Finally, my first 10,000 hands of Hold’em!

[SlimB]

It took me a lot longer than most to get there, but now I am! I have to say that I’m duly impressed reading the posts in these forums and seeing the stats (and number of hands played) of some of you guys. I only started playing online Hold’em in February this year, and after very little research I decided to start playing at Pacific Poker, as this site clearly has some of the very weakest players on the internet.

Playing 10,000 hands at Pacific has taken me 230 hrs. (for an astounding 43.5 hands/hr.), so unlike the sites where most 2+2’ers play, it’s not exactly quick. I guess the inability to multitable and the incompatibility with PokerTracker (which I personally appreciate, the thought of computers generating reads on me is not, shall we say, appealing) also would deter quite a few of the regular posters in these forums.

However, I have to say that it has been a remarkably profitable pastime! I remember my mother telling me back in the early eighties that “you’ll never make any money playing computer games”. Well sorry ma’, I just did! Anyway, I’ve kept manual notes on my progress and accumulated some stats:

0.10/0.20 – 4.440 BB/hr. (being cautious, I learned the mechanics of Hold’em at this very low limit)
0.50/1 – 3.959 BB/hr.
1/2 – 4.250 BB/hr.
2/4 – 3.391 BB/hr. (but I just “graduated” to small stakes, so this is really completely meaningless)

Now, I know that my sample size is ridiculously low and so forth, so I can’t really make a judgment as to whether I’m actually a winning player, but as I spend more time analyzing my game and reading, than actually playing, the suspicion that I might be is kind of creeping up on me. I’d like to state for the record that I do not believe that I’ve been a winning player so far because I’m a good player, but because my opposition is so atrociously poor!

So, why am I posting this? Well, I read a lot of post in here about win rates, but they’re all about Party Poker and other multitabling, PokerTracking sites, and I am simply wondering whether any of my fellow 2+2’ers have any stats of their own from Pacific, or even an interest in reading about experiences from this “cardroom” (which as far as I’ve gathered is sort of frowned upon by many).

Also, before all you sharks come and infest my happy pond, I’ll give a word of warning: If you’re at all prone to going on tilt when you run into bad beats, I recommend that you stay away! Raising UTG by no means guarantees that UTG+2 won’t coldcall with K4o and crack your aggressively played flopped nut flush when he fills up his fours full of kings on the river, regardless of how many raises you managed to get in along the way! All you can really do is smile, say “nice hand” and think of the other umpteen times he’ll chase his dead draws (yes, I know this was not an example of a dead one!).

Lastly, I want to thank the regular posters in these forums for sharing their expertise with the rest of us, thus making it possible for happy amateurs like myself to improve our game. THANK YOU!

Best regards,
Slim

[BugSplatt]

[ QUOTE ]
I guess the inability to multitable and the incompatibility with PokerTracker (which I personally appreciate, the thought of computers generating reads on me is not, shall we say, appealing) also would deter quite a few of the regular posters in these forums.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have no experience with PokerTracker (keep meaning to purchase it), but I would think the only reason to fear it is if you play with total predictability. If that's the case, yeah, you're probably better off on this site.

Bug

[AncientPC]

I normally play .5/1 limit, but on Pacific I can easily beat the the 3/6 game (which is what I play). I actually moved up to get away from the crapshoots at 1/2 and 2/4, and now there's only 2 or 3 people calling my TPTK bets to the river so there's somewhat less variance.

However cashouts take too long at Pacific, no PT support, and software sucks so I don't play there anymore. I hate waiting a week from requesting cashouts to hitting my Neteller account.

[SlimB]

...the answer to my question is no. What I fail to see however, is why people want to get away from the "crapshoot"? Sure, there's "some" variance, but more often than not they'll just pay you off, and surely, the weaker your opposition, the higher your potential earnrate per hand played? I seem to recall having read several posts along the lines of "increasing limits to play better opponents who'll respect my raises" in these forums previously, and frankly, I find that logic flawed.

As to getting your withdrawals, it's my experience too that this takes about a week (in my case directly to VISA), but does that really matter? I mean, you're getting the money, right?

Anyway, I suppose "all" the responses to my post mean that earnrates at Pacific aren't really a subject of much interest, so I'll refrain from further posts of this nature.

Best of luck (or "positive variance") at the tables!

Regards,
Slim

[d_wrek]

[ QUOTE ]
What I fail to see however, is why people want to get away from the "crapshoot"? Sure, there's "some" variance, but more often than not they'll just pay you off, and surely, the weaker your opposition, the higher your potential earnrate per hand played? I seem to recall having read several posts along the lines of "increasing limits to play better opponents who'll respect my raises" in these forums previously, and frankly, I find that logic flawed.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. I used to think the same way, until I adjusted to these opponents, and improved my own game. Yes, your good hands will get cracked sometimes, but you'll more than make up for it with all the dead money in the pot when you do win. Sure, your TPTK will win more often in a game where opponents "respect your raises", but the pot will be 4 BB instead of 20 BB. You WANT them to call you all the way as an underdog.

[ QUOTE ]
Anyway, I suppose "all" the responses to my post mean that earnrates at Pacific aren't really a subject of much interest, so I'll refrain from further posts of this nature.

[/ QUOTE ]

My win rates at Pacific are very similar to yours...I've played .5/1 and 1/2...currently at 2/4 with an occasional 3/6 session. The software is terrible, but the games are great.

[AncientPC]

With the "crapshoot" tables you have to play more drawing hands and less TPTK hands hold up. I don't like playing JTo when it's capped preflop (which seems like half of the time), and I don't like it when there's 7 guys seeing the river.

Yes they're paying me off more money in that 1 time out of 7 times to pay off the 6 beats, but I can move up in stakes and get my TPTK paid off with less variance. Less BB/100? Maybe. Less $/100? Probably not.