Last night, the session after I was inspired to come up with the underwater percentage statistic, I was underwater 0% of the time! I haven't checked exactly how rare that is for me, but I'm sure it's very rare. First, it requires winning the first hand, something that I should only be able to do one time in seven (since I invariably join a table with 6 players). Next, it requires not hitting a bad patch, and bad patches are endemic to poker. Finally, it requires the will to quit while I'm ahead, even though it's likely I'll want to continue playing. Add that all up, and I'd estimate that the odds of me having a high and dry session are about one in fifty. Of course, high and dry sessions aren't important; what's important is to have sessions in the black. Enough sessions in the black, and you get into the blue :-)
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 30 hands and saw flop:
- 2 out of 5 times while in big blind (40%)
- 2 out of 5 times while in small blind (40%)
- 11 out of 20 times in other positions (55%)
- a total of 15 out of 30 (50%)
Pots won at showdown - 3 of 4 (75%)
Pots won without showdown - 3
delta: $30,400
balance: $2,130,160
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Underwater percentage
Last night's session inspired me to come up with another poker stat. I call this one the underwater percentage; that is, the percentage of times when your stack at the start of a hand is below its original amount. The most impressive underwater percentage for a winning session of the ones I've computed so far comes from the session I played the Saturday before last, when fully 120 of the 122 hands I played started with my stack underwater, for 98.36%. Last night, I was underwater for 76 of 85 hands, or 89.41%.
It's not a particularly meaningful stat, but it's still kind of fun to look at. The bigger the number, the more you have to be proud of, or thankful for, or some combination of the two. The thing is, you have to expect to be playing underwater the majority of the time; that's just the nature of poker. You have to wait your turn to win, and while you're waiting, you're underwater. It's certainly nothing to worry about.
On the penultimate hand of last night's session, I won a pot worth $19,000 with two pair, sixes and fours.
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 85 hands and saw flop:
- 16 out of 19 times while in big blind (84%)
- 14 out of 19 times while in small blind (73%)
- 35 out of 47 times in other positions (74%)
- a total of 65 out of 85 (76%)
Pots won at showdown - 9 of 16 (56%)
Pots won without showdown - 8
delta: $6,750
balance: $2,099,760
It's not a particularly meaningful stat, but it's still kind of fun to look at. The bigger the number, the more you have to be proud of, or thankful for, or some combination of the two. The thing is, you have to expect to be playing underwater the majority of the time; that's just the nature of poker. You have to wait your turn to win, and while you're waiting, you're underwater. It's certainly nothing to worry about.
On the penultimate hand of last night's session, I won a pot worth $19,000 with two pair, sixes and fours.
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 85 hands and saw flop:
- 16 out of 19 times while in big blind (84%)
- 14 out of 19 times while in small blind (73%)
- 35 out of 47 times in other positions (74%)
- a total of 65 out of 85 (76%)
Pots won at showdown - 9 of 16 (56%)
Pots won without showdown - 8
delta: $6,750
balance: $2,099,760
Monday, October 17, 2011
Desperation bets
On Saturday night, I doubled up on the third hand. I'd hit a set of sevens on the flop, raised to $800 that round, raised to $11,600 on the turn, and went all in on the river. The fact that I got a caller on the river really surprised me. Either that player was really bad, or he made a really bad read. Thinking it over, the only way his decision could have been based on a bad read was if he interpreted my river bet as a desperation bet. When you know your hand is beat, you either have to fold or make a desperation bet - a very large bet meant to dissuade callers. If you get called, you're toast. I very rarely make desperation bets.
The ironic thing is, if you're playing against someone who thinks he can read desperation bets, you're better off going all in with a strong hand than trying to make a value bet! I may have somehow sensed that that particular opponent would be fooled by an all in bet at that particular moment, but it's much more likely I simply lucked out.
After that huge pot, my stack descended slowly but surely back to its starting amount. It even dipped below it briefly. Shortly after I'd gone back into the black, the whole table quit on me.
