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Micro Management (Just in case you were wondering - still here (ish) )
Best of luck Phantom! 
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Hi all,
Yes sorry its another diary thread...
Bear with me at least for this first post. Then ignore if you want - I dont mind - as I'll explain later.
Recent history
Yesterday I listened to the show on tilt which was fascinating viewing (well listening really I had one eye on the footy). One part really resonated with me when discussing how poker can be a release to life tilt.
This time last year I was having some serious life tilt. My wife was in hospital 60 miles away and my business was struggling.
As a release from the stresses of the situation I got back into poker - I found the game a great way to unwind and I got some great poker and life encouragement on the forum.
Far from continuing the life tilt into playing tilted poker I found that by
1. concentrating hard on just the poker for short spells
2. having disciplined bankroll management
3. keeping an honest diary and shaming my bad plays and getting advice on questionable hands
4. tracking scores of my results
...the poker ran well. I hit a decent ROI especially on 6max SNGs. Nothing spectacular but it gave me an escape, enjoyment, and a sense of achievement (albeit small in £ terms).
Things improved in life (despite setbacks in Mrs P case) and I got a decent 6 month contract to sort the business side and moneytary worries. It meant I was having less time for poker until I stopped for a while.
1 year on things are going well - Mrs P has recovered and is back at work and I am finding time for poker again.
I have been playing a few games lately - nothing structured - not recording or reviewing results - and not employing good b/r management. Wont bore you with the details but deposited b/r has gone from c80 /> c40.
So time to stop the rot! I pledge to excercise b/r management - record results and shame myself publicly if things don't get well.
A brief poker history
Grew up liking card and strategy games, represented my county at chess - played a bit of stud and draw poker with friends but never heard of holdem until late night poker. Got curious and regged on a site - lost $20 quickly - read up a bit - lost $40 slowly - read up a bit more - stayed in profit.
I actually started off playing limit cash - there was a lot of it online back then - plus the 1st poker book I bought was about limit. The first chapters on starting hands and reading a flop allowed me to lose my 2nd $40 deposit slowly and by the end of the book I was profitable - with more practice I got to gripse with position, pot odds, outs and even reading opponents. It's all a bit more straight forward in limit as you know the odds down the streets and its easy to control pot size and get odds for draws etc.
NL cash seemed way too scary - All in? whats that about.
Eventually got into NL thru SNGs and MTTs - watched the sky predecessor PNL (think some young chap called tikay or something was on it) Had some success at MTTs - Mr Harrington helped there but found was getting most consistent profits from SNGs. Highlight for me was on PNL being described as the "nemisis" of a pro I crushed on a tv game. (It wasnt anything special play wise - I had position and knew said pro was good enough to have a wide range of open raising hands on the button and could fold if thought was behind to a reraise which I managed to do a couple of times from BB).
Despite doing well in NL tourneys I still couldnt do NL cash - SNGs/MTTs seemed to suit me more and timing the aggression in line with blinds/stack sizes works well for me.
Followed on to sky when it started up but had mixed periods of activity and success. Definitely took a while to adjust from 10/8 max tables to 6.
A few ups and downs and breaks until last September and now this.
The challenge
Well I have a micro sized bankroll so I'll be on the micro stakes.
I will also be micro managing my journey with records and diary entries.
First target not to go bust! main aim is to have a positive ROI over time and to have fun.
I am planning to play 6max SNGs low stakes but will also finally try and crack NL cash.
I'll only play one or the other in a session but will multi table when I can.
Doing this for me - I found it helped me so much last time - so interact or not - dont mind - there are alot of diaires out there.
All I know is my results WILL be a lot better through doing this than they would be if I didn't so it's worth it.
GL at the tables!
Hope you weren't regretting the good luck wishes jimb0d when I won our race?
I have started now - one small session and a profitable one so, coincidence or not, the new focus and diary has helped stop the rot.
I was on mid-morning and the SNG lobby was pretty vacant.
