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bicyclekick
12-23-2003, 02:14 PM
I started playing party poker with 50 bucks a couple weeks ago, and turned it into ~$250 playing .50/1 in about 5000 hands, and my win rate was 2.91 BB/hour (i played 3 tables at a time, usually).

I decided to take a 100 dollar shot at 2/4 and see how things would go. I know it's only 25 big bets and you can lose 25 big bets easy, but I wanted to take the shot. So I did and made a chunk of money, so I started playing 3 tables . I told myself if i reached $1000 I'd cash out $500 for xmas presents and the liking, and try again with 500, knowing that i'm more likely to catch a bad streak and bust, with only 125 BB, but I'd take the chance. Now I'm back up to 938 (total 1438 from that 50).

I've played ~3000 hands of 2/4 (a small amount, i know) and have a phenominal win rate 5.04BB/hour at 2/4. My 5000 hand winrate at .50/1 was 2.91. Given the 500 hands i've played of 1/2 and 3/6, my 9000 hand win rate is 3.06.

I would like to have a bigger sample, but would it be fair to say that I would probably be a winning player in the big picture?

I always feel confident that I know what I'm doing, but maybe confidence can cloud a persons vision.

And 5BB an hour can, too. I know that wont keep up, but i'll take it while it's coming.

It's definetly interesting to see how my game has changed over the last 9000 hands. I've learned to adapt to the looseness of .50/1 and 2/4 party. The section in HPFAP is really right, and it took me a long time to notice. It's really important to notice if the 2/4 game is weak tight, or loose, cause if it's weak tight I only raise on high pocket pairs and limp with the rest, cause usually somebody will be aggressive enough to bet into it, and I just check/call along and get a raise in on the turn or river and punish them usually with a far superior hand. I will get in there raising if i have something like AQs and there is a raise in front of me, but I would probably muck AJo, unlike most of the saps that play there.

If it's a loose table i'm in there ramming and jamming with em. I think noticing this distinction alone has helped me, a lot.

I've also learned to let go. Pocket kings will hit the muck on the flop if i'm LP and there is a bet and a raise with an ace showing. I'm glad I can do that now without second thought. If I'm EP i'll fire a couple bullets and see where i stand.

I dunno, i'm just feelin good and wondering if i'm feeling possibly 'too good' cause things are running well.

I've made $76 while typing this message. Not too shabby. /images/graemlins/wink.gif Over the 1500 mark... /images/graemlins/smile.gif


I'm sure many of you have been where I'm at now. I'm curious for some insight. Don't go easy on me if there's something I gotta know...

1800GAMBLER
12-23-2003, 02:19 PM
Did you use the money for christmas presents? If so, feel better about that than your play.

You'll be a winning player, but not of 5BB/hour. Check out the Pyschology forum 'Do i have a problem?' for a reason why you should play inside your bankroll too, that would be a very easy way to learn.

gunboat
12-23-2003, 02:32 PM
As a new player, Party lets you win early. Later on they will distribute your winnings to other new players to keep the pyramind going. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

LetsRock
12-23-2003, 02:41 PM
Sounds like you're doing great!

I think the biggest indicator will be when you go through "that awful stretch" that's bound to hit you eventually. If you can suck it up through that and come out on top, then I'd say you're a winning player.

If you haven't had "that stretch" yet (where you can do no right. period. every decision you make shows poor results despite how correct it was.), be prepared to hang on for an incredibally miserable period where you will question everything you think you know about poker. Some of us get through it unscarred (mentally that is - your BR will take at least a bit of a hit) and others become senseless masses of poker zombies. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

oh, yeah, there will be more than one of these stretches. it's not fun, but apparently (everyone keeps saying this), it's just part of the game.

bicyclekick
12-23-2003, 02:47 PM
Yeah, I've been through taht once on thegaming club, but i pulled out of it.

I also went through a -100BB swing at .50/1. Glad I got over that.

Biggest swing i've had since 2/4 is -40BB, so not that bad. Course that was after being up 40BB that session, and after the dip i got it back and then some... /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Yeah, now that i'm over a grand again, which is just short of 300 BB, i'm gonna leave it in there so i can withstand a big downswing...at least bankroll wise...we'll see how my emotions would take it.

bicyclekick
12-23-2003, 04:49 PM
Well, on a -40BB swing this moment. I've made an ace high flush that lost to a 2 card straight flush. I've lost an ace high flush to a full boat. I've lost a 5 high flush (from the big blind) to a jack high flush.

Just funny these hands all happened within a few minutes of eachother...

bicyclekick
12-23-2003, 04:51 PM
Just had k's cracked by a runner runner flush that the guy called when he didn't hit the flop. LOL.

LetsRock
12-23-2003, 05:14 PM
That's what is so painful about it - they just come all at once. Bam, bam, bam ,bam just hammering on you. Ugh. If there was just some way to get a reasonable spread of the good, the ho-humm and the sucky it wouldn't be so painful.

But it's like 2 weeks of gettin the better of it (just a bit at a time), 3 hours of can't do anything wrong and then 3 weeks of can't do anything right!

bicyclekick
12-23-2003, 05:40 PM
Well, I pulled my head out my ass and made a few hands that held up...got back 12 of those big bets...

So on the day i'm still up 10BB.

I'm so not complaining. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

cjx
12-23-2003, 05:54 PM
Well, to make a short post on swing, I sat down at 2/4 (you actually were at the table shortly) and I made 25BB in about 30 minutes... so $100 in 30 minutes, but if you search my post history you'll see a little while back I was playing .5-1 and was mired in a 1500 hand losing spiral.

So, certainly be aware that the cards can make the player... if it makes you feel any better during the 20 or so hands we shared you got a "~solid" in my notes.

Good luck,
cjx

CrackerZack
12-23-2003, 11:02 PM
You got Xmas presents at others expense. Feel good about your life and game. Good stuff. You should try bonus whoring. Its turned me from a .89/BB/hr/table loser to .64/BB/hr/table. With free stuff, I can make my bankroll last almost 50% longer! Go me.