Operation Count

Okay, I've been suckered in. I'm starting an operation.

The goal: make $1234 by 5/6.

The methods: play (more tight that I have been, with possibly higher aggression [VP$IP 33ish; Aggro 2ish]) at UB 'til I've earned all my Bonus $$$ (to the tune of a couple hundred), then move to a site with easier game (and Bonus Whore there as well). I figure after all the bonus stuff is said and done, I need to make $900 or so between now and then. That'll be mostly ring games, though I'm going to start playing in at least 1 low buy-in MTT / week.

Will post updates via signature weekly.

- Jeffrey

Good thing you didn't typo that operation name.

Very good thing indeed.

-'rilla

So I was making several mini-goals to help with making progress on this. Last weekend, for instance, my goal was to hit at least $50 by the end of the weekend. I got up to $66. I'd decided beforehand that my goal for this weekend would be at least $75 (which by the time I finished last weekend, I felt pretty confident about). Wednesday I hit $77. Decided maybe I should step it up and make my goal this weekend $100. After 30 mins this morning (turning $5 into $20!) I left the table with a BR of just over $120. In the last week I've managed to double my roll. This $1234 thing is seeming more and more possible.

- Jeffrey

I've been having decent runs. Won my home game tournament the last two weeks in a row (making me quite happy we started playing for cash rather than for mediocre prizes...complicated; don't ask). Had a number of winning sessions online, though sometimes dipping down a bit before bouncing back. I surpassed my former high of $190 (from before the big dip I took when I started school and had to adjust to normal hours for sleep), reaching $206 today.

I planned out what I need to make by when in order to reach my goal, and I need an average of about $90/week. I should be at $176 by the end of this weekend. It's nice to have already surpassed that. Hopefully I can hit next week's goal by the end of this week and get/stay ahead of the game. I think I'm going to invest a hunk of my profits so far into Poker Tracker. I figure that won't affect where I'm at profit wise (it's not a loss) and hopefully it'll make moving up faster easier to do.

- Jeffrey

Slow week. I'm still on schedule with a bit over $250 (I need over $266 by the end of the weekend), but it's a let down compared to my previous weeks where I'd be above and beyond my goal by a decent amount by the time the weekend came. Throughout most of the week I basically just broke even, so I'm analyzing a bit of my play to see if it was bad cards or bad play (I know there's been some of it. I fall into a bit of bluffing too much/assuming people are bluffing me too much).

- Jeffrey

Well, I decided I'd try an experiment or two this weekend - moving up a level to the .25/.50 tables (buying in, still, with less than the max, despite all the instruction I've received to the contrary...yes, I'm stubborn). I also tried a few tournaments (which I didn't do too hot in). Moving up I made enough to cover the entry fees and push my profit past the weekly goal. Not sure if/how long I'll stay at this level...guess it depends on how things continue going.

- Jeffrey

Had a delicious SNG this morning. I was just waking up, so I wanted something where the stakes were low - played a $1. I was responsible for taking out 7 of the 9 players. It was awesome. I think the thing made me as much or more than my usual $5 SNGs just from the confidence I had in my ring game at my other table. Now I'm knocking on the door to $300 and again ahead of schedule (though only slightly).

I think I'm going to start an account at Party soon. I'm interested in their free $50 thing from inactivity thing. I'm trying to decide if I should finish working off my UB bonus (quite a bit left to go, though playing at higher stakes definitely tears through it faster), or just go.

- Jeffrey

Fight with gf. Tilt. -$200.

ouch.... damn women. At least you know when not to play poker now.

- sed

Originally Posted by sed

ouch.... damn women. At least you know when not to play poker now.

- sed

Yeah. Looking at it afterwards, I could see how my leaks were dripping away throughout the session, and a new one came up too - the "I've got to make it back" leak that I'm sure is all-too-common. I only actually lost $125 or so last night, but this morning I went into "must make it back" mode and ended up making some bad decisions (which got worse after one hand...pocket 3s to an opponent's pf raise; 234 rainbow flop; 4 turn; push; opponent calls, turns over JJ, and gets his 3rd J on the river...$70 pot. $35 more of my money gone...not the way to start out a session)

Lost another $30 that night. Started making it back - now at a $5 profit from the end of the huge swing ($35 above my lowest point). I've adjusted the schedule for what I need to make to hit my goal. Overall, it's just an increase of $20 per week, which is completely doable if I can get back to where I was a week ago within the next couple weeks.

