Operation: Grind out of micros in '09

Woohoo, my BR just hit $300!

I actually was getting sick of the cash game grind so I spent the last 2 days playing $1 sngs. (+$28)

Now I guess I'll move up to 10NL Smile

Hey Outlaw. Congrats on hitting $300...glad to see you dug yourself out of that hole. I had a downswing recently as well. I think it's good to have our downswings early to see how well we deal with it.

Anyway, I'm a little curious as to your BRM for SnGs. I see you're grinding $1 SnGs with a (at the time) $278 BR. Any reason? I mean...that bankroll is potentially large enough for $10+$1 SnGs. Are you practicing? The $6+$.50 SnGs are pretty easy and pay off pretty nicely. I work on those when I get tired of the cash game grind or feel I should get some practice rounds in. Additionally, the $2+$.20 MTT's are pretty good at 11:00EST. First prize usually wins about a grand and it is quite easy to make the money and get some practice in. This is all assuming you're on PokerStars. Good luck buddy!

The grind continues. I am currently doing sets of twenty $6.50 turbos. Running at 16% ROI through my first 5 sets for an hourly rate of $21/hr.

The BR is at $429. I am debating whether to switch back to cash games once I'm rolled for 25NL or move up to $16 SNGS. I might just switch back and forth since I enjoy both. I know I am supposed to specialize but I can't seem to give up either or stick to one form or other for more than a month or two.

Honestly, my hourly rate is always higher in SNGs.. any one got any advice?

Thanks in advance.

If you enjoy playing sngs, and you $/hr is higher (and thats something you care about right now) then stick with those and mix in some cash when you feel like it. I feel that there is more of a shot at making a higher $/hr at cash once you get to a level that is high enough, as the sngs continue to get dryer and dryer as you move up, but there are still enough fish (apparently) at 100nl and possibly 200nl. Its totally up to you though, and whatever you choose, make sure its right for YOU.

Good work on the roll building sir, keep up the grind.

Thanks guys.

Yeah I think its easy to forget this is a game and it should be about having fun. I just can't believe I am playing a game I love and making money at it.

April results:

BR +$320
Achieved Gold star
15k cash hands at 9BB/100
800ish SNGs at 4% ROI (yeah I suck)

Ran decent the first half of the month then was doom switched the past 2 weeks. I still managed to move the BR up a bit anyways so all is well.

May goals:
Get to 25NL
Play 25k hands
Play 500 SNGs
Maintain Gold star status
Review more hands
Tape the doom switch in the off position or break the fuc!#! off.

Good month sir!

A special thanks to Robb for sweating me the other day and mailing me a HUGE list of notes on the session. Very good stuff man, I can't thank you enough for the help!

On another note, I just played in four of those 3FPP steps tourney qualifiers. What a clusterfu#@ those are. I managed to win one but won like 18/20 flips to do it. Needless to say, I am never playing these again unless I am friggin' drunk or really bored.

I guess my 12FPP investment to win $7.50 isn't too bad though Smile

I haven't updated the op in awhile.

I have only been able to play very sporadically the past few months but am recently starting to get back into playing a few more hours a month.

Last month was my first real month with any volume and I managed to add about $300 to my tiny bankroll.

So far this month I have managed to get the BR above $750 for the first time in a LONG time because I am trying to stick to my "never cash out" again policy. At least not my entire friggin BR.

I am hoping to start getting in at least 50k hands a month.

I played my first 25NL session today, btw. Here is the results.

Thats a good start, keep up the good work dude!

nh nit!
well done, keep it up

Thanks yall.

I am still grinding 25NL. I find it to be very similar to 10NL if not a bit nittier. There are a lot of 5/3ish people.. just gotta stay out of their way.

I have been experimenting with playing a 50bb stack and it seems to be working okay so far. I feel like although my monsters don't have the same potential, they are more likely to be paid off because the commitment threshold is so much lower due to my stack size.

I also don't give the regulars the right price to set mine against since my standard raise is to 5bbs. I almost never lose to a set anymore with QQ/KK/AA.. maybe I just run good.

I have flown through this level so far but don't have my hopes up. I will take a shot at 50NL when I hit $1,500. Hopefully I don't muck it up too badly Very Happy

I am running about 9/7 some days and 10/8 others with a ATS of about 28%. I would like to get that up to around 12/10. I think my MP range is way too tight. I run 8/6 from the hijack and 20/18 from the button. Any thoughts?

Here is my 25NL graph so far. My all in performance graph says I'm running $100 under ev? wth does that mean?

First month of 25NL complete. I ran 2.66BB/100 over 50k hands. Not too bad, although I did run bad over the last 20k hands. I was running about 4BB/100 over my first 30k. I am still adjusting to the play and hope to make 50NL this month.

