I've been running pretty well so far at the 2c/4c micro stakes limit.
hands dealt: 639
win rate (BB per 100 hands): +10.0
Sample size is small I admit. My original plan was to hopefully win 100 BB at this level, then move up to the next level 5c/10c. My bankroll is funded with 300 BB for the next level and 300 BB still in the current 2c/4c level.
I've decided to change that plan. I'm going to try multi tabling. I've never done this before in any way so I'll see how it goes. I'm only going to try 2 tabling to start out. I don't expect as high a win rate with two tables. However if the win rate/100 hands is more than half that of single tabling then it will be profitable. Plus it is a new challenge for me. This 2c/4c is a good level to start out learning to multi table. I've found 2c/4c to be a very straightforward, beatable level - good thing, or I'd have to quit poker or go back to play money :(
I tried out just watching two tables at once. I quickly realized one thing I need to do is get two PokerStars tables to actually display on my monitor so I can see them both. I had to turn up my monitor to the highest resolution to be able to see everything in the space hungry PS windows, but it should be OK. I'll track my (hopefully positive) winrate 2 tabling and see how it compares over the same # of hands as single tabling.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Table selection in micro stakes limit
I've been trying to work out how to pick which table to play in 2c/4c limit on PokerStars. I want to play the tables which are the most profitable. That means lots of loose, passive players. I like to be at tables with at least 3 and better yet 5+ opponents seeing the flop. I of course want nothing to do with this and I like to play tight and fold preflop around 70% of the time. But I want lots of people seeing the flop with me on the premium starting hands in position I do play.
I don't mind loose aggressive players. If they want to splash chips around with reckless raising and reraising that's fine with me. There's just more variance against such players since you generally don't know if they have anything more than bottom pair with their raises and reraises. Plus nobody folds because the pot is large and the raiser is reckless and could be raising with anything. So the opponents will all call capped betting rounds to the river with middle pair hoping for late help, or that it is good enough to take it. With large pots and nobody folding there are even more, and more expensive bad beats. But that's the cost of doing business against bad players so I'm not complaining.
Anyway how to pick a table. I like full 10 player tables since the blinds come around less frequently so cost less. That allows me to play tight and wait for premium starting hands without the blinds eating at my stack.
Usually there are around 2-4 tables on Stars at my level with 9 players. I used to use flop % and pick the one with the highest percentage seeing the flop. However I found that after I sat down the table would often be a lot tighter than the 68% flop percentage from the lobby. I think flop % is skewed by a small number (2-3) of players who see the flop virtually 100% of the time. If 1 or 2 such players leave the table then by the time new players join the flop percentage can plummet. So I don't bother with flop % any more since it is unreliable due to the large amount of players coming and going from the tables at this level.
Then I tried just picking a table at random, like I used to in Yahoo. I wrote a small Python script to select one. That was OK I guess, but then I'd get into unstable tables I didn't really like. In Stars micro stakes limit a table can start out well with 9-10 players but then quickly in about 5 minutes disintegrate down to like 4-5 players.
Unstable tables that may be about to disintegrate can be spotted by the following:
I came up with a new plan to just pick a table manually. What I do now is this.
I don't mind loose aggressive players. If they want to splash chips around with reckless raising and reraising that's fine with me. There's just more variance against such players since you generally don't know if they have anything more than bottom pair with their raises and reraises. Plus nobody folds because the pot is large and the raiser is reckless and could be raising with anything. So the opponents will all call capped betting rounds to the river with middle pair hoping for late help, or that it is good enough to take it. With large pots and nobody folding there are even more, and more expensive bad beats. But that's the cost of doing business against bad players so I'm not complaining.
Anyway how to pick a table. I like full 10 player tables since the blinds come around less frequently so cost less. That allows me to play tight and wait for premium starting hands without the blinds eating at my stack.
Usually there are around 2-4 tables on Stars at my level with 9 players. I used to use flop % and pick the one with the highest percentage seeing the flop. However I found that after I sat down the table would often be a lot tighter than the 68% flop percentage from the lobby. I think flop % is skewed by a small number (2-3) of players who see the flop virtually 100% of the time. If 1 or 2 such players leave the table then by the time new players join the flop percentage can plummet. So I don't bother with flop % any more since it is unreliable due to the large amount of players coming and going from the tables at this level.