Wish me luck!

Edit (3/6): I ended the week with about $170.

WHEW! Red letter day! I adjusted my goals for the new time schedule and found that I need to make $20 more per week after the loss last week. That's about $16 per day, which I keep in mind even though I'm not worried about hitting any day-by-day goals. I've actually been right on track daily, even pulling slightly ahead after a good run last night. Then tonight I played in another $1 MTT. It's a weekly (or better) thing for me now. Something happened though. I don't know why, but I was making all the right plays. I maintained an average stack for the first three levels. Then I got some cards, doubled up a couple of times...then I maintained for a while until I eventually doubled up again on kings and then again on aces. I became chip leader. Then the 2nd place and I were put at the same table and we took turns getting the lead using our stacks as leverage against the rest of the table. Til I got AKs, he got TT, and someone else got KJ. Flop came JJx w/ 2 spades. By the river I had almost doubled my stack again. For the last half of the tournament, I never fell below 200,000 chips until the final table. Most of it was above 400k, with a peak at 700k when the final table first formed.

I ended in 4th place, for a return of $83 on my $1 buy-in. That put me almost to my goal for NEXT week. One place higher and I'd have been back on my original schedule. So yeah, I'm pumped. Go FTR!

Things are still going well. Just a bit of progress so far since the tourney $20 to total $350. But I did hit a milestone tonight - my most profitable hand ever (so far)!

3-15 update:
So after my win I had a good run online. Kept building to the point that I reached $400. And there was much rejoicing. Then I hit a bad run, ended up back down slightly further than I was after winning the tournament last week.

Then my internet was out all weekend. Sheesh.

Today I decided I'd start doing some bonus whoring to help come back from that bad run. I'm following the recommendations from the 2+2 thread and some recommendations scattered throughout FTR's forums. Starting with Interpoker. Deposited $90 to take advantage of their $90 100% bonus and hit the ground running. Their lowest NL game is .5/1 - double what I've been playing on UB, so I figured I'd hit 450 hands, hope to break even being under bankrolled, and have loved what I've seen so far. I've barely been able to believe how fishy the game is compared to UB's .25/.50. In about 200 hands I made back everything I lost on my downswing. I may be officially done playing at UB. I'm on track for the goal, pretty much right where I should be.

3/15 balance: $434.

3-18 update:
Continued playing at Interpoker. Made quite a bit more off the fishies, then lost a decent-sized chunk to some suckouts and one bad call. Then made a tad more back and cleared the bonus. End result: deposited $90 on Monday. Left with $325 on Wednesday. Ended up having to play about 700 hands to hit the required 450 raked hands and get the $90 bonus (which was included in that $325 figure).

Hit up PokerPlex, since they're another bonus-offering site linked in with Interpoker. Deposited $50, making myself very underbankrolled for the $.5/$1 NL game there, but I figured it wasn't like that $50 was my whole roll - it was just all I could deposit at that time. Quickly built it up to $75. Then played while doing a tourney at UB. I'm not sure if it was lack of concentration, or just a plethora of bad beats (I know there were several...a guy when all-in with 82s against my AK on a flop of KJ8...he caught a 2). Anyway, as the night moved on, my balance at Pokerplex diminshed to the low of $16. That's less than the min buy-in at NL, so I moved to their limit game, hoping against hope to make some of it back. Dropped a few BB waiting for good hands (and just figuring that my hand count was increasing) and then finally flopped a boat with pocket nines. Bet and was called down to the river, giving me $25 total. I played a bit longer, breaking even, and then decided to move to the NL arena again. First hand I actually played was TT on the button. Folded around to me, so I raised figuring I'd either get some $$ in the pot, or steal the blinds. SB called. BB minraised. I called and the flop came TK8 rainbow. Ended up all-in against AK (SB) and another K came giving me the boat. That hand turned my $25 into $70. Playing this morning turned that into $101, plus I got my bonus - apparently Pokerplex counts any 300 hands you play, whether raked or not. So that $50 became $150 in a little over a day.

