From $500 to $5.000

Oct 10, 2009

I have neglected this Blog for a long time now. No special reason more than it’s been more important to grind out some money as I’m unemployed at the moment and the few bucks I can make from playing poker is more than welcome as they at least pay the rent.

When I started in April I had set a plan for a training and development project over 100,000 hands and divide them into blocks of 5,000 hands. During each block I was focusing on one special thing e.g. C-Betting, Blind Stealing etc.

In June I hired a coach and with his input and help I more or less put the project aside and started to focus on the advices he gave me. That worked out pretty well on for a few situations like defending my blinds, increasing the check-raising percentage and finding good 3-betting situations.

Now when October is over I have grinded out over 170.000 hands on the NL25 full Ring tables and 80.000 before that!! Is this a World Record? Probably not with all damned short stackers around.

What have I learned and what have I changed since April?

Before April I was playing

• VPIP 13.0% 
• PFR 7.7%
• AF 1.7
• bb/100 +4.11

After April I have played

• VPIP 13.6%
• PFR 9.5%
• AF 2.1
• bb/100 +7.47

The last 50.000 hands

• VPIP 13.5%
• PFR 9.7%
• AF 2.4
• bb/100 +9.28

As you can se I haven’t changed my VPIP at all and only increased my PFR with 2%. But I have more than doubled my bb/100. How come? I have developed my post flop game and I am much more aware of the value position gives me. And here are a few more things that have given me higher bb/100.

1. I complete less from the Blinds
2. I don’t let the SB limp in regardless of my cards
3. I play fewer hands from the early positions and more from later positions
4. I 3-bet a little bit more from the button when facing a suspicious steal from the cut-off.
5. I don’t call 3-bets Out of position
6. I call less river bets against tight players
7. I induce river bluffs against aggressive players
8. I don’t take marginal hands beyond the flop in muliway post

Results after 173,000 hands.

• Winnings: $3.223
• Win Rate: +7.5bb/100
• Bonus & Rake Back: $1.360
• Bank Roll $5.083 (started with $500)