I open regged for a £1 and £2 6max then joined a couple of 4nl cash tables.
Nothing too exciting on the cash - God save the queen say I - well she did save me - as on both tables my QQ flopped trips against 2 pair and lower trips - payoffs were not great as there was a flush and str8 possible on each board but enough to ensure both tables were profitable.
x2 BIs @ 4.00 profit of £0.18 and £0.46.
Total cash profit of £0.64.
I stopped the cash pretty much as soon as the SNGs spun up. Nice to win something among the anarchy in the uk that is 4nl but wont be paying for any holidays in the sun just yet.
So on to the SNGs
Nice to see jimb0d1 on the tables - solid player hope we dont clash too much.
£2 table finished first - I had been playing pretty solid without 2 much risk then got to the bubble by stacking a short stack with my 77 v QQ. Jimb0d and I were either side of a "chirpy" chappy with the s/s. Clearly I was hoping to squeeze shorty out but he suddenly turned super aggro and spun up to a comparable stack.
Pretty soon after I'm on BB Jimb0d min raises chirpy calls and I reraise with AQs - jimb0d shoves I call and we have a classic race with his 77 and its Q's to my rescue again as flop comes QQJ.
didnt take long to beat chirpy into submission when he makes up blind and I hit 33x flop with Q3 and induce a shove on turn.
Other table I was pretty card dead and player to my left was busy busting everyone and buidling a dominant stack. I was expecting an inevitable flip with the other shorty when they both go to war with big stack housing up and busting shorty who hit 2 pair on river. Suddenly I am in the money and HU but huge dog obviously.
Got a bit lucky to double up pf raise with A5 called hit mid pair and gutshot draw shove and called by u/d str8 draw which misses.
Nothing spectacular play wise from then on to win it - AT held up v A9 aipf then closed out with AT again v Q9s aipf.
But BOOMIO x2 SNGs x2 1st places
Session Starting balance £39.64
Session Closing balance £48.68
Session Profit £9.04
Hope to keep doing it my way - micro-managed - and maybe one day me and mrs P can have a trip to new york on the winnings?
Now this is how I keep track of SNG winnings.... because I like to monitor ROI and £/hr
Another short session.
Nothing much to say about cash very short with 10p profit had done same as before open reg'd 2 6max but they filled a bit quicker.
First bust out in a 6max - got a bit short and shoved utg 4 handed with A8, BB calls with KQ and hits KK flop.
The reason I got short was a terrible hand earlier which is what really cost me. I'll make a full confessional with h/h over the weekend.
Other table won - few ups and downs - got to 3 handed middle stack and s/stack doubled up - shoved from button with Q3s and got lucky v A2o making f/h Q's over K. Heads up behind got ahead then opponent gets maniacal - shoving and calling ai with a2c missed a few opportunities to bust them when well ahead but in his opportunities to bust me my hands were ahead and holding up. Eventually won through to maintain 100% record at £1 level.
Session Starting balance £48.68
Session Closing balance £49.38
Session Profit/Loss £0.70
Overall Profit/Loss £9.74
Will try and get a longer stint in over weekend but do prefer short sharp sessions to maintain concentration levels.
2 cash tables - no sngs (first mistake)
I am hoping you will tell me I did nothing wrong on the big swing hand. Had had a difficult start, then recovered losses with KK aipf v JJ and a short/stack 9T which held. A few hands later, this...
The only way I think I could have got away from the hand was if I had "s" pegged as nitty grinder, unfortunately I had seen them willing to gamble.
Hand History #819155542 (09:16 20/09/2014)
Cant help thinking I should have either shut right down or committed to a shove to fold out mid hands and hopefully still have outs if called. The way it was played was neither and get me unecessarily short.
Hand History #818991384 (21:04 19/09/2014)
See you are doing nicely building up from £40 on the DYMs.
Bit all over the place last few days.
Cash is going badly - going to knock on the head for a while - not really rolled for it at only 10 BIs and the first aim of this diary is not to go bust. Seriously at risk if I carry on.