That's where I'm at now...Roughly two weeks ahead of my revised schedule and actually ahead of my original (pre-tilt) schedule. Sweet.

Current BR (3/18): $673

I can see you are doing well! I tried the interpoker bonus at 1/2 limit but was frustrated because I couldn´t see how many hands I had played! I emailed the support and they told me I had x hands left to play to clear the bonus... then I played for a whole evening and emailed them again, and then they said I had the same x number of hands left to play! By then I got sick and tired with them and withdrew my initial deposit... had won a few dollars though, from 90 up to 120.

I´m currently stuck between $1000 and $1200 so I´m just waiting for you to get ahead of me!

Decided the nice BR should prompt me to play in pricier SnGs. Moved up from $5 to $10. Lost #1. 1st place in #2 = $50 prize - net of just under $30. Sweet.

Pushed me over the $700 mark. At this point, if I don't make $1234 I'm going to have some explaining to do.

- Jeffrey

Bar tournament last night. No money, since it was Oklahoma, but I was jones-ing for some live play. I'd say it was my first live experience against fairly skill opponents (with a good mix of drunks thrown in). Took 3rd out of a field of 25 behind the bar's tournament organizer and an employee of the local casino. Seemed like a decent result.

So far, this week's sucked for me. I'm looking $600 right in the face, and part of me's wishing I hadn't even played the last couple days... There have been some bad decisions, but there have been some major suckouts too - 3 Qs on the flop sucked out on an all-in by JJ hitting runner runner to make a straight. Hopefully this can turn around soon...

Ok, coming out of my downswing. Weee! Made back all my losses ($100+) last night and then made some profit today (including winning two small pots when I join-blinded and got 72o! My pair of 7s and 2s won it for me!). This hand made me really appreciate ilikeaces:

Game #487843693: Texas Hold'em No Limit ($0.50/$1) - 2005/03/26 - 21:04:09 (GMT)
Table "Pekin" Seat 8 is the button.
Seat 1: IP3r34gl3 ($100.50 in chips)
Seat 2: Jeff30081 ($37 in chips)
Seat 3: Beloval ($102.75 in chips)
Seat 4: zakharka ($90 in chips)
Seat 5: nieder ($28.50 in chips)
Seat 6: seeme ($40.50 in chips)
Seat 8: hertza ($41.25 in chips)
Seat 9: gvn2fly ($104.50 in chips)
Seat 10: Dalsland ($95.50 in chips)
gvn2fly: posts small blind $0.50
Dalsland: posts big blind $1
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Jeff30081 [7c 7d]
IP3r34gl3: folds
Jeff30081: calls $1
Beloval: calls $1
zakharka: folds
nieder: folds
seeme: folds
hertza: folds
gvn2fly: folds
Daflush joins the table at seat #7
Dalsland: raises to $3
Jeff30081: calls $2
Beloval: calls $2
----- FLOP ----- [7h Tc Ah]
Dalsland: bets $4
Jeff30081: raises to $10
Beloval: folds
Dalsland: raises to $92.50 and is all-in
Jeff30081: is all-in $24
Returned uncalled bets $58.50 to Dalsland
----- TURN ----- [7h Tc Ah][9d]
----- RIVER ----- [7h Tc Ah 9d][8d]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
Dalsland: shows [Kd Ad] (A Pair of Aces, King high)
Jeff30081: shows [7c 7d] (Three of a kind, Sevens, Ace high)
Jeff30081 collected $74.50 from Main pot
----- SUMMARY -----
Total pot $77.50 Main pot $74.50 Rake $3
Board [7h Tc Ah 9d 8d]
Seat 1: IP3r34gl3 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: Jeff30081 showed [7c 7d] and won ($74.50) with Three of a kind, Sevens, Ace high
Seat 3: Beloval folded on the Flop
Seat 4: zakharka folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: nieder folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: seeme folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: hertza (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: gvn2fly (small blind) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Nice Pot ...but you "lost" $58 (!) because you didn't buy in for the max...

