Microlimits Progress Quest: Post plans/updates/setbacks here.

[skierdude1000]

Before I started playing limit I had 150 Bankroll , now down to 100

My goals:
-learn how to win more than I lose
-Move up from .25/.5 to .5/1

[detruncate]

I just finished my second month at .5/1, and things are going reasonably well so far. I've played over 20k hands, and am starting to get more comfortable with the basics. My bankroll is now sufficient to move up to 1/2 with 500 BB, and I'll probably be testing the waters before too long. Thanks to all of you who have been generous with your time and experience. I have every intention of following your example.

In the past few days, I've reprised the story thus far here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/detruncate/, and I intend to update it more or less regularly going forward. Feel free to stop in and say hello if you're so inclined. For those interested in temporal continuity, start at the bottom and work your way up.

Luck to all.

[dfscott]

Update: Turned around my big slide soon after my last post and started shooting back up like a rocket. Dumped SnGs for a while to concentrate on limit play and I think that helped. Hit $298 at PS and decided I was close enough to 300BB for Party (especially since I had a PP bonus that was about to expire). Moved $200 to PP and started mixing 1 table of .5/1 with 1 table of PS .25/.50. Needless to say I've beat my goal of moving to .5/1 before the end of September, but I'm going to continue .25/.50 for a while because I'm still 1500 hands short of 10K at .25/.50.

Current stats:

Start Limit - .05/.10 (started 3/23/2004 with $50)
Current Limit - .50/1 (moved up 7/16/2004 with $298)
Hands - 17,377
Earnings - 984BB (up 326BB since last post)
Rate - 5.64/100 (up 1.39 since last update)
VP$IP - 20.10 (down 0.09 since last update)
PFR% - 6.93 (down 0.06 since last update)
Agression - 1.01 (up 0.02 since last update)

[Rudbaeck]

I was about to move up to 1/2 just before I found the 2+2 forums. I was at 3.71BB/100 over the last 10k hands, and felt I had a decent safe game going.

After coming here I realized I was a classic weak-tight, and decided to remedy this at the 0.5/1 level instead of trying to be more aggressive AND move up in limits at the same time.

Operation Increased Aggression has so far had the net result of -0.1BB/100. And I know why, it rekindled my once overcome bad habit of not releasing big pocket pairs. Also I sometimes end up on the maniac side. (I too often raise in situations where I should have just called down. But I am also very critical of my thought process every time I think I should call down, as this was a common weak tight error before.)

I bonus whore a fair bit, mostly doing Captain Cooks every Sunday (100% match on $50) and all the Cryptologic rooms once a month. (For $400, sometimes a bit extra when the casino bonus survives WR.)

I do however withdraw most of my whore cash. It's summer, I'm an unemployed student. And getting the 300BB for the next limit at each limit is good practice. I'll probably shoot for 400BB before moving up, or $800.

Hopefully I'll be able to slowly and steadily climb the ladder of limits. I don't expect to ever win the WSOP, but it sure would be nice to be able to hold my own in the juicy 15/30 games on Party.

[Soggy Salmon]

Since yesterday was my 4 month anniversary for starting to play online for money, I guess I will post my journey here.

March 17, 2004 was when I started with a $60 deposit into Party. Party conspiracy theorists take note: I lost immediately. And kept losing. I went all the way down to $4.50. I would have busted out if I had lost that last hand. I didn't though and I started climbing up.

About April 16 - after playing like crazy for a month (about 20,000 hands) I was breaking even. I made a big whiny post about it here. I guess whining worked because it was then that things finally started clicking for me and I started beating the .5/1 games consistently.

When my bankroll hit $400 or so, I decided to try out 1/2. I loved it so I stayed there. I still like the 1/2 full games at Party. I do best at weak-tight tables and 1/2 is full of 'em. If I lost my job and was forced to play poker for a living, I would 6 or 8-table 1/2. It is where I feel most confident.

I clobbered 1/2 for a while then when my bankroll was at $950, I tried out 2/4. Ugh. The days of huge swings started. It was grand when I made like $500 in a week, not so swell when I lost $400 in two days. Ick.