Then I tried just picking a table at random, like I used to in Yahoo. I wrote a small Python script to select one. That was OK I guess, but then I'd get into unstable tables I didn't really like. In Stars micro stakes limit a table can start out well with 9-10 players but then quickly in about 5 minutes disintegrate down to like 4-5 players.
Unstable tables that may be about to disintegrate can be spotted by the following:
- Players (even 1, but especially more than 1) who are holding a seat at the table but sitting out, not playing. This is very annoying, as it makes the table look fuller in the lobby than it actually is.
- Players in distress. If someone has less than 10 BB in his stack then that person often goes bust in a few hands then either leaves or sits out. If there is more than one player in distress then the table can be in rapid flux.
I came up with a new plan to just pick a table manually. What I do now is this.
- Open all of the tables with 9 players.
- Eliminate the unstable tables with sitters or people in distress.
- Watch a couple hands in progress on the remaining tables if there is more than one.
- Pick the table with the most people seeing the flop.
- Also I look for players I recognize, have notes on, and are known to be bad players. The occasional known good player is OK to play with since I at least have a read on him. I prefer that to playing unknowns.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Cowboys
Pocket kings is a great starting hand. I will raise, 3bet and cap this preflop from any position. Of course the Achilles of this hand is when an Ace appears on the board, or rarely when an opponent has AA. Many players including myself find it hard to let go of premium starting hands TT-KK when there are multiple players seeing the flop and an overcard appears on the board.
PokerStars 0.02/0.04 Hold'em (10 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.com
Preflop: Hero is BB with Kd, Ks. UTG posts a blind of $0.03.
UTG (poster) checks, UTG+1 raises, UTG+2 calls, 4 folds, Button calls, 1 fold, Hero 3-bets, UTG folds, UTG+1 caps, UTG+2 calls, Button calls, Hero calls.
--> Excellent, 4 people calling a capped preflop and I have Cowboys.
Flop: (18 SB) 3s, 4h, 4c (4 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks, UTG+2 checks, Button bets, Hero raises, UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 folds, Button calls.
--> Fortunately no Ace on the flop. I think I'm in the lead. Somebody could have a 4, at this level that is not impossible. AA is also possible. Someone actually folds to my checkraise.
Turn: (12 BB) 8s (3 players)
Hero bets, UTG+1 folds, Button calls.
--> Turn changes nothing I'm guessing. So I bet it out.
River: (14 BB) As (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets, Hero calls.
--> Ace on the river, bleh. I'm quite possibly beat since some people at this level will call all the way to the river with just an Ace, but no way I'm folding for one bet to see his cards at showdown. If there is at least a 1/14 chance he's bluffing the Ace then it is profitable for me to call here. Luckily for me by the time the Ace appeared there were just two of us left in the pot. It demonstrates the importance of playing KK aggressively preflop and on the flop to try to drive out people who have just an Ace.
Final Pot: 16 BB
Results below:
Hero has [Kd Ks] (two pair, kings and fours).
Button shows [7h 7d] (two pair, Sevens and Fours).
Outcome: Hero wins 16 BB.
PokerStars 0.02/0.04 Hold'em (10 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.com
Preflop: Hero is BB with Kd, Ks. UTG posts a blind of $0.03.
UTG (poster) checks, UTG+1 raises, UTG+2 calls, 4 folds, Button calls, 1 fold, Hero 3-bets, UTG folds, UTG+1 caps, UTG+2 calls, Button calls, Hero calls.
--> Excellent, 4 people calling a capped preflop and I have Cowboys.
Flop: (18 SB) 3s, 4h, 4c (4 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks, UTG+2 checks, Button bets, Hero raises, UTG+1 calls, UTG+2 folds, Button calls.
--> Fortunately no Ace on the flop. I think I'm in the lead. Somebody could have a 4, at this level that is not impossible. AA is also possible. Someone actually folds to my checkraise.