Originally Posted by wobbler

Nice Pot ...but you "lost" $58 (!) because you didn't buy in for the max...

Hmm, I dont think his opponent would have gone all in there against a big stack.

If you can't afford to have the max buy-in and top off your stack you're playing above your bankroll period.

I play bigger than this and I see far worse calls for 150BB+

This has been covered by me before. Yes, the stakes I'm playing at are above my bankroll (for max buyin play). That's not how I play and not how I feel comfortable. I am sure that I win more where I'm at than I would at the .10/.25 tables buying in for the same amount.

Further, I'm whoring it up at Interpoker. They offer no lower limits and over a couple thousand hands, I'm taking in around 5-10BB/100. I'm happy with that.

This week was slow - largely due to the downswing I suppose. I only made $80 or so, but given that my downswing had me down below $600, the upswing was a total of around $200 so that's not too bad. I'm still a week ahead of my original schedule and almost two weeks ahead of the modified schedule. Should definitely be able to do it, I think.

I'm done with whoring the CRL sites (for this month) and ready to move on to another location. Not sure where I'll go yet. Open for suggestions...

Moving to Party. Hopefully I'll get that whoring done this weekend and end up positive for the week.

I'm down so far this week - had some major crappy sessions of SnGs: 1 ITM (at least it was a win) for my last 10 or so. The win was in the middle of the string, so it put me back up over $800, only for yesterday to let me fall down to $740 (April 1). One or two good sessions and I'm back up though, so I'm not concerned.

And I get to whore CRL again after I'm done with Party.

And I should have around $30 coming in rakeback.

Ouch. Playing on party this weekend ripped me a new one. I don't know if it was just the devil's himself showing up as a downswing, or what, but over the 1k hands I played this weekend, I ended up with -17BB/100, a loss of around $200. The only hands that were decent winners were KQs and QQ. Even AA only won 60%, for a net of $4. Infact all my Ax hands except AA and A9s were negative (and I'm including every card as an x here...AKs - A2o).

Time for a break.

Between the two of them (SnG last week and ring this weekend), these swings have eaten my actual profit away - I'm showing a net of +$40 if you don't count bonuses. That's just sad.

On the other hand, $600 in bonuses is crazy cool...

An interesting note - all of my major swings have taken place at NL$50. That makes my stats rather interesting:

NL$10 (725 hands):
VP$IP: 26.34
Net: 5.93
BB/100: 4.09
PFR: 5.79

NL$25 (6312 hands):
VP$IP: 26.94
Net: 188.30
BB/100: 5.97
PFR: 4.93

NL$50 (4204 hands):
VP$IP: 22.74
Net: (396.04)
BB/100: (9.42)
PFR: 5.61

NL$100 (1615 hands):
VP$IP: 22.91
Net: 185.20
BB/100: 5.73
PFR: 5.33

Interestingly enough, this weekend I played both tighter and more aggressive (PFR =7% & VP$IP = 18%; increased my total aggro factor by .02), yet suffered worse results.

Note: the poor results from this weekend, it turns out, were due to incredibly crappy play. No more 4 tables for me.

Have made back a large portion of my losses. Should be better than even by the end of the week, I think.

Just finished an SnG at UB. I was doing well the whole time, though there were a couple others who were big stacks ahead of me for a while. Then one called my all-in with KQs, K on the board. He had AA. The turn was a Q. After that, I became tied for bigstack position with the other guy, and it came down to the two of us. I was slaughtering him HU, and then I caught AA. Played him well and managed to get him to push. Could their be a better way to win an SnG than with AA?

Mmmm...fish.

I'd forgotten how much I love Interpoker. Just finished a short ring session (20 hands each on two tables). Turned $20 to $30 on one and $20 to $75 on the other. Brings me up past my goal for the current week (and well over making up for last week).

