My March results and thoughts on hit-and-run

FishyWhale · #1 04-01-2003, 12:59 PM

Two weeks ago I posted about maybe going pro and got a lot of responses, so I thought I´d let you know

1) my March results: slightly over 2100 for roughly 20 hours played per week, mostly 10-20 (10-20 hold´em: 1.753 bb/h over 46h55, 10-20 stud: 1.673 bb/h over 46h), but I surely wasted a couple hundred due to dumbass play, but I´m working on that.

2) I know that hit-and-run doesn´t make sense because it´s all one long game. But when I think back of my March sessions, it went like this: up 700 in short-handed hold´em (short-handed is great!), then I quit -600; up 250 in stud, I quit -600, up 1000 in 20-40 hold´em (shorthanded), I quit with +350; etc.etc.etc., and even though I realize that I might have wasted more money than necessary due to a possible tendency to play looser when ahead (a leak I have taken care of meanwhile), there is no way these downswings can be attributed to bad play alone, it´s more like natural downswings combined with bad luck.

Nevertheless I didn´t want to experience being up XXX and having to quit with -XXX yet again because I was getting sick and tired of that phenomenon, and when today I was up 600 after an hour of 10-20 stud where I could do no wrong I simply stood up and announced seat open. You know, I don´t plan to become a hit-and-run artist, I just didn´t want to see my winnings evaporate yet again (and 30bb/h is rather evaporateable) so I quit prematurely this one time - and I felt good about it.

Thoughts or Comments?

astroglide · #2 04-01-2003, 01:40 PM

i think it's fine if you do it occasionally for an emotional/confidence boost, but if it's any kind of habit your head isn't on straight

Tyler Durden · #3 04-01-2003, 02:43 PM

I agree with Astroglide but if you're feeling outmatched and you win a big pot or two in a short period of time, I don't think there's anything wrong with leaving the game at that time.

brad · #4 04-01-2003, 06:20 PM

what a lot of these guys who say never leave a game that youre running over dont mention is that

a lot of times

theres one or two chip burners

who tighten up after they burn through their mad money.

so even though the lineup may be the same, its not really the same.

p.s. if youre on a short bankroll, the best thing you can do is leave when youre way ahead, and leave when youve got a mild loss and you feel like youre getting outplayed or even youre just confused.

Ray Zee · #5 04-01-2003, 06:41 PM

you got some of it right brad. never leave a game that is still very good for you. nothing has to do with past results.

always leave when getting outplayed.

dont play in stakes that reflect a short bankroll.

brad · #6 04-01-2003, 06:47 PM

hey im getting better im up to partially correct [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

but right? in some games you can win all the 'loose' money (remember hes playing 10/20) and then its a lot harder to win more. not always true but something to think about.

mikelow · #7 04-01-2003, 07:55 PM

Another advantage of hit-and-run is that it makes you hard to read.

Despite what Mason says, money management isn't silly, it's a necessity. You'll eventually get to the long run. You have to not play too big and not loosen up too much, whether ahead or behind.

You should read Roy Cooke's Cardplayer article on the ups and downs (losing streak of 365 BB) long-term play. Good luck in your poker adventures.

FishyWhale · #8 04-02-2003, 06:31 PM

never leave a game that is still very good for you. nothing has to do with past results.

You are - of course - correct. It´s just that I didn´t want to see it all happen *again*, so I quit prematurely this one time, but I´m certainly not going to make it a habit.

FishyWhale · #9 04-02-2003, 06:33 PM

in some games you can win all the 'loose' money (remember hes playing 10/20) and then its a lot harder to win more. not always true but something to think about.

An interesting thought indeed. I will watch out for this.

FishyWhale · #10 04-02-2003, 06:37 PM

Another advantage of hit-and-run is that it makes you hard to read.

You mean it makes me harder to read because I´m playing fewer hours?

Hmm, yet another interesting thought, but as I said in my post to Ray, I´m not going to make hit-and-run a habit.

(Besides that, how you play also depends on what day you got, so my play changes a little bit everytime I sit down, and it also changes a little bit during the session, and - even more importantly - there is "varying your play".)