[x] lol sample size

Seriously u cant be sure with such a small sample size that u can sustain your current ROI and TBH i really dont think u can. I mean if that really is ur true ROI its really sick and a huge congrats, but dont be suprised to see ur winrate fall as ur sample size increases.

But GL

Thanks, Wayne. Whether or not my ROI stays at this level isn't something I'm concerned with. I'm just focused on playing as well as I can. Whatever numbers come out of that are what they are.

wow i thought that was a cash graph for a sec..iw as like..taking a big shot eh?

Hahahaa yeah right! If that were a cash graph, I wouldn't have even been able to reply to your post, as I would have poured chemical lye over both my hands and recoiled into my cave in search of my power animal.

That's really interesting. I have found this is working for me too, even though a lot of people supposedly great at poker have told me to play lots and lots of tables. I like your thoughtful strategic approach to the game. I'm learning by seeing the way you think about the game esp. the hands you posted.

GL with your endeavor, I will follow this thread. Stay focused all year and you will reach your goal. If you dont mind a question, you said you take a lot of notes, what sort of things do you write for notes on players? I want to add this to my game but sort of at a loss what to write that will really help me. I may get a read on someone then be misled when he acts differently in a similar situation later.

+1, great question imo

Tell me please how your first session at the 6max was :P

Great thread man i started at the beginning of January to grind a little harder i'm only doing about 60 tournies a day but at the beginning of all my games i start finding every player from every table (only 3 tables at a time) in the search feature and label them under 1 tabler, 2 tablers, and grinders with different colors (i'm on PS not sure if FTP has colors for notes) then i'll evaluate their play throughout the game and take whatever notes i can and/or change the 1 and 2 tablers colors to average/knowledgeable or fish I have found that in the future when i run into all of these different players just the notes i've taken have reason i make the money or take 1st! I am still on a breakeven stretch right now but the more notes i take on everyplayer the more i'm running into them and feel like i have an edge. Just wanted to share that, and love your approach to the game and this is a great thread please keep posting!

Thanks for the good words. I'm stoked you're getting something out of it.

And definitely a good question. I fact, in my OP I said that I'd post the occasional short essay ITT, and Corbalt and Mr. Gun have inspired the subject of my first one. It'll just be a little diddy about how I take notes; I'll start stimulating my mind and probably have it up by the end of the weekend

For sure Fresh ... Will do once it happens

Thanks man, and thanks for the input. Appreciate that. You've definitely got the right idea with the note-taking and sounds like you're putting yourself at an advantage.

Awesome thread, keep up the good work. Doing superbly, and it's interesting to see someone as good and profitable as you not 16-tabling for once.

Hello WhirlingDervish,

I would like to ask you if you could find some time to and disscuss poker and help me improve my game.
At first, want to say that, what you are doing is really awesome and i wish you good luck, because its great achievement. Hope you can make it FTPpro like u are planning.
Secondly, i am doing similar to you just in smaller stakes.. I start playin poker few months ago and i am now #1 Sharkscope Total Profit Leader in 2-5$ SNG with 6000 games played and 18% ROI.
i think i have a lil bit talent couse am easily doing 12hours of 18tabling with 20% roi and my game is pretty solid.
But, since i start i have never moved up in stakes, am playing same game i was playing first day.
Would like to ask you if you could find some time to talk with me or help me to move up to higher stakes or discuss some strategy. I dont like teaching on my own mistakes and i cant move up before someone cool & more experienced show me what are key points there.

My SN is pLAYERsvk i play on PS
skype: player9043

Thanks much

Thanks Blake! I'd definitely would like to show how someone can succeed in online poker through high-level play at decent volume rather than decent play at high-volume. And that's nothing against mass-tabling; it's simply taking a different path to the same goal.


Thanks for the nice words.

I checked out your sharkscope and it certainly looks as though you're doing really well. No matter what stakes you're at, if your profit graph shoots straight from low-left to upper-right, you're playing the game at a strong level.

I don't have a lot of time for interactive discussion (like Skype, AIM, etc), as my time is spread pretty thin as is between playing poker and my outside interests, but if you'd like to shoot me a PM about any specific subjects, I'd be more than happy to correspond.