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 86 hands and saw flop:
- 9 out of 14 times while in big blind (64%)
- 6 out of 13 times while in small blind (46%)
- 38 out of 59 times in other positions (64%)
- a total of 53 out of 86 (61%)
Pots won at showdown - 5 of 11 (45%)
Pots won without showdown - 9
delta: $3,400
balance: $2,093,010
The ironic thing is, if you're playing against someone who thinks he can read desperation bets, you're better off going all in with a strong hand than trying to make a value bet! I may have somehow sensed that that particular opponent would be fooled by an all in bet at that particular moment, but it's much more likely I simply lucked out.
After that huge pot, my stack descended slowly but surely back to its starting amount. It even dipped below it briefly. Shortly after I'd gone back into the black, the whole table quit on me.
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 86 hands and saw flop:
- 9 out of 14 times while in big blind (64%)
- 6 out of 13 times while in small blind (46%)
- 38 out of 59 times in other positions (64%)
- a total of 53 out of 86 (61%)
Pots won at showdown - 5 of 11 (45%)
Pots won without showdown - 9
delta: $3,400
balance: $2,093,010
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Into the blue
Last night, I went into the blue again. That's my shorthand for growing my stack to a new all-time high. From up there, all you see is blue sky. Getting into the blue is a great feeling; it makes you believe that anything is possible.
On the penultimate hand of the night, I made an ace high straight on the turn, called two all-in bets, and won a pot worth $74,800.
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 71 hands and saw flop:
- 13 out of 15 times while in big blind (86%)
- 8 out of 15 times while in small blind (53%)
- 27 out of 41 times in other positions (65%)
- a total of 48 out of 71 (67%)
Pots won at showdown - 6 of 7 (85%)
Pots won without showdown - 14
delta: $55,850
balance: $2,089,610
On the penultimate hand of the night, I made an ace high straight on the turn, called two all-in bets, and won a pot worth $74,800.
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 71 hands and saw flop:
- 13 out of 15 times while in big blind (86%)
- 8 out of 15 times while in small blind (53%)
- 27 out of 41 times in other positions (65%)
- a total of 48 out of 71 (67%)
Pots won at showdown - 6 of 7 (85%)
Pots won without showdown - 14
delta: $55,850
balance: $2,089,610
Friday, October 14, 2011
House on fourth street
One of the really fun things about poker is that there are multiple ways to describe the same thing, which you can vary at your whim. For example, another name for the river is fifth street, and another name for the turn is fourth street. Last night, in my penultimate hand, I made a full house on fourth street, went all in, and won a pot worth $49,600.
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 48 hands and saw flop:
- 6 out of 8 times while in big blind (75%)
- 4 out of 8 times while in small blind (50%)
- 13 out of 32 times in other positions (40%)
- a total of 23 out of 48 (47%)
Pots won at showdown - 3 of 8 (37%)
Pots won without showdown - 3
delta: $9,000
balance: $2,033,760
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 48 hands and saw flop:
- 6 out of 8 times while in big blind (75%)
- 4 out of 8 times while in small blind (50%)
- 13 out of 32 times in other positions (40%)
- a total of 23 out of 48 (47%)
Pots won at showdown - 3 of 8 (37%)
Pots won without showdown - 3
delta: $9,000
balance: $2,033,760
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Fwopping
Faithful readers of this blog will remember that fwep is an acronym I coined which stands for "fold with extreme prejudice". You might be guessing that since I'm mentioning fwepping, last night I might have fwepped a lot, but you'd be wrong. Last night, I fwopped a lot. Don't worry, I haven't told you what fwop stands for yet, so you can be forgiven for drawing a blank. Fwop stands for "fold without pain" (I know, I had to use a vowel from within a word in order to eke out a pronounceable acronym; sue me :-).
