if i have only 4 hours of free time

[treeofwisdom7]

4 hours is about as much free time as i have for poker. how should i use it. Or if you had only a few hours a day for poker how would you spend it. 2 hours playing poker, 1 readin poker books, 1 reading over posts on 2+2, ect.. what has the best EV in this situation.

[spentrent]

1) Go to the bar instead of thinking about poker.

2) Read poker books on the crapper.

3) Read 2+2 while playing poker online.

4) Get a laptop and combine 2 and 3.

[uphigh_downlow]

I'm very interested in an answer to this question myself.

Never quite figured out the answer myself, and if I would have to learn from experience, thats just lost hourly rate.

Pretty sure its different for most people, but I'v been consciously trying

Play:60%
Read:25%
Discuss poker:15%

I like to focus on one thing at a time, and fully absorb whatever is going on or being said, instead of glossing over.

I do hope to cut down on the reading soon, and add those hours to the play time.

Hoping to hear from others

[jgunnip]

hmm, let see. I probably spend 1-2 hours reading a day, 4-8 hours playing most of which is also spent reading 2+2...but that's a lot more than your four hours. I'm a student and I'm just working 30 hrs/week over the summer so I've got a lot of freetime. I don't know about EV but with just four hours a day (which is quite a bit still) I'd be playing for 1.5-2 hours and reading 2+2 at the same time. Then after playing I'd go back and read all the hand histories from the day's play. And defintely, save the books for the crapper and bedtime stories. OR, if you can't stay up late, spend your last 2 hours playing at night and then the next day spend the first two reviewing hand histories.

[VoraciousReader]

[ QUOTE ]
4 hours is about as much free time as i have for poker. how should i use it. Or if you had only a few hours a day for poker how would you spend it. 2 hours playing poker, 1 readin poker books, 1 reading over posts on 2+2, ect.. what has the best EV in this situation.

[/ QUOTE ]

Disclaimer: I am still very new at poker, so 1)I probably tend to study more, and 2)Results are not guaranteed.

As it happens, I have almost EXACTLY 4-5 hours a day to spend on poker. Here's what I do (warning, I still have a LOT of poker books I want to read):

I read poker books over my lunch hour in the middle of the day, also for about 45 minutes when I first get home. Then I play for about 2.5 hours, mostly sng tournaments, 1-3 tables. (1-3 table tournaments. Right now I play 1 table of poker at a time.) Then I stop while I'm still wide awake, and assess my play: my finishes, what I should have done differently, and try to elaborate on my player notes as necessary. If I still have time and energy for poker, I play the micro limit ring games and stop as soon as I feel the least bit sleepy. I read 2+2 either during slow periods at work, or late at night when I don't wish to play for $, but don't have enough brain power to read and benefit from a poker book. If I'm reading late at night and an interesting discussion comes up, I print it out to review when I'm more alert.

Thursdays and Sundays I don't read and I don't play online. I drive to the local casino and play 3/6 kill. They have triple comps on those days, the tables are REALLY SOFT (often easier than the .05/.10 at Stars!), and I practice my observational skills, plus focusing in a casino environment. So I feel that outweighs the amount I pay out in tokes.

[treeofwisdom7]

well i made up a game plan for my 4 hours/.

hour
1) review a HH of someone. *33%*
2) play about 10 sit n gos *43%*
3) read over posts on 2+2 *23%*

free/extra time- read books and more 2+2.
on the crapper- read more books
at work when nobodys watching- read more 2+2

i think i can squeeze out more than 4 hours of poker /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[astarck]

[ QUOTE ]
1) review a HH of someone. *33%*
2) play about 10 sit n gos *43%*
3) read over posts on 2+2 *23%*


[/ QUOTE ]

What about the other 1%?

*EDIT* - Besides missing 1% of poker time, it looks like a good plan.

[Blarg]

Spend all of it reading at least one 2+2 book straight through until you feel somewhat comfortable with it, like you've truly absorbed a fair amount of it. Write out the main themes and points yourself in your own words. Flashcards are a huge help in drilling concepts cold.

Then play some and review and post a few hands, but mostly play, dividing as needed. Take frequent breaks to refresh yourself on the book you just read/notes you made.

Repeat with other books in the 2+2 canon.

[treeofwisdom7]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
1) review a HH of someone. *33%*
2) play about 10 sit n gos *43%*
3) read over posts on 2+2 *23%*


[/ QUOTE ]

What about the other 1%?

*EDIT* - Besides missing 1% of poker time, it looks like a good plan.

[/ QUOTE ]

during that 1% of the time i tend to re-adjust my underwear.

[valenzuela]

4table the 11s while u read 2+2( 3 table with crappy cpu)

[jeffraider]

I tend to devote my time evenly to reading HHs, playing and reading 2+2.

[valenzuela]

Im too lazy to read HH /images/graemlins/frown.gif, I really need to work on that.

[Maulik]

you can read mine if you'd like /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[treeofwisdom7]

i read and replyed to 1 of you HH. they take a long time so i do 1 a day.

oh yah and i got to the gym for an hour or two.. maybe thats a waste of time.

[benjdm]

Well, I have ~8 hours a week I can devote to playing, and had been meaning to ask a question along these lines myself. I two table the 22's with a tracker tourney time window next to each one with the occasional multi table sng thrown in. 2+2 reading I can do at work (like now), which is nice. And book reading is saved for crapper / travel / eating out / etc.

[jgunnip]

[ QUOTE ]
Spend all of it reading at least one 2+2 book straight through until you feel somewhat comfortable with it, like you've truly absorbed a fair amount of it. Write out the main themes and points yourself in your own words. Flashcards are a huge help in drilling concepts cold.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is really good advice and I've been doing this myself for a little while now as well. I have all kinds of notes taped all over my desk and wall. With constant reinforcement I figure I'll eventually memorize Harrington's 11 Elements of a hand. I've got #1 and #11 down!