made me love poker again.
Regards
Brad S
PS - I'm sure there is way more to comment on, but this is all I can think of for now.