1 BB per hour...

[mkotich]

I've heard this "Try to win 1 big bet per hour" phrase as a guage to your success in poker... The relitivity of the statement is so large it would make no sense to use it to judge your play so I'm sure they mean the big bet of the table ($6 at a 3/6 table, which 6 bucks an hour's not even worth playing for.) So my question is, why?

Say I'm playing at a 3/6 table with a $120 bankroll to allow me my 20 big bets (is it 30 that's suggested? or 50? anyhow..) so I'm playing for 6 hours and I win the required 1BB/hr, I've only won 36 bucks in 6 hours of play, it honestly doesn't seem worth it looking at it in those terms, since at 3/6 you should be dragging an average POT of 30 bucks right? So that means you should aim to win 1 pot per day? Any way you say it, even if you're playing 50/100 with a $2k bankroll it seems like an even lower rate, sure you're winning $600 in a 6hr session, but relatively it still seems a little low...

So how exactly would someone here suggest one gauges their success? What do you shoot for? Can someone help me (and probably others reading) understand this concept?

-matt

[AviD]

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I'm playing at a 3/6 table with a $120 bankroll


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even if you're playing 50/100 with a $2k bankroll

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[Cleveland Guy]

It's a long term average - after you pay the Rake.

Say your playing 3-6.

Day 1 3 hours, up $100
Day 2 2 Hours Down $50
Day 3 4 Hours up $170
Day 4 3 Hours down $125

4 Day Total - 12 Hours up $95. = 1.3BB/HR

It doesn't mean Each day you should win 1bb/hr

[BigBaitsim (milo)]

Additionally, although the target may be 1BB/hour on AVERAGE, your standard deviation will be many times this, meaning that the "long run" means months, not a few sessions. Great players can have months-long stretches where they may break even, or lose. This is compressed for online players who can put in a months-worth of B&M play in a few days, but even great internet players can have losing months.

[Cleveland Guy]

Very Good point - I was just using an over simplified example.

[mkotich]

Ahh, Maybe I just haven't put in the time to understand this thoroughly... I play maybe once or twice a week now, down from 3 or 4 times a week over the past year or so and never really looked into this that much..

How do you guys judge? Maybe if I think 1BB just isn't enough I guess I can adjust that until it's a # I think is worthwhile and aim for that. But I'll have to look into how well I do on the average over a few weeks and see how I'm measuring up now.

Thanks.

[nykenny]

You have a lot to learn, friend. Keep reading the forums, keep playing as well as you can. One day it will all click, though it might not be tomorrow.

Good luck, and welcome to 2+2

Kenny

[ResidentParanoid]

From many discussions on this topic, you can usually make somewhere from 0 to 4 big bets per 100 hands, depending on the game and how good you are (assuming you are a winning player in the game [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] ).

Live at 3/6 in a very good game, that might be 25-30 hands/hour times $6/BB times 4BB/100 hands to get $6 to $7.2 per hour. Yep, looks like minimum wage. Why do you think everyone moves up as fast as possible? But then you may not be a winner any more as you move up.

Online, you might be able to 3 table it at 150 hands/hour times $6/BB times 3 BB/100 hands to get $27 per hour. Now we're talking. Better for making money, but not as fun as live.

[TimM]

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe if I think 1BB just isn't enough I guess I can adjust that until it's a # I think is worthwhile and aim for that.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's not a matter of what to aim for. Play your best game, and take what the game gives you. If you are winning, but not in an amount that is worthwhile, and you still want to play, you have some choices:

a) Improve your game - this comes with diminishing returns, no matter how good you are, there are limits to what you can expect to make in any given game.

b) Find softer games - Increase your earn by playing with weaker opponents.

c) Get more hands per hour - Play online, multiple tables. Your divided attention may cost you some win rate, but you make it up in volume.

d) Move up in limits (with a proper bankroll) - Your win rate in big bets may drop but can still be higher in dollars. Eventually you will hit a wall where this is not the case, and you will be back to choice a, but now improving your game will count for more than it did at the lower limits.

[Fiddler]

[ QUOTE ]
Ahh, Maybe I just haven't put in the time to understand this thoroughly... I play maybe once or twice a week now, down from 3 or 4 times a week over the past year or so and never really looked into this that much..

How do you guys judge? Maybe if I think 1BB just isn't enough I guess I can adjust that until it's a # I think is worthwhile and aim for that. But I'll have to look into how well I do on the average over a few weeks and see how I'm measuring up now.

Thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

What you think is a high enough win rate will not influence how much you win. Only your skill relative your opponents' skill will, the rest is decided by the randomness of the cards and the betting structure of the game. From what I understand you can not expect a sustained win rate much more than 4BB per 100 hands you play (around 2BB/hour) no matter how good you are.

So don't pick a number and aim for it, try to improve your overall game and the win rate will take care of itself.

Sorry if I didn't understand your question.