I had one hand this morning (the one that made the bank, in fact) that scared the crap out of me. In BB w/ KK. 6 limpers. I raise to $6 (6xbb), hoping it'd be enough to narrow the field. Everyone calls. Then the board comes with a low straight draw. These idiots will play anything, so I was actually worried about the straight. No one had it though, and when I bet $15 into the pot, all but one guy folded (who had previously called an allin on a flop of KK9 holding AQo). He subsequently folded to a push on the turn.

Back on track with a total of $853. Yay. If I have time I may even finish clearing this $50 bonus this weekend, putting me over $900 for the first time!

KK has been very nice to me lately. I may well pass 1k this week.

$918 (4/11/05) with $50 in bonus less than 100 hands away.

Oh
yeah
baby!

Just got my bonus at Poker Plex, after another night of delicious action. Highlights include flopping top pair with a straight flush draw and having a guy over bet the pot like crazy, even after the straight hit. I'm now (4/12/05) past the $1k mark. $1234, I see you!

Jeff-

I have all the faith in the world that you'll be seeing $1234 before your goal date. Congratulations, the work you have put in is most certainly paying off.

Chris

PS I still intend to take a look at that java app, i got really busy w/ work and haven't had much time for poker customization work, just poker itself...

WOOT WOOT, keep going brother.

I'm looking 1234 in the face. Only 80 away. It's getting near time for a new goal. Any suggestions?

$12345 by 6/7

Very funny, Bill. I'd thought of doing something like that, but such a short extension for such a large gain isn't going to happen, and 12345 by 6/7/8 is too long term and should be too easy. Now 123456 by 7/8/9 might be a good one, but again, too long term.

Originally Posted by JeffreyGB

Very funny, Bill. I'd thought of doing something like that, but such a short extension for such a large gain isn't going to happen, and 12345 by 6/7/8 is too long term and should be too easy. Now 123456 by 7/8/9 might be a good one, but again, too long term.

Cut the time necessary to get the next $1234 in half. You made a rough goal of $1200 over about four months, now do it again, but this time in two months. $2468 by 7/8

Or if you want to stick to progression, $2345 by 6/7 or $3456 by 7/8, depending on how saucy you're feeling.

Or make the next goal a bankroll operation that supports a move up to 1/2 or 2/4, using 'rilla's sticky for guidance.

Just don't stop

Originally Posted by Fnord

If you can't afford to have the max buy-in and top off your stack you're playing above your bankroll period.

False. I consistantly buy in short stacked on ring game's where I could easily buy for the full amount. There are arguments to both sides, but buying in with the max buy is not always the right play, nor is it an indication of playing beyond a BR.

-----

Just came across your thread Jeff, great job

Operation Count: Complete (4/16/05)

Final hand I held TT and limped in. Flopped second pair with an OESD in middle position. Checked to me, and I bet 2/3 pot. All but SB fold, who smooth calls. Turn is a blank. He checks again, and I bet about 2/3 again. He minraises. I call and then put him all-in on the river when the board pairs 9s. He turns over Q8 for bottom pair with a gutshot. I laugh all the way to the bank.

Congrats on getting to your goal. So whats next?

Originally Posted by Les_worm

Congrats on getting to your goal. So whats next?

I'm gonna have to do some math to see how it works out, but I'm thinking Operation Traincar - make enough to fill a traincar to the brim with pennies. It just sounds fun I don't know how much that will equate out to be, however, so that may change it. I'm expecting the due date for the next goal to be around the end of the summer.

Congrats!

Originally Posted by JeffreyGB

Originally Posted by Les_worm

Congrats on getting to your goal. So whats next?

I'm thinking Operation Traincar - make enough to fill a traincar to the brim with pennies. It just sounds fun ...

Turns out that this would amount to millions of dollars. Still thinking.

What about operation bathtub, and try doing pennies in a bathtub.

Or operation 1000, where you try and play 1000 SNGs in 2 months.

Or Operation All PP, where you try and qualify and play in every single Party Poker Tournament.

Or opertaion Fibbonaci where you get 11235 by 8/13

congrats on getting to your goal. Have fun picking out your new goal, I hope you reach that one as well.

Nice one Jeff, i've done a similar sort of rise over the past few months and have a similar roll to you, i'll be interested to see what you do next

Well done!

So I came up with it: Operation Break Evens