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

[bisonbison]

I've been made to understand that user signatures have gone the way of the dodo, robbing me and many others of the ability to brag and commiserate about the short-term/long-term goals we've set ourselves as poker players.

So, rather than give up, I've decided to start a centralized thread for anyone who wants it, a la nykenny's 10k in 100 hours posts. If you're working your way up in limits, or shooting for a money goal, feel free to share, post interesting hands or celebrate milestones.

Here's me as of 2/9/2004, having started this new thing on New Year's Day.

Operation Boondoggle
Goal: .5/1 to 3/6 in 2004.
Milestones: 300BB @ each level.
Current limit: .5/1
Hands: 4539
Earnings: +243BB
Rate: 5.35BB/100

Comments: Well, I had a simply huge weekend, up 117BB in something like 20 table-hours of play, doing 3 .5/1 Party tables at a time.

Before this weekend, I'd been looking through my session data, and found that I'd been playing a lot of sessions of a half-hour or less. I decided I'd be getting better table reads and better pokertracker data on people if I played fewer, longer sessions. This weekend I played at least 9 sessions of an hour or more (3 tables at a time), and had pretty good results in all of them. Even for the tables where I posted a loss, I was able to better see which part of it was my own play and which part of it was variance due to table conditions.

All in all, I feel like I've really turned a corner in my poker abilities. I'm not great, and I'm not even particularly good, but I'm finally beating .5/1 consistently and confidently, and I don't find myself sweating preflop decisions much anymore. Can't thank micro enough for that, and I'm looking forward to moving to 1/2 in a couple of weeks. Too bad Party can't seem to keep the 1/2 10-seaters full.

[Trix]

The 1/2 tables suck at party imo, there isnt enough. I´ll skip them and try getting enough money for 2/4 instead.
Currently 2/3s of the way.
Good Luck
-Trix

[bisonbison]

Well, I know they're rock gardens, but I want to earn at least $600 more (after I reach 300BB at .5/1) before I give 2/4 a shot. That'll give me 225BB for 2/4, and if I earn 300BB at 2/4, I'll have 260BB for 3/6.

Once I break 300BB at .5/1, I figure I'll play as many 1/2 full games as possible, and if I can't find a decent table, play .5/1.

[Trix]

Oh, I missunderstood you then, I thought you wanted to have 300 1/2 BBs before moving up...

[fluff]

Consider bonus whoring. If you do, you should have no problem getting 300 BBs ($1200) for a 2/4 game while only playing 0.5/1 games for 300 BBs at that level ($300).

[bisonbison]

Earning 300BB playing 1/2 is the goal, but I only play at Party, and I'm not interested in making this harder than it already is.

I'll be playing as much 1/2 as possible, but if I'm winning consistently after a few thousand hands and it's clear that good 1/2 tables are just too scarce, I'll build a $900 bankroll in .5/1 + 1/2 and move on up to the promised land of 2/4.

IF I am winning consistently. IF I get the bankroll. Those are the main purposes of this thing, setting myself goals with clear ways to evaluate my performance and then moving up when it's clear I won't be in over my head.

[Lost Wages]

Hands: 4539
Rate: 5.35BB/100

Obviously you are playing well and are off to a good start but recognize that you are also running well. Expect some short term setbacks do to the high standard deviation in these loose games. The short term can eaisly be 10,000+ hands. Good luck.

Lost Wages

[Sam T.]

Well, I'm a few weeks behind you, and don't have a name for the operation, but it sounds like we're headed in similar directions. My goal is to move up as I show I can beat games over the long term. I started with a $200 buy-in and have been playing .5/1. I will move up when I get to $500.

Since I started tracking my play in detail on January 27th:

Current limit: .5/1 (on Party, but I'm going to start playing Paradise for the bonus)
Hands: 1195
Hours: 24.25
Earnings: +138 BB
Rate: 5.7BB/hour

Questions:
-Everything I've read tells me that this winning-rate cannot be sustained. Statistically speaking, am I headed for a crash?

On the horizon:
-Playing multiple tables. I tried it for play money, and had a hell of a time keeping track of where I was sitting, let alone the cards. Mebbe I'm stoopid.
-Trying a Sit n' Go. Different than the ring game, but could be a fun change of pace.
-Read HFAP. So far I've been relying on WLLH and Sklansky and Malmuth's introduction to the game.

Good luck, and stay tuned.

[Trix]

I can still improve my game playing .5/1 and I will probably hit 1200 in a week or two anyways, so im fine.

[bisonbison]

[ QUOTE ]
Obviously you are playing well and are off to a good start but recognize that you are also running well.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, this weekend really skewed things. On Friday, I was at about 3.00/100. That's why I've set the earning goals, to keep me from moving up any faster than I might otherwise want to.