I managed to have two somewhat disastrous sessions last Wednesday (1/2) and Thursday (2/4) losing about $140 give or take a few.
I have not played limit since. I need to go through the hands to see what happened, but it wasn't pretty. I plan to post the most embarrassing ones - I have to learn from my mistakes - I have a feeling that one or two of the worst hands were the ones I actually won, but I shall reserve judgment.
Fortunately I managed to win a small Razz tournament at the end of last week to repair the damage to my bankroll. So I can have another go. But this week I have only played Razz and HORSE.
I noticed, however, that my H (as in Horse) play seems to have improved. This has helped to improve (slightly) the discouraging red figures appearing on Pokertracker. Most players at 1/2 HORSE are pretty bad at all 5 disciplines (particularly Razz) and probably have much less skill at limit hold em than those that play in the 1/2 hold em cash games.
Tuesday 28 August 2007
Tuesday 21 August 2007
This is fun
I have been flirting with limit for a week. So far I have read most of Small Stakes Hold em, which is definitely helping. It is very worrying how much basic general poker knowledge I don't have, or at least don't use. I now have an outs/pot odds chart next to my computer and I am trying to do the right thing thing.
I have played a few hands at $0.5/$1, $1/$2 and $2/$4, but not enough to mean much results wise.
My first thoughts are pre-flop I'm ok. I was actually quite surprised about some of the hands Sklansky suggests playing. I wouldn't play Q10s in a full nl ring game in early position for example. At the moment I am just playing tight.
Post flop, not so good. I just can't tell what people have and whether my second pair etc is good. I find myself check calling weak hands to the river. I am not a great no limit player, but even to me certain betting patterns scream AK, flush draw etc. At the moment I am having trouble spotting the signs at limit (there may not even be any!).
I have downloaded and managed to get Pokertracker to work. I'm not sure why I couldn't use it before. I think it was something to do with importing e-mails. I don't know what all the figures mean, but at least I will know exactly how I am doing.
Whilst saying this is probably a bit of a no no in blogger world, I am also pretty chuffed that Michael from countingmyouts left a couple of comments on this blog (his was one of the first blogs I came across and its a goodun).
I have played a few hands at $0.5/$1, $1/$2 and $2/$4, but not enough to mean much results wise.
My first thoughts are pre-flop I'm ok. I was actually quite surprised about some of the hands Sklansky suggests playing. I wouldn't play Q10s in a full nl ring game in early position for example. At the moment I am just playing tight.
Post flop, not so good. I just can't tell what people have and whether my second pair etc is good. I find myself check calling weak hands to the river. I am not a great no limit player, but even to me certain betting patterns scream AK, flush draw etc. At the moment I am having trouble spotting the signs at limit (there may not even be any!).
I have downloaded and managed to get Pokertracker to work. I'm not sure why I couldn't use it before. I think it was something to do with importing e-mails. I don't know what all the figures mean, but at least I will know exactly how I am doing.
Whilst saying this is probably a bit of a no no in blogger world, I am also pretty chuffed that Michael from countingmyouts left a couple of comments on this blog (his was one of the first blogs I came across and its a goodun).
Wednesday 15 August 2007
Bob Dylan rocks
If no limit holdem is the electric guitar of poker, limit is the acoustic version.
I have never really played much limit hold em. As a TV generation poker player, I started off playing no limit. But the best rock stars can play the acoustic guitar as well and so I have decided to turn my attention to limit. This blog will chart my progress.
I have only ever played limit as part of mixed HORSE games and I have a lot to learn. I hope playing limit will improve my all round game by forcing me to think about pot odds and EV. Hopefully I will learn to play correctly.
Unfortunately, according to Michael from www.countingmyouts.com its a bad time to play limit, particularly 2/4 limit if you plan to play during the afternoon New York time (which I will be - except I will be in London at it will be the evening here). 1BB/100 hands is currently a good return.
I don't have the bank roll for 2/4. Pocketfives.com has a good article on bankroll management which says that you need 550 big bets if you want to be a Pro whose life depends on maintaining the roll, or 400 big bets if you want to be protected. It does, however, also have an "unprotected" figure - a short term approach for people willing to play a little looser in an attempt to build a bankroll.
The "unprotected" figure is 200 big bets, which apparently would give an average winning player less than a 10% chance of going bust, provided you don't withdraw any of the money.
Overall I have more than 200 big bets at 2/4. Although on Full Tilt where I will be doing this I have slightly less - about 180. There is also the small matter of the fact that I am not a winning Limit Holdem player, or winning cash game player full stop. OPR tells me that I am a winning MTT player.
I plan to play full ring games 2/4 where possible and if not 1/2. If I lose $300 at 2/4 I will switch to 1/2. If I ever get to the point where I have the equivalent of 550 big bets at 3/6, I will move up. I won't be counting on that happening though. If I stop playing, I will stop this blog.
I also plan to re-educate myself and have started reading Small Stakes Hold em by Sklansky etc and have ordered Michael Craig's FTP book and "how I crushed limit and pwned your dad monkey boy" by Matt Maroon.
I will also dig out Lee Jones' book on small stakes limit which I seem to recall Matt Maroon said was pretty good.
I also need to think about getting poker tracker. I have tried before but couldn't get it to work. At the moment I will have to stick to spreadsheets.
I have never really played much limit hold em. As a TV generation poker player, I started off playing no limit. But the best rock stars can play the acoustic guitar as well and so I have decided to turn my attention to limit. This blog will chart my progress.
I have only ever played limit as part of mixed HORSE games and I have a lot to learn. I hope playing limit will improve my all round game by forcing me to think about pot odds and EV. Hopefully I will learn to play correctly.
Unfortunately, according to Michael from www.countingmyouts.com its a bad time to play limit, particularly 2/4 limit if you plan to play during the afternoon New York time (which I will be - except I will be in London at it will be the evening here). 1BB/100 hands is currently a good return.
I don't have the bank roll for 2/4. Pocketfives.com has a good article on bankroll management which says that you need 550 big bets if you want to be a Pro whose life depends on maintaining the roll, or 400 big bets if you want to be protected. It does, however, also have an "unprotected" figure - a short term approach for people willing to play a little looser in an attempt to build a bankroll.
The "unprotected" figure is 200 big bets, which apparently would give an average winning player less than a 10% chance of going bust, provided you don't withdraw any of the money.
Overall I have more than 200 big bets at 2/4. Although on Full Tilt where I will be doing this I have slightly less - about 180. There is also the small matter of the fact that I am not a winning Limit Holdem player, or winning cash game player full stop. OPR tells me that I am a winning MTT player.
I plan to play full ring games 2/4 where possible and if not 1/2. If I lose $300 at 2/4 I will switch to 1/2. If I ever get to the point where I have the equivalent of 550 big bets at 3/6, I will move up. I won't be counting on that happening though. If I stop playing, I will stop this blog.
I also plan to re-educate myself and have started reading Small Stakes Hold em by Sklansky etc and have ordered Michael Craig's FTP book and "how I crushed limit and pwned your dad monkey boy" by Matt Maroon.
I will also dig out Lee Jones' book on small stakes limit which I seem to recall Matt Maroon said was pretty good.
I also need to think about getting poker tracker. I have tried before but couldn't get it to work. At the moment I will have to stick to spreadsheets.
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