50,000 hand update, stats checkup (long).

[OrianasDaad]

All my hands so far this year, combined 1/2 and .5/1 full ring at Party. None of this is counting the 25K hands I played at Prima last year.

The basics:
VPIP: 16.38
PFR: 7.92
AGG: 2.47/2.30/2.17 = 2.34
WtSD: 32.91
W$SD: 52.23
BB/100: 2.05
SD: 15.3BB/100
Cold calls: .2% (twice every 1000 hands)

Possible leaks:
W$SD when calling on river: 24.97%
Winning Sessions %: 46.52
High Card: -$40.91 (my only loser).

Miscellany:
Top 10 hands by Win%: AA, KK, AKs, QQ, JJ, AQs, AQo, KQs, TT.
Two biggest cash losers:
77: -$120
A6s: -$64

There are 28 hands that I have never VPIPed with - they are all offsuit hands.
Most popular hand: 63o
Least popular hand: 64s

My top limping hands: 33, A7s, 66, 77, A5s, A3s, QTs, 44, A4s.

History:
After leaving Prima at the end of last year, I have been playing solely at Party and skins, albeit a little haphazardly and without a clear plan for the future. For those that don't know, I'm a stay-at-home Dad, and am going to give this poker thing a stab full time starting tomorrow.

I played .5/1 for most of the first month, and made a couple stabs at 1/2 during US daytime hours towards the end of the month with poor results. I dropped back down to .5/1 until early March, where I played about a week of 1/2. A withdrawal forced me back down to .5/1 for about a day before I decided to take a stab at the 2/4 game. As an aside, I had the 300BB for the 2/4 game, but was uncomfortable with it. My foray into 2/4 lasted a single day, only losing $32. From that point on, I played a mix of 1/2 and .5/1. The beginning of May saw a "permanent" switch to 1/2 after a couple of weeks of playing Omaha Limit High. What a game! This next bit marks an important step in my development.

Playerview goes commercial right about the same time I decide to play HE again, leaving Omaha for another time. At the same time I move up to 1/2 limit. What I found was that I was playing exceptionally well. The weak-tight play that is generally correct in Omaha High was helping me in the tighter 1/2 HE game. I also didn't have the benefit of playerview, so I had to rely on reads and player study again. Someone once laughed at me when I mentioned the "rock-fest" at 1/2. Now I know why.

I played 1/2 until I tried out a program that someone posted over in the software forums. MTH. Very nice. With the addition of this program, I decided to move back down to .5/1 to learn how to play eight tables. After a week of 8-tabling this limit with no PlayerView, I decided to spring for it. Another +EV buy, I think.

My play up to this point from a planning standpoint has not been good. I play sporadically, sometimes not at all for three or four days. If I want to become a "pro", I need a better plan. Here's what I've got.

Week #1: 5000 hands, 1000 hands per day, 5 days.
Week #2: 6000 hands, 1200 hands per day, 5 days.
Week #3: 7000 hands, 1400 hands...

You get the picture. I figure with my home schedule I can work up to about 1500 hands a day. The slowly increasing schedule will allow me to play an amount that is comfortable for me. Mabye it will be 1500 hands/day, mabye it will be less, mabye more, but I have to do something to find out what I am capable of on a consistant basis. I'll be tracking this, along with how I felt about the day in a log for future study.

I'm also moving back up to the 1/2 limit, but I'm only going to be playing six tables until I get a little more confident.

Once I get a static bankroll of $2400, I'll be moving up to 2/4 on a "permanent" basis. I figure that this is the lowest limit I'll be able to play and be able to make a signifigant contribution to the funding of my household.

Any comments are welcome.

[Quercus]

If you are relatively confident in your postflop play, it might be time to consider adding a few more starting hands to your preflop play.

[Isura]

You probably will need to play more hands/day to make a decent earning at 2/4. If you are 8-tabling, 4 hours of play will be atleast 1800/day. Also, make sure you have a rakeback setup, and don't neglect good bonuses. Pokerrrom, Stars, and Crypto have very good bonuses when cleared at 2/4 and higher. I am playing semi-pro for the summer just to support myself until I start grad school in the fall, and there's a few things I've experienced:
- Setting hourly goals is less stressful than hand goals for myself. If I can play 4-5 hours of my best poker, I am happy for the day
- Bonuses seem insignicant and a grind sometimes, but they really effect the bottom line. It's additional variance-free income, that should not be passed up at the lower limits.
- Setup rakeback at a few sites. But always prefer a good bonus (10x or less clearance rates) before rakeback.
- Consider learning another game besides limit hold'em in your off hours. I can make more 8-tabling the 22s SNG's on Party than 8-tabling the 2/4, and I'm still a complete noob at SNG's (I think I'm a much better limit player). \

Good luck to you, I wish you the best.

[kapw7]

[ QUOTE ]
I figure that this is the lowest limit I'll be able to play and be able to make a signifigant contribution to the funding of my household.

Any comments are welcome.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you serious? Get a real job.

[handsome]

Something is wrong. You should be beating the low limit games for at least 3bb/100 before you consider moving up. Your numbers look OK, though your PFR should be a little higher, so it might be that you're not extracting value from your winning hands.

Get SSH, ToP, PokerTracker and GameTime+ if you don't already have them. The PT guide by Iggy (the Guinness and Poker Iggy, not the gay IggyWH- j/k he knows I'm kidding) is also a good resource. This is the free alternative. Read the FAQ's on this board, do tons of searches and post hands. Doing all this will get your win rate >4BB/100 and once you get there, 8-table all day every day.

Eventually you'll experience huge 300BB+ downswings and once you get by those you'll be mentally prepared for the higher limits.

[oreogod]

What is with ppl wanting like 80,000bbs for the next limit before being willing to move up. I dont get it. Unless you're no good, there is no way you will ever need that much.

Seriously.

[MrEngenic]

[ QUOTE ]
Doing all this will get your win rate >4BB/100 and once you get there, 8-table all day every day.

[/ QUOTE ]

[img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Playing 2/4 8 tabling with > 4 BB/100:

4BB/100 =~ 3 BB/h, 8 tabling 2/4 =~ 24 BB/h =~ 100 $/h

8 h/day = 800 $/day, 20 days/month = 16k $ a month

I don't think so...

[oreogod]

And if you can 8-table consistently 40 hours a week...godspeed man. I cant even play 4 tables more than 20 hours a week and I do this for a living. (I play 5/10 and 15/30.)

There is no way I would put myself through that at 2/4. Move up, play fewer tables (if u want), make more money. Oh yeah, get to enjoy life a little.

[zuluking]

[ QUOTE ]
If you are relatively confident in your postflop play, it might be time to consider adding a few more starting hands to your preflop play.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good answer. I would add that the PFR% can come up a bit too.

[Isura]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Doing all this will get your win rate >4BB/100 and once you get there, 8-table all day every day.

[/ QUOTE ]

[img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Playing 2/4 8 tabling with > 4 BB/100:

4BB/100 =~ 3 BB/h, 8 tabling 2/4 =~ 24 BB/h =~ 100 $/h

8 h/day = 800 $/day, 20 days/month = 16k $ a month

I don't think so...

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, 4bb/100 8-tabling 2/4 is absurd. Anything over 1bb/100 is good. 2bb/100 is really hard.