What I can tell you from what I see now is that I definitely think you are ready to move up. You just keep playing the game how you know how to, and you'll do great. It's the same game, and the players really aren't much better. You're just be making larger wagers on a game you rate to win at, so you'll be making more money. If you're playing the $5's now, move up to the $10's. You'll be gambling with twice the money, but your effectiveness won't drop by half, no way. So it's way +EV for you.

What you'll find as you move up through the levels is that people "give" you less and less chips through mistakes. But if you can make up for that by using their knowledge of the game against them and outplaying them, you'll be way ahead of the game.

GL out there!

************

So anyway, today was redic. 21 tourneys, 1 first, 1 second, 8 thirds. -$175 total. On my last set, I was on the bubble of 5 tourneys ... it was super hectic for me and I didn't play as well as I could have. Got all 3rds and 4ths. I'm positive a spastic monkey could have done better All good though, it's a learning experience and the more I'm in those situations, the better I will handle it.

In better news, I finally got the Full Tilt Black Card! That was a goal of mine, and it feels to to achieve it. The Black Card isn't the notes or anything, but double FT Points is pretty sweet, as it allows you to reach cash bonuses twice as fast. Throw me a freakin' bonus here!

Anyway, tomorrow's an off-day, though it will be the most stressful and exciting day of my week - My beloved Pittsburgh Steelers are playing in the AFC Championship Game! Sunday feels like it's taken foreeeeever to get here.

GL on the tables kids - and gogogogogo Steelers!

SNGs are not poker. Dervish rapes people at sit n goes. Call him Big Ben.

woot woot, nj getting blackcard

gl to your steelers today, hopefully my packers win and we can make a friendly wager on the super bowl imo

Haha you're such a hater Ace

No doubt. Gl to y'all too. I wanna see that Pack-Steelers SB matchup in the worst way. There's only one man in the NFL that scares me ... and his name is Aaron Rodgers imo.

Thank you very much for your reply... i needed some push to go and try higher stakes. Trusted your words and trusted my game aswell.
Well at first will tell you how was i doing if ur interested
played 32 games
$5,5 - 8games +73.9% roi
$11 - 24games +53% roi
So i made around $180.. its not that hard here and when my BR is bigger i will go even higher.

Secodly, i would love to write u PM but i am a new member and am not alowed to write messages
About specific subject id like to discuss this topics:

Preflop limping on higher stakes
I nearly never limp in sng. I think that nearly always fold / bet is better option. Only case i limp is early stage with small pairs & suited ace. Other hands i fold or raise. After that in middle stage if hand / situation is worth stealing i steal else i fold all, nearly never call. i basicly decide if situation is good = i bet or it is bad and i fold.
Am not sure if it is correct, if am not missing some +EV plays where i could outplay opponnets after flop. My usuell stats in games are 14/13 or 26/25 depends on how many good stealing / betting situations i had, but i never limp. Those 1% of hands are as i said early small pairs etc...
So my question is do you limp in middle / late stage? If yes then in what situations, against what opponents / what cards and how do you continue after flop to make it +EV play.

Post flop hud Stats
In my game i use only vpip / preflop raise and i color code opponents by this stats. Then i modify my preflop ranges to exploit them.
But i dont use any post flop stats couse i dont really know how to use them to exploit opponents. They are not very accurate couse of small sample and again i have no idea how would i use it.
Could you tell me what stats do you use and how do you aproach different opponents to exploit their weakness.

Would be awesome if you could PM me or reply here
Thanks
pLAYERsvk

You know what it is!!!!!!! Black n yellow black n yellow!!!

^^ You're my boy, Ben!!!

At least I got a different picture than the "ham" you posted in everyone else's thread

Its H.A.M. I have more. =)

...YET.

No, I don't limp much either. I'll do a decent amount of limping earlier in the tourney at the first two levels, but after that not too much. At that point it's "if my hand is good enough to play, it's good enough to raise", which quickly develops into "if my hand is good enough to raise, it's good enough to shove/raise and call all-in" when the stacks get short enough.

Yeah I'm kinda the same. I have VPIP/PFR, and that's it. I take a lot of notes, and I feel those help me out a lot more than the HUD. All the HUD really tells me is if someone's overly loose (like 38/23) or overly tight (10/9). But notes are what I rely on the most ... which I will cover comprehensively in my next post. I'm glad to hear that you're doing well starting out at the next level and feel confident in moving up; you should.

waiting for it!

