THE $5 CHALLENGE – UPDATE #2
For those of you still wondering, yes, I am still attempting this challenging and yes, I am still in profit, but only just. If you can recall, I was $171,00 after 88 10-Handed Single Table $5 Tournaments, and tootling along quite nicely. Well, I’m still up, but only by $222.95, not bad progress, but not quite the advancement I was hoping for after 165 STTs.
It’s been quite a painful journey, and although I’ve enduredd many a dry spell (at one point, I went 14 games without a win), I’ve always managed to hover, waiting patiently for that flurry of wins yet never really losing too many in a row. This may be satisfactory to an extent, but it sure is depressing at times, and seeing the hours pass by without having something to show for it is somewhat demoralising.
One of the reasons why this challenge can be demoralising is the fact that bad beats come by the bucketload. I won’t waffle on about specific hands, but if anyone ever says to you, “The worst standard is at the highest levels”, then you have my permission to bop them in the face, because at the $5 level, the standard is visibly shocking.
Whilst they are non-surprisingly defiant in the face of a re-raise, the most eye-opening aspect is their reluctance to release King high hands. Even faced with huge all-in re-raises, players still make inexplicable calls with hands like K-Q and K-J, completely unaware that there is less than 1% chance that they are ahead.
Another move I’ve noticed is the limp call with small pocket pairs, which can be highly irritating when you have A-K, get called by Pocket Fives and fail to hit. But such is poker at the lower limits, and it is these aspects that you have to accept, cater for and consider when deciphering a strategy.
My strategy is a pretty simple one: play like an absolute rock, only move in if I have a hand or am desperate, and then start putting my skates on with around 4 left. I say 4, because on Ladbrokes, players depart like lightening (4 exited in the first 7 hands one time). Considering my approach, the following information makes for interesting reading, the 0% (which I’m guessing has been rounded down) for re-raises and the fact that I barely ever reach a Turn or River showing just how tight I play.
Games won = 14%
Showdowns won = 50%
No. of flops seen = 24%
Win % of Flops Seen = 30%
Your Action:
Fold = 56%
Check = 17%
Call = 12%
Bet = 3%
Raise = 8%
Re-raise = 0%
Where You Fold:
Pre-flop = 68%
Flop = 6%
Turn = 1%
River = 1%
If anyone is a better analyser of stats than me and can identify anything interesting in the above information, then please feel free to make a comment. Oh, and of course, here are the positions I’ve come – oddly, I just played 15 STTs and came 5th in over half of them, but that’s still only 25.
1st = 25
2nd = 17
3rd = 25
Top 3 = 67
4th = 32
5th = 25
6th = 14
7th = 14
8th = 7
9th = 4
10th = 2
After just 166 STTs and considering the huge variance in playing these, I don’t think I can analyse the above information too much, but obviously, my tight style is resulting in very few 6-9ths and plenty of bubbles which is my most popular position. However, I don’t get too many seconds, which shows that I’m either very good at heads-up play (although it’s a little random on Laddies by that stage) or, and perhaps more likely, I’ve always got more chips than my opponent from playing aggressively.
And just for fun, a graph of my progress (pretty steady, I’m sure you’d agree):
Finally, before you sink into a pit of boredom, I have noticed that variance in $5 STTs is huge, no matter what your style is, so I have therefore been playing 6, 7 and often 8 handed to (1) keep me entertained and (2) fit more in so my profit increases quicker. But whilst this has enabled me to squeeze more games in, there are negatives, most notably (1) a sore head, (2) the potential for making unforced errors when multiple tables are short-handed and (3) an inevitable increase in bad beats, the latter of which requiring a very thick skin indeed.
Level 1: I flatcall 20 utg with J-J, MB#1 makes it 260, MB#2 calls, MB#3 also calls and I move in for 1,500. All three of them call.
MB#1 = A-Ko
MB#2 = K-Qo
MB#3 = 9-7o
Flop = 7-7-7
Well, it made me laugh, even if it did cost me $5.
It’s been quite a painful journey, and although I’ve enduredd many a dry spell (at one point, I went 14 games without a win), I’ve always managed to hover, waiting patiently for that flurry of wins yet never really losing too many in a row. This may be satisfactory to an extent, but it sure is depressing at times, and seeing the hours pass by without having something to show for it is somewhat demoralising.