I struggled through these swings for a while and when my bankroll was at $1500 I gave 3/6 a shot. I was not ready for 3/6 I had no confidence at 2/4. It was a mistake. I liked it at first because it was tighter (I know, I know. Shoot me, I honestly do do better at tighter tables) but it was more agressive and the swings were just as bad as at 2/4. But I managed to run my bankroll up to $2,080. Then a BIIG downswing and got very discouraged and realized that I am not a natural-born poker champ.

So I started over at .5/1. I tried to stay there but it was too boring and I didn't feel I was learning anything. So I moved back up to 1/2.

I am at 1/2 mostly now. Occasionally I will play a 2/4 game, but I don't think I am ready. I am still having horrendous swings even at 1/2 now. Until I get my confidence back, and learn how to play, I am staying here.

I did not have Pokertracker for most of the hands I have played, but the 28,000 I do have in there show me at 2.8BB/100 hands and total winnings according to my Neteller cashouts and what I have left in my bankroll is $2,640. So I guess I can't complain.

[B Dids]

My update.

SWING, SWING, SWING.

Currently at 461.5BB for 1/2. I've been up as much as 502. Everytime I hit the 1K limit I get slapped back down (where "everytime"=twice). I have to keep reminding myself that these swings will happen, especially in 6 max, and that like I mentioned in the other thread, everything is an opportunity to learn.

What's frustrating is that the level of play at 1/2 6 Max is very low. So often when you're beat it's by very bad players. At least to me, it's far my psychologically damaging to lose to people who are lousy. So I just keep my head up, and know that I'll get 'em back some day.

[nwaddell]

I came across this thread and decided I’d tag along too.

Operation: In case I don’t get a job after law school

I’m starting at Party Poker’s $.5/$1 tables. I started this “quest” before I had read any of your posts, mostly concerning BR. Oops. I started with $50 in my account. But things are going fine, so I’m not overly concerned. Suggestions on whether to add money or not would be appreciated. I’ll post stats below. My goal, as you can see from the title of the operation, is to possibly have an income, in case the legal market remains in flux and the jobs are not available. I’d like to work my way up to a limit where I could have a steady income, if necessary. Suggestions as to what that limit might be would be greatly appreciated. I currently have a job (that I hate) so I’m unable to play a whole lot. Nights and weekends are my “prime times”. So this project may be slow going until I have more time after school starts in the fall.

Again, any suggestions/comments on any of my stats would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the thread and the opportunity to tag along.

All stats from .5/1 at party:

Total Hands: 2010
Amount Won: $75.68
BB/100: 3.77
VP$ITP: 22.84
VP$ISB: 42.98
W$WSF: 28.71
W$SD: 50.45
Aggression Factor (including PF): .90
Aggression Factor (not including PF): 1.61

Thanks everyone.

[Brain]

[ QUOTE ]
So what's the best plan when $1/2 sucks and $2/4 places several weeks of profit at risk to give it a decent shot?

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you play only at Party? I like the Party 0.50/1 and I also play the Stars 1/2 and seem to be doing okay there.

[btspider]

[ QUOTE ]
Again, any suggestions/comments on any of my stats would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the thread and the opportunity to tag along.

All stats from .5/1 at party:

Total Hands: 2010
Amount Won: $75.68
BB/100: 3.77
VP$ITP: 22.84
VP$ISB: 42.98
W$WSF: 28.71
W$SD: 50.45
Aggression Factor (including PF): .90
Aggression Factor (not including PF): 1.61

[/ QUOTE ]

Also post your pre-flop raise and folded to river bet. Your aggression is low, so post the breakdown of it on all streets. Keep in mind your sample size is small, but probably large enough to see a trend in aggression.

[nwaddell]

PF Raise: 6.06
Folded to River Bet: 36.27 (wow, i've never looked at that stat. seems a bit high to me. is it?)
Agression Stats:

Player Actions Raise Bet Call Check Fold

Pre-Flop 6.21 0 18.85 8.20 66.74
Flop 4.75 20.99 19.67 33.70 20.88
Turn 5.10 25.80 15.13 31.85 22.13
River 6.89 32.91 24.74 25.77 9.69

Total 5.80 11.34 19.02 18.76 45.09

i tried to get the numbers to line up the best i could. thanks for your help.