WhirlingDervish,

Thanks for the great post. I'm an experienced live MTT player with four 5 figure hits in my last 25 live tournaments. Yet, I am horrible at online poker. Whether it be cash games or tournaments or MTT. Speaking of live games, I play 5-10 NLHE when I'm near a casino and do very well. But again, I have no success online.

So, I turn to this thread to try to learn from you guys. I have specific questions and will try to keep it short and concise.

1. You mentioned you take notes. I thought everyone uses Holdem Manager or some software like that?
2. Your profit in 9 man SnG's is amazing. Do you to play online cash games?
3. If you do play online cash games, what level?
4. How are you at live MTT, live 9man SnG's, and live cash games?

Thank you very much for this thread and thank you for your time on my questions.

Congrats on the Steelers..my Bears played only 3 quarters of football while the Packers played 4.

Damn Methodos, four 5-figure cashes? You're hotter than a thermometer in the Sun's ass! Good for you homie.

It's cool that you got on 2+2 and are interested in expanding the breadth of your poker game instead of just being content with where you are -- even though it sounds like it treats you just fine

I actually enjoy live poker a lot more than online, but when you're playing for a living, online is just infinitely more efficient.

But it's a different beast, man, it really is. Live, you can tell what the other players are about just by looking at them. How old they are, how they're dressed, how they handle their chips. You can tell what kind of player they are in the first 5 minutes. And you know if they're drinking or not. Online, you have no idea. When you're at a live table you can pick up physical tells, they're everywhere. Online, they don't exist.

But online does have other ways to categorize opponents. They're an infinite amount of stats you can get on them - how often they enter the pot, how often they raise, how often they 3-bet, how often they defend their blinds. Anything you want to know, and you save these stats in your database and study them when you're not playing. You can tell how many tables they're playing at once, how much they've won or lost, you even can check out their lame threads on 2+2 And when you put all that information together, you can start to formulate a picture of what your opponents are all about.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the cash game limits are vastly different in skill level. What I mean is that online, the 1/2 games are probably about the same skill level as the 5/10 live games. Whereas the 1/2 live games are fishbowls, and the 5/10 games online are beast.

Quick answers:

1. I use PT3 (analogous to HoldEm Manager), but I use it more to have a large database of statistics on myself to study than to keep tabs on my opponents. I mostly use notes for that.

2/3. I tried online cash games for awhile, but I sucked. I'd make money at sng's and then lose it all back at cash games. Which pissed me off, because I fancy myself a pretty good player and consider cash games much more intricate and skillful than tournaments.

What I realize now is that A) I didn't understand the nuances of cash games nearly well enough at that point, and B) I was playing far too high for my experience level. I was playing 1/2 and 2/4 NL because those were the limits I killed playing live, not realizing then that those games were full of tough customer professionals.

At this point I feel that I understand cash games a whole lot better, and I'd like to think I could be a decent winner if I tried again. But my poker career really took off when I swore off cash games and stuck to my bread-and-butter game, so now I just stick to playing tournaments online and cash games when I play live.

4. I do pretty well at live cash games and tourneys ... I've played probably 20 or so mid-sized live tournaments, and had good success with several deep runs and 2 final tables. Obviously that's not very many tournaments at all, but now that I'm a "professional" player, it'll be something I'll be doing a lot more of.
Live cash games are probably my favorite form of poker, and I'd say I'm a solid winner at them.


Sorry about the Bears - Caleb Hainey was *this close* to being the toast of the town! They would have had a real shot against the Eagles if they'd been able to beat the Packers in the 1st round; the Bears matched up real well against them, and their quick speed guys would have been somewhat neutralized on that Soldier Field turf.
They played the Pack tough, but it's tough to overcome that kind of talent disparity. The Bears are real solid, but short on blue-chip players. They have Peppers, Urlacher, and Devin Hester (as a returner). Mayyybe Charles Tillman and Briggs, but that's stretching it.
Meanwhile the Packers have Rodgers, Jennings, Clifton, Raji, Matthews, Woodson, Tramon Williams, and tons of solid players like Jenkins, Pickett, Hawk, Bishop, Driver, and Kuhn.
It's gonna be real tough for the Steelers to beat them, but we're physical and clutch, and hopefully that can get us by in one more game.