Turn: (12 BB) 8s (3 players)
Hero bets, UTG+1 folds, Button calls.
--> Turn changes nothing I'm guessing. So I bet it out.
River: (14 BB) As (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets, Hero calls.
--> Ace on the river, bleh. I'm quite possibly beat since some people at this level will call all the way to the river with just an Ace, but no way I'm folding for one bet to see his cards at showdown. If there is at least a 1/14 chance he's bluffing the Ace then it is profitable for me to call here. Luckily for me by the time the Ace appeared there were just two of us left in the pot. It demonstrates the importance of playing KK aggressively preflop and on the flop to try to drive out people who have just an Ace.
Final Pot: 16 BB
Results below:
Hero has [Kd Ks] (two pair, kings and fours).
Button shows [7h 7d] (two pair, Sevens and Fours).
Outcome: Hero wins 16 BB.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Pocket rockets
I got pocket Aces for the first time at micro stakes limit. I know it won't always turn out this well but this one was very satisfying.
Preflop: Hero is SB with Ac, As.
1 fold, UTG+1 calls, 1 fold, MP2 raises, CO calls, 1 fold, Hero 3-bets, BB caps, UTG+1 calls, MP2 calls, CO calls, Hero calls.
--> Five people tag along with a capped preflop and I have Aces. yes!
Flop: (20 SB) 9s, Kc, Jc (5 players)
Hero bets, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, MP2 raises, CO calls, Hero 3-bets, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, MP2 caps, CO calls, Hero calls, BB calls, UTG+1 calls.
--> Flop is pretty good. No flush yet, and the two face cards should draw some action. However there is a also straight draw and a chance I'm behind here if someone has KK, JJ, KJ, K9, J9, 99, or QT. With 5 people seeing the flop all of these are possible. Still I like my hand so I lead bet. I really should have check raised to better defend my hand, after all at this point all I have is top pair. Then again with the size of the pot it is unlikely anyone would fold to a check raise bet that wouldn't have folded to the lead bet.
Turn: (20 BB) [9s Kc Jc] [3h] (5 players)
Hero bets, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, MP2 raises, CO calls, Hero calls, BB calls, UTG+1 calls.
--> Turn looks like a blank. I again lead bet. I'm thinking I'm WA/WB (way ahead or way behind) at this point. I decide not to 3bet the raise since I could be WB with only the pair of Aces.
River: (30 BB) [9s Kc Jc 3h] [Ad] (5 players)
Hero bets, BB folds, UTG+1 folds, MP2 raises, CO calls, Hero 3-bets, MP2 caps, CO calls, Hero calls.
--> Ace on the river is a gift from the electronic dealer. I've just retaken the lead if anyone else has 2 pair or 3 of a kind. I again lead bet, expecting to be raised. Villian complies and I 3bet his raise since I'm much more confident I have this won. The QT straight is still a possibility.
Final Pot: 42 BB
Showdown:
MP2 has Ah Js (two pair, aces and jacks).
CO has 8h Kd (one pair, kings).
Hero has Ac As (three of a kind, aces).
Outcome: Hero wins 42 BB.
--> Showdown and I take down the huge 42 BB pot. Gotta like it.
Preflop: Hero is SB with Ac, As.
1 fold, UTG+1 calls, 1 fold, MP2 raises, CO calls, 1 fold, Hero 3-bets, BB caps, UTG+1 calls, MP2 calls, CO calls, Hero calls.
--> Five people tag along with a capped preflop and I have Aces. yes!
Flop: (20 SB) 9s, Kc, Jc (5 players)
Hero bets, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, MP2 raises, CO calls, Hero 3-bets, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, MP2 caps, CO calls, Hero calls, BB calls, UTG+1 calls.
--> Flop is pretty good. No flush yet, and the two face cards should draw some action. However there is a also straight draw and a chance I'm behind here if someone has KK, JJ, KJ, K9, J9, 99, or QT. With 5 people seeing the flop all of these are possible. Still I like my hand so I lead bet. I really should have check raised to better defend my hand, after all at this point all I have is top pair. Then again with the size of the pot it is unlikely anyone would fold to a check raise bet that wouldn't have folded to the lead bet.