Head not really on properly evidenced by smattering of different game types, HU, turbos and even an £11 B/H.
B/R now £47.96 but that is only because of £26 from Sky Premiership promotion! Hence poker play is losing.
Decided to
a) Get back some discipline and just play 6max for a while - favourite format
b) Play mainly £1 level until B/R over £60.
May take a while but need to stay disciplined as likely to bust if carry on messing around.
Will also take some time out to prepare proper review of results and do some hand analysis.
Feel free to ask me wtf I am doing if not on a low stakes 6 max table!
Back up to £49.91 now.
Had crept above £50 until lost my first £1 6max in a short streak of wins - mainly down to getting all in on flop with 2 shorties only for underpair to trip up.
Focussing on £3DYMs and £1/£2 6max - depending on mood and site volume.
Will bin the HU and cash for now and keep proper records of all SNGs - but wont be playing any more "speed" games.
Keeping to 1 table at a time until confident that I am back playing consistently well.
Got a specific target in mind too to help me stay focussed.
To take Mrs P to the Caribbean! Cant enter the Punta Cana promotion as unfortunately dates don't work. Figure I have 4 years to earn the £5k needed to give her a special 50th birthday.
That will be a long time coming at these rates and stakes but even the longest journey starts with a small step etc.
Obviously will need to increase volume and stakes at some point (unless I sat in and bink the roller).
It's a shame you're not taking Mrs D to the Caribbean but it's still a great target anyway!
Figure you have 5 years ~ is that because your not sure how old your wife is? heehee
I wish you all the best!!
I'm also going to be starting on the £3.30 DYMs in October to build up my BR so watch out I'm coming!
GL!
You are right I have indeed miscalculated it seems I have 29 years to reach my goal! According to Mrs P anyway.
All the best!
I landed on a very solid table.
Seems I was destined to lose - Stuarty should be grateful as he was bubble shorty. I was 2nd shorty with about 15BB.
Huge stack who has busted 2 players calls from button, SB makes up and I get a free flop with J4d
flop AK4 checked down
turn J - getting interesting - SB bets I call (didn't want to scare anyone off and being a dym happy to shut down if river bad for me) - button folds.
river J - getting very interesting - until the money goes in and SB had KJ -who'd have thunk it - knew I didn't have the nuts but felt AJ was highly unlikely and KJ pretty unlikely with plenty of str8 and Jx combos out there. Sigh.
B/R moving in the right direction - now £55.91
All of the profit has come from SNGs - the breakdown...
I am now focussing on the following games only
£1 6 max
£2 6 max
£3 DYM
£3 DYM PLO8
No more speed/turbos
I am also not focussing on time played as I am not ready to grind and 1 or 2 tabling.
The astute among you will have noted that is not the full b/r story though - Cash was losing overall - actually won 70% of sessions just the big swing hands seem to result in heavy losses in those sessions.
Also entered a few MTTs with no success.
The other forms pretty balanced out by the bink from the premiership promotion last week.
PS I like PLOPPING and I like to PLOP - rediscovered my fascination for this form of the game - probably minorly biased by the 6 game win streak which definitely helps the stats!. But seriously it is enjoyable to learn and play with a different feel to the games than your regular NL DYM grinds.
My inner-geek is loving the full results breakdown above - like you allude to, it needs more data (games) to be meaningful, but will no doubt be a very useful tool to refine your game choice as you move along.
The "good work" at the weekend was mostly the hammers grinders giving me a premiership £16 but hey I did actually win some through my own play.
PLO8 dyms running particularly well at the moment.
P2 W2 today to continue with the streak and just 2 6max £1 - 1 2nd 1 3rd.
Glad I am outing some geekiness! Trouble with the graph is that I'll now be sticking to the formats I have started well in.
In my last challenge I forced myself to play 100 dyms and 100 6max at the same stake to compare results.
I cant see myself playing too many turbo dyms or speed 6maxes for a while so those numbers will just have to stay red.