Folding without pain is when you have no regrets about folding, and not even a scintilla of doubt about the propriety of doing so. Fwepping has emotion attached to it, but fwopping has no emotion, just austere, beautiful, Vulcan-like logic. I foresee little fwepping in my poker future, but large quantities of fwopping. To paraphrase Corinthians, when I was a poker child, I bet as a child, I called as a child, and I folded as a child; but now that I'm a poker adult, I've put away childish things.
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 67 hands and saw flop:
- 6 out of 9 times while in big blind (66%)
- 4 out of 10 times while in small blind (40%)
- 16 out of 48 times in other positions (33%)
- a total of 26 out of 67 (38%)
Pots won at showdown - 3 of 5 (60%)
Pots won without showdown - 4
delta: $11,700
balance: $2,024,760
Folding without pain is when you have no regrets about folding, and not even a scintilla of doubt about the propriety of doing so. Fwepping has emotion attached to it, but fwopping has no emotion, just austere, beautiful, Vulcan-like logic. I foresee little fwepping in my poker future, but large quantities of fwopping. To paraphrase Corinthians, when I was a poker child, I bet as a child, I called as a child, and I folded as a child; but now that I'm a poker adult, I've put away childish things.
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 67 hands and saw flop:
- 6 out of 9 times while in big blind (66%)
- 4 out of 10 times while in small blind (40%)
- 16 out of 48 times in other positions (33%)
- a total of 26 out of 67 (38%)
Pots won at showdown - 3 of 5 (60%)
Pots won without showdown - 4
delta: $11,700
balance: $2,024,760
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Wavelength
The title of this post comes from a classic song by Van Morrison which I like a lot. It's a song about how a man is turned on when his lover gets him on her wavelength. I never thought about it before, but I think it's pretty important who's the sender and who's the receiver. You notice it's not the man who gets the woman on his wavelength, but the woman who gets the man on hers.
I think there's a nice parallel here with Lady Luck. When I play my best poker, I'm not sending at all; I'm merely a receiver. That might not sound like a lot, but it's actually a very hard thing to do. It's the easiest thing in the world to tell yourself that you're a good player, but when you do so, you're sending (if only to yourself). Poker is all about receiving; you must receive as much information as you can, and only act when the information warrants it. You have to be patient, and wait for Lady Luck to get you on her wavelength!
On Saturday night, it took me 121 hands to get into the black; when I finally did, I won a pot worth $17,200 without a showdown. I had pocket rockets, and no one called my final bet.
Work has been busy lately, and I haven't had a chance to play; I've really been missing it and am psyched I'm going to play tonight!
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 122 hands and saw flop:
- 19 out of 23 times while in big blind (82%)
- 20 out of 24 times while in small blind (83%)
- 56 out of 75 times in other positions (74%)
- a total of 95 out of 122 (77%)
Pots won at showdown - 14 of 25 (56%)
Pots won without showdown - 19
delta: $9,600
balance: $2,013,060
I think there's a nice parallel here with Lady Luck. When I play my best poker, I'm not sending at all; I'm merely a receiver. That might not sound like a lot, but it's actually a very hard thing to do. It's the easiest thing in the world to tell yourself that you're a good player, but when you do so, you're sending (if only to yourself). Poker is all about receiving; you must receive as much information as you can, and only act when the information warrants it. You have to be patient, and wait for Lady Luck to get you on her wavelength!
On Saturday night, it took me 121 hands to get into the black; when I finally did, I won a pot worth $17,200 without a showdown. I had pocket rockets, and no one called my final bet.
Work has been busy lately, and I haven't had a chance to play; I've really been missing it and am psyched I'm going to play tonight!
During current Hold'em session you were dealt 122 hands and saw flop:
- 19 out of 23 times while in big blind (82%)
- 20 out of 24 times while in small blind (83%)
- 56 out of 75 times in other positions (74%)
- a total of 95 out of 122 (77%)
Pots won at showdown - 14 of 25 (56%)
Pots won without showdown - 19
delta: $9,600
balance: $2,013,060
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