Turn: (20 BB) [9s Kc Jc] [3h] (5 players)
Hero bets, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, MP2 raises, CO calls, Hero calls, BB calls, UTG+1 calls.
--> Turn looks like a blank. I again lead bet. I'm thinking I'm WA/WB (way ahead or way behind) at this point. I decide not to 3bet the raise since I could be WB with only the pair of Aces.
River: (30 BB) [9s Kc Jc 3h] [Ad] (5 players)
Hero bets, BB folds, UTG+1 folds, MP2 raises, CO calls, Hero 3-bets, MP2 caps, CO calls, Hero calls.
--> Ace on the river is a gift from the electronic dealer. I've just retaken the lead if anyone else has 2 pair or 3 of a kind. I again lead bet, expecting to be raised. Villian complies and I 3bet his raise since I'm much more confident I have this won. The QT straight is still a possibility.
Final Pot: 42 BB
Showdown:
MP2 has Ah Js (two pair, aces and jacks).
CO has 8h Kd (one pair, kings).
Hero has Ac As (three of a kind, aces).
Outcome: Hero wins 42 BB.
--> Showdown and I take down the huge 42 BB pot. Gotta like it.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Sit n' go update
These are my results so far at low stakes sit n go.
tournaments: 6
in the $: 1
wins: 0
% in the $: 17%
ROI: -18.2%
I was break even after the first five, then bubbled out in 5th in a 2 table tourney, bleh. The last tournament was disappointing because I doubled up the very first hand and was in the top 4 right until about the final 5 hands. There are about three hands I wish I'd played different plus a horrible bad beat at the very end put me outta the money.
Anyway that's that. I'm only down 1 buy in for my efforts, so that's not exactly embarrasing or anything. I have decided that I'm going to leave off sit n go for a while and concentrate just on limit, which is going well. I'm just not enjoying the sng like I did at play money. Also it takes a lot longer at low stakes to get to the money in the 2-3 table tourneys. When I busted out in my last tournament it was after 1 1/2 hours and something like 140 hands, the blinds were t300/t600. ouch. Back at play money it only took about half that long to get into the money. Often it was heads up by the t100/t200 level, usually t200/t400 at the latest.
No big deal. Low stakes 2-3 table sit n go is just not my thing. I tried it and I didn't really care for it. I'll probably try tournament play again some time in the future, it is a challenge for me. But I need to think it through and come up with a new approach. First of all it won't be the 2-3 table tourneys. They just take way too long.
I'll play either the 1 table sng or big multi table tourneys with hundreds of players. I also need to come up with a new game plan to build up a big stack needed to get to a point where the payoff is worth how long it takes to get there. What I probably should do is go to a different site than PokerStars where the 1 table sng only pay the top two finishers. That would force me to figure out how to be more aggressive to play to win [and very possibly go bust early], instead of trying to coast, protect my stack, win a few hands, push all in short stacked and hope to win a coin flip, hang around folding hoping others will go bust first allowing me to back into the money.
tournaments: 6
in the $: 1
wins: 0
% in the $: 17%
ROI: -18.2%
I was break even after the first five, then bubbled out in 5th in a 2 table tourney, bleh. The last tournament was disappointing because I doubled up the very first hand and was in the top 4 right until about the final 5 hands. There are about three hands I wish I'd played different plus a horrible bad beat at the very end put me outta the money.
Anyway that's that. I'm only down 1 buy in for my efforts, so that's not exactly embarrasing or anything. I have decided that I'm going to leave off sit n go for a while and concentrate just on limit, which is going well. I'm just not enjoying the sng like I did at play money. Also it takes a lot longer at low stakes to get to the money in the 2-3 table tourneys. When I busted out in my last tournament it was after 1 1/2 hours and something like 140 hands, the blinds were t300/t600. ouch. Back at play money it only took about half that long to get into the money. Often it was heads up by the t100/t200 level, usually t200/t400 at the latest.