So B/R £77.21. I feel a cliff looming PLO8 luck cannot hold.
But this arrived this in the morning session...
[pic courtesy of Eileen Sanda c/o WikiCommons - get the legals in dont want to be sued]
and was it just variance - no - played like a bit of lemming tbh.
First PLO8 dym 4 handed I'm short - bigstack seems to like flops and raises from button, SB (next short and a solid reg pots) and do I fold? No - me reshoves all-in.
To be fair I had a good hand AAKJds but so what.
I think in the short time I had to think I convinced myself that other shortie must be crushing the bigstack and I would be better trying to bust them myself than lose a BB and watch other shortie double up (highly likely) or split a pot (likely) rather than bottle it and hope for the other shortie to bust.
I think if I had had AA2xds it would have fair - at least one of the opponents had to have a scoopy hand.
I think I'll post that one in the clinic for some analysis - maybe I am being "results oriented" and maybe I was correct?
The £1 6max was pretty standard - bubbled having been 3rd in chips and playing back at aggro middle stack - top pair on flop - opponent hits flush draw.
The 3rd loss was probably the worst - we are talking Orfordesque mistake here - not only had I regged by mistake for a 6max £3 PLO8 instead of a dym, I didnt realise that I had until we were 4 handed. There were 2 shorties on what I thought was the "bubble" and big stack is going crazy. I start getting a tad wound up at the post flop aggro and sigh folds thinking does this player not know how to play dyms when I realised I was the numpty - mr aggro was playing perfect 6max strategy with 2 shorties at the table and I was letting them walk all over me.
In the end one shortie busts and I end up extremely short with another shortie. Exit hand was not pretty - called for 3 way all-in preflop when could have left other 2 to play. Thinking more chance of busting other shortie and if we both lose I had larger stack at start of hand so still make 2nd.
That didnt work - might post that one in clinic too wasnt a premium hand but other shortie was ai pre from BB and I only had 1.5BBs.
To be fair I had got lucky earlier in that game with a sporty all-in call (especially seeing as I thought it was a dym!).
so big denty in bankrolly - will regroup and try again later.
P3 L3 session loss -£7.70 BR £69.51
After the 3 losses I played one more PLO8 DYM and cashed - It was one of those that went on to the point where you had to be lucky to survive. Everyone playing with stacks a few bigs - preying for walks on the BB - finding spots to open shove with fingers crossed pretty much every orbit. Luck held so the rot was stopped.
Since then - was logged on checking out forum with only a very short time available and regged for a 15 min tourney. Havent played one for about a year but I couldn't believe the play - felt like a FR b/h! In the end after losing a few chips with an AK pfp raise and cbet - I came over the top of an aggro with overcards and flush draw - called by underpair to board and I bricked. Cant complain got it in bad and should have known that would be the case - was not the sort of table to bluff on semi or otherwise.
Played a £1 6max - played it well enough shoved turn with made str8 to get called by 2 overcards? Hit their gutshot though to bust me. Cant complain got it in good and outdrawn thats luck.
Then played a PLO8 dym - was chip leader and feeling good about the table - wary of Maca (always have to be) but comfortable until colleague arrives having had a motorbike accident. Got them to call 111 and the advice was head to A&E to get checked over. So I took him in - all ok thankfully - some soft tissue damage. He was lucky came off at 40mph and managed not to hit anything too hard (apart from the tarmac but that was a slide and not a big impact) was well kitted out and so no abrasions.
I wasnt so lucky when I checked H/H on return - the inevitable blinded out. I have cashed in the odd DYM following a disconnect but not this time. Cant complain - my priority was my colleague and £3.30 lost is no big shake down.
Upshot bankroll now down to £64.51.
Hope to boost that back over the weekend.
I was having a look at the six max games. Am I right that there's no £3.30 level just £2.20/£5.50?
If so that's a shame, they would be perfect for me right now!
Keep going and GL!
xx
Shall we start a petition?