Micro Posters - I need your Help

[Sarge85]

I need your help. I’m struggling with my game and I’m hoping through some group therapy I’ll find out why.

I have a poker blog that I’m using to try and dialogue my struggles/lessons/successes/failures to see if that will help. I’ve heard writing stuff out helps. But I also thought if other people read some of it it would also help. In particular my goals at that very bottom of the page.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/sarge85/

Don’t worry – this isn’t some sort of attempt at SPAM. There isn’t a poker link to be found (unless its back to 2+2 threads).

Anyway – maybe some of you are going through the same challenges (or better have gone through them already) and I can get some help getting out of my rut…

Sarge[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

[dfscott]

Sarge, what do you think about LiveJournal? I like the look and feel, but it seems a bit slow. I've been using blogspot and although it's somewhat limiting, it's definitely pretty quick.

[Sarge85]

To be perfectly honest, I haven't tinkered with enough to give it a fair assessment, nor have I tried the other blogs to offer up any sort of compairsion.

How's that for a non-answer. (and my 1000th post woot woot)

Sarge[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

[Entity]

One note:

At the microlimits, my best winrate usually coincides with around a 22% VPIP. Don't worry about your 20.8% being too "loose" -- there are hands that are playable at these limits that aren't at higher limits, and I wouldn't worry about that (AXs in MP, for example).

Rob

[Brian]

Hi Sarge,

I read over your blog a little. First of all, your database is too tiny to try to draw any real conclusions from. 10k hands is a small sample size, and I really wouldn't be surprised to see the best player in the world down after so few hands, or the worst player in the world up. And, you're actually winning at a decent rate. 1bb/100 is nothing to be ashamed of, and waiting until you are winning at some magical unimportant number of 2.5bb/100 until you move up would be a waste of your talent. If I waited until I was doing that well, I am not sure if I would have ever moved up. I don't think I've ever won 2.5bb/100 at any limit over any substantial period of time.

Next, the numbers you have such as VP$IP etc. are also insignificant, not just because of database size, but also because how tight or loose you should be playing will vary depending on what sort of game you are in. I can only speak for the games at which I have played a lot of hands, that being 5/10 and 15/30. But if your VP$IP were anything above 16ish at the Party 5/10 games, I'd say you are generally playing too loose; and if it's anything below 16 at the 15/30 games, you are probably playing too tightly.

It's been a long time since I played the 1/2 at Party, but if they're as bad as I remember, then VP$IP of 20 probably is a little high but not much. However, if you are playing a lot of hands and playing them sub-optimally post-Flop, then that could certainly add up in the long run. But let me just re-emphasize: you're nowhere near the long run. Good luck,

-Brian

[LowDown22]

What in particular are you concerned about? There's a lot of stuff in your journal.

I also keep a journal, not online, about my poker play and each day I concentrate on finding some sort of weakness/leak I think I have. Then I spend some time the next day reading and studying up on it so I can continually improve. My only real comment to you concerning your goals, is don't be so rigid in the goals you set unless you don't mind failing. I don't think setting a goal of VP$IP<20% and WSD$>55% is necessarily good for your game on a short term basis. It's ok for a long term goal, but this can fluctuate quite a bit if you're hot/cold at the time and you don't play tons of hands.

Also, one thing I've noticed in my own play, is when I drop down to levels I know I can beat, I get a sort of superiority complex and think I can just run them over. This definitely reduces my winrate. I must give the fish a little respect. Perhaps you're running into this as well.

[Sarge85]

[ QUOTE ]
What in particular are you concerned about? There's a lot of stuff in your journal.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well that's a good question. I guess the easy answer is that I've read WLHE a few months back and have been able to beat the games pretty consistently. But (and this will seem really really silly) its probably all done just playing ABC poker. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I feel like I'm going to be unprepared if I ever want to "step up" my game. And a step up would be simply getting to playing $3/$6 regulary.

Sure I can beat the dumba$$es but will I be able to beat someone who has a bit more of a clue? Sometimes I play to weak tight? I've heard that as you move up you need to play aggressive - how do I know if I'm aggressive enough?

Basically I feel like I'm just getting by on ABC starting requirements for hands - I want to learn more of the subtlities of the game.

Sarge[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

[Entity]

Sarge,

I know this is going to sound obvious, but have you thought about checking out SSHE? It really is a great book, and has done wonders for my game and winrate.

Rob

[Sarge85]

Here's the thing. The last two months have been total reversals of the previous 10 beofore that. I've gone from really really good months, to barely break even this last August. Truth be told, I probably lost money had it not been for some bonuses. Maybe it's more of a psych thing than anything else.

I know my sample size is too small. And I konw the money I made in the good 10 months was way more actual poker winnings than bonuses I collected.

Your comments about waiting for a specific number before I move up are good. But I wonder why I am not hitting those numbers now? Is my sample size so small that I'm still in the very short term, and one good night could see that number pushed up 1BB? and if it does - just what the hell does would that mean? Or is there just some holes in my game that need to be fixed.

I appreciate the time you took to look at the journal...hopefully you'll check it out later on.

Sarge[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

[btspider]

I know what you mean. I had an easy time during my 10K hands at PP .50/1.00, then moved up to 1/2 and was surprised to see that my auto-pilot game wasn't always appropriate. I actually had to think again. I had a few embarrasing call downs trying to figure out when and when not to give up hands. You've heard it before, but just post some hands, don't overanalyze your stats (52% vs 55% W$SD? meh..), and ask some idiotic questions in other people's topics like I do. Its that easy!