I made a decision to start cashing out half of what I make in poker every month as kind of a side job/paycheck. I was up $900 this month and had $450 shipped to me yesterday by stars.

I felt it works out really well for me anyways because I was $70 from $1,500 and 50NL and know that I am no where near ready to move up. So I'll spend at least most of November grinding 25NL and trying to improve my game so that I don't get culture shocked too bad when I hit the next level.

My hourly rate this month was the best ever, $21/hr with Rakeback. Where the hell was this game when I was in college and working my ass off for $5/hr? (that was the early 90s) You young guys are so lucky.

I was able to get Goldstar this month and played 80k hands. My goal this month is 100k, but I'd be okay with a bit less since I am moving in the middle of the month and won't be able to play for up to a week. Platinum star should be obtainable with 75k hands at 25NL.

I don't think I will hit my goal of 100NL by the end of this year, and its not because I don't think I can get there bankroll wise, its just I don't want to rush my development. I want to be an above average winning player at all levels and since this is only a side income for me, I don't feel any pressure to move up too fast.

I think 100NL by spring is a realistic goal. I would like to make a push for Supernova next year. It should be fairly easy as I am likely to get about 8kVPPs per month at 25NL alone and almost twice that at 50NL. I will hold off on setting next years goals until the end of this year, however. Anyways, I think I've written enough for now. Thanks for reading it you made it this far and thanks for following my progress. Smile

Very nice work man! Good to see you've kept on improving since I've been gone. I think thats a pretty good idea to hold off until you think you are ready for the next level. Good luck with the rest of this year man.

Since cashing out on the 30th I have been on a massive heater. Every session is similar.. I hit this 20 minute stretch where everything goes my way. The rest is all break even stretches.

So I am sitting at about a $1,400 bankroll. I really wasn't expecting to get to 50NL this fast.

I need some advice here.. do I just keep grinding 25NL for the rest of the month for the experience? Or do I go ahead and move up once I hit $1,500 and take a "shot"?

I am running 3.5BB/100 through about 60k hands so far at 25NL. I know that is way too small of a sample size. Any input would be appreciated.

I just played my first session ever of 50NL and it was disconcerting to say the least. All that money on the table at once.. holy cow.. major culture shock.

It only lasted 45 minutes but seemed like 2 hours. I managed to run okay, though. I avoided a lot of tricky spots and hit a couple of sets that I got paid some on. I ran 12/10/5.0 but only had 21% ATS which is way below the norm for me. I was definitely way too timid and will have to get over that. Remember, its only bbs we are playing for.. not cash.. now if I can convince myself of that..

Anyways, I'm glad its over with.. my results are below. Sustainable for sure.

Nice job, u seem to be pretty stable u'll probly cruise thru 50NL also.

I have been thinking a lot about what Dranger told me awhile back ( still need to read that book btw). I have been focusing on monetary goals way too much and in fact my whole op this year, "grind out of micros" is based around achieving a certain bankroll.

Sure, I want to get out of micros.. which I technically have since I am now at 50NL (by my old br standards). But what I really want to do, is improve as a player. So from now on I plan on never setting another goal revolving around money. All of my goals will be in regards to improving a certain aspect of my game, and if I do that.. I know the money will come.

So here I sit with a bankroll of about $1,600. My goal for this operation was 3k by years end. Well, I might achieve that.. I might not. And truthfully, I don't really care. I have cashed out over $2,500 in the past year so whats in my PokerStars account isn't an accurate reflection of the monetary goals I've achieved anyways.

Moving forward I have altered my BR management requirements. I do not feel comfortable at 50NL with 30 buy ins. I am waiting until I have $2,250 before moving back up again. I am also going to get even more nitty with it as I move up. I want to have 50 buy ins before I even think about 100NL. Note: I play a lot of tables FR, so it seems to make sense to me to nit it up.

So starting with November goals.

1. Maintain an ATS of at least 28%.
2. I'd like to loosen up just a bit and get from 11/9 to at least 12/10.
3. Work on opening up my 3-bet range a bit. I call way too much with AK/QQ and don't light 3-bet button/cutoff ranges nearly enough. My 3-bet % for October was an abysmal 1.75. So exploitable. I'd like to get that to 3.0 in November. Baby steps.

Yes! Glad to hear it man. I suggest going to amazon and getting that book asap lolz. I like your idea for setting stat/skill goals as opposed to monetary. I think that should be infinitely more +EV than monetary goals. 3% 3bet should be EZ game, 3betting vs lag/tags that open too much in LP and fold to much to 3bets is awesome. GET YOUR ASS INTO IRC!!!!!!!! (click my sig ldfo) You can discuss what types of hands to 3bet with, vs what villains, etc. The majority of my poker learning has taken place in there than on the forums as of late. GL in november!

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Operation: Grind out of micros in '09

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Operation: Grind out of micros in '09