One of the reasons why this challenge can be demoralising is the fact that bad beats come by the bucketload. I won’t waffle on about specific hands, but if anyone ever says to you, “The worst standard is at the highest levels”, then you have my permission to bop them in the face, because at the $5 level, the standard is visibly shocking.
Whilst they are non-surprisingly defiant in the face of a re-raise, the most eye-opening aspect is their reluctance to release King high hands. Even faced with huge all-in re-raises, players still make inexplicable calls with hands like K-Q and K-J, completely unaware that there is less than 1% chance that they are ahead.
Another move I’ve noticed is the limp call with small pocket pairs, which can be highly irritating when you have A-K, get called by Pocket Fives and fail to hit. But such is poker at the lower limits, and it is these aspects that you have to accept, cater for and consider when deciphering a strategy.
My strategy is a pretty simple one: play like an absolute rock, only move in if I have a hand or am desperate, and then start putting my skates on with around 4 left. I say 4, because on Ladbrokes, players depart like lightening (4 exited in the first 7 hands one time). Considering my approach, the following information makes for interesting reading, the 0% (which I’m guessing has been rounded down) for re-raises and the fact that I barely ever reach a Turn or River showing just how tight I play.
Games won = 14%
Showdowns won = 50%
No. of flops seen = 24%
Win % of Flops Seen = 30%
Your Action:
Fold = 56%
Check = 17%
Call = 12%
Bet = 3%
Raise = 8%
Re-raise = 0%
Where You Fold:
Pre-flop = 68%
Flop = 6%
Turn = 1%
River = 1%
If anyone is a better analyser of stats than me and can identify anything interesting in the above information, then please feel free to make a comment. Oh, and of course, here are the positions I’ve come – oddly, I just played 15 STTs and came 5th in over half of them, but that’s still only 25.
1st = 25
2nd = 17
3rd = 25
Top 3 = 67
4th = 32
5th = 25
6th = 14
7th = 14
8th = 7
9th = 4
10th = 2
After just 166 STTs and considering the huge variance in playing these, I don’t think I can analyse the above information too much, but obviously, my tight style is resulting in very few 6-9ths and plenty of bubbles which is my most popular position. However, I don’t get too many seconds, which shows that I’m either very good at heads-up play (although it’s a little random on Laddies by that stage) or, and perhaps more likely, I’ve always got more chips than my opponent from playing aggressively.
And just for fun, a graph of my progress (pretty steady, I’m sure you’d agree):
Finally, before you sink into a pit of boredom, I have noticed that variance in $5 STTs is huge, no matter what your style is, so I have therefore been playing 6, 7 and often 8 handed to (1) keep me entertained and (2) fit more in so my profit increases quicker. But whilst this has enabled me to squeeze more games in, there are negatives, most notably (1) a sore head, (2) the potential for making unforced errors when multiple tables are short-handed and (3) an inevitable increase in bad beats, the latter of which requiring a very thick skin indeed.
Level 1: I flatcall 20 utg with J-J, MB#1 makes it 260, MB#2 calls, MB#3 also calls and I move in for 1,500. All three of them call.
MB#1 = A-Ko
MB#2 = K-Qo
MB#3 = 9-7o
Flop = 7-7-7
Well, it made me laugh, even if it did cost me $5.
posted by snoopy1239 @ 7:18 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Hiya snoops,
Looks to me like you are playing too tight passive, but that might be perfect strategy for these games.
I dont like the fat that you call more than you raise and especially that 0% re-raise statistic.
GL and keep it up.
p.s do you have a finish line for this SNG marathon? I'm of the opinion that you should be using your poker time to maximise £ unless trying out specific alterations to your game. With that in mind, i think you only improve as a player by playing with better players..................so the $500 SnG's it is then ;)
GL son.
Alex
I agree, calling more than raising.
Do you plan to move upto $10 STT when you feel you have the beating of the $5?
united - I plan to move up to $10 when I reach $250, which should be soon.
alex - just doing this for fun and the challenge if anything else. In terms of the re-raise, this is probably due to the fast structure and terrible standard of play - blinds go up very fast so every move is practically all-in, plus I like to make sure I have the best of it.
snoops
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