No big deal. Low stakes 2-3 table sit n go is just not my thing. I tried it and I didn't really care for it. I'll probably try tournament play again some time in the future, it is a challenge for me. But I need to think it through and come up with a new approach. First of all it won't be the 2-3 table tourneys. They just take way too long.
I'll play either the 1 table sng or big multi table tourneys with hundreds of players. I also need to come up with a new game plan to build up a big stack needed to get to a point where the payoff is worth how long it takes to get there. What I probably should do is go to a different site than PokerStars where the 1 table sng only pay the top two finishers. That would force me to figure out how to be more aggressive to play to win [and very possibly go bust early], instead of trying to coast, protect my stack, win a few hands, push all in short stacked and hope to win a coin flip, hang around folding hoping others will go bust first allowing me to back into the money.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Bad blinds steal push
I went bust on a bad play in a three table sit n' go.
It was a three table tournament. There were around 11 people left. Not quite the final table. It was two tables with 5-6 people each. That made it tough because the blinds were coming around fast.
I was playing OK I think, at least not wasting chips. I didn't have much cards to work with. I was in last place with just under 7 BB left. I had been in push/fold mode for a while due to my short stack. I'd been all preflop in a few times and nobody had called yet.
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.com
MP (t3435)
Button (t3565)
SB (t3580)
halpgr (t1375)
UTG (t1460)
Preflop: halpgr is BB with 6h, 5d.
3 folds,
SB completes,
halpgr raises to t1375,
SB calls t1175.
--> Opponent limped into the BB. I tried to steal by moving all in with a garbage hand 65. He paused for a moment then called.
Flop: (t2750) [Kc 4h Ad] (2 players)
Turn: (t2750) [Kc 4h Ad] [2c] (2 players)
River: (t2750) [Kc 4h Ad 2c] [Kh] (2 players)
Final Pot: t2750
Showdown:
halpgr has 6h 5d (one pair, kings).
SB has 7s Ac (two pair, aces and kings).
Outcome: SB wins t2750.
He made a good call with A7, and won the hand easily.
I should have just checked to see the flop for free and only pushed if the flop was favorable.
I think this was a bad spot to push all in preflop. With still about 7 BB left, I could wait to push better hands like any Ace, a pocket pair, or two face cards. I think the blinds steal push is a valid play, but I should have waited until I was down to 3-4 BB to try it.
I've now gone bust on bad plays in 2 of the 3 low stakes sng. I wasn't likely to finish in the money anyway on either of the sng where I messed up. Still I have to play better to be successful at sng.
It was a three table tournament. There were around 11 people left. Not quite the final table. It was two tables with 5-6 people each. That made it tough because the blinds were coming around fast.
I was playing OK I think, at least not wasting chips. I didn't have much cards to work with. I was in last place with just under 7 BB left. I had been in push/fold mode for a while due to my short stack. I'd been all preflop in a few times and nobody had called yet.
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.com
MP (t3435)
Button (t3565)
SB (t3580)
halpgr (t1375)
UTG (t1460)
Preflop: halpgr is BB with 6h, 5d.
3 folds,
SB completes,
halpgr raises to t1375,
SB calls t1175.
--> Opponent limped into the BB. I tried to steal by moving all in with a garbage hand 65. He paused for a moment then called.
Flop: (t2750) [Kc 4h Ad] (2 players)
Turn: (t2750) [Kc 4h Ad] [2c] (2 players)
River: (t2750) [Kc 4h Ad 2c] [Kh] (2 players)
Final Pot: t2750
Showdown:
halpgr has 6h 5d (one pair, kings).
SB has 7s Ac (two pair, aces and kings).
Outcome: SB wins t2750.
He made a good call with A7, and won the hand easily.
I should have just checked to see the flop for free and only pushed if the flop was favorable.
I think this was a bad spot to push all in preflop. With still about 7 BB left, I could wait to push better hands like any Ace, a pocket pair, or two face cards. I think the blinds steal push is a valid play, but I should have waited until I was down to 3-4 BB to try it.
I've now gone bust on bad plays in 2 of the 3 low stakes sng. I wasn't likely to finish in the money anyway on either of the sng where I messed up. Still I have to play better to be successful at sng.
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