I went to Chumash with Kid Crash last weekend and have been meaning to write about it. I'll do that later today. But right now, I want to vent.
There are two finance nerds arguing near and across my desk (depending on where one of them is pacing at the moment). What's worse is that they are not actually arguing. They are in complete agreement, just bitching about some other people. They are ga-hay. I'd shut 'em down if I had any work to do. I can hardly complain that they are interrupting my blog-reading.
Save it for happy-hour, ladies!
SEEYa
Friday, June 23, 2006
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Variance
I haven't played poker for over two weeks. Following my all-nighter at Morango with Kid, I decided to take two weeks off. Not because I was running bad or playing poorly. On the contrary, I feel I have been playing very well. And I have not had a losing streak recently...just an occassional, small loss.
But I have been thinking about the possibility that I have been playing too loose or fast or open. By that, I me to say I may have allowed some leaks and tells to creep into my game. So I figured it would be a good idea to step away for a bit and come back with a fresh perspective. I needed to straighten out some other stuff in my life anyway. Then I would be able to focus on Poker.
The end of the planned fortnight respite was last Monday. But, of course, fate can be like any of my ex-girlfriends...a bitch. I ended up scheduled for a training class at work all week that started at 9am each day. This impedes my normal flexibility of going in to work at my own pace. So playing cards until midnight or later was out. I'd have to stay home and get to sleep at a normal hour if I was going to make it to class on time.
That is what I have done. No poker. Just work(class). This sucks. But, wait! I've strayed from my intended topic...my poker game.
My plan unpon returning to action was an experiment. I would go to Commerce and play 5-10 NLH for five straight days (Mon - Fri). I know this will be difficult simply because I don't like making that drive all the time. And I probably won't want to be around all the Man-Ass for so much time without a day or two break to rid myself of the mental stench.
Fortunately, it seems the extra time away from the game has provided more time to think about it. And just the other day I recalled a concept that had slipped my mind: Variance. (It is a generally accepted theory so I wouldn't add it to my list of Truths). Variance is key to long-term success when employing gaming theory. While I do look at my game as a collection of sessions over a long period, I have been falling short of applying it to the individual sessions. As of late, they have only been around 4 hours each. I think an individual session should be nearing 7 hours or more to lower the average effect of luck and increase the net effect of skill.
So going to the card room each weeknight after work wouldn't be a perfect experiment anyway. I would only get 4 hours of table time in on average. But I still intend to try it. Next week might not be good because work will likely kick my ass as I recover from a week away from the office for training. Then I'll be in Maui for a week (but I aint complainin' bout that). It may be several weeks before I can devote a significant amount of time to poker.
I will, however, get out and play a serious session or two within the next few days. I might even head up to Chumash this weekend. What say you, Kid?
SEEYa
But I have been thinking about the possibility that I have been playing too loose or fast or open. By that, I me to say I may have allowed some leaks and tells to creep into my game. So I figured it would be a good idea to step away for a bit and come back with a fresh perspective. I needed to straighten out some other stuff in my life anyway. Then I would be able to focus on Poker.
The end of the planned fortnight respite was last Monday. But, of course, fate can be like any of my ex-girlfriends...a bitch. I ended up scheduled for a training class at work all week that started at 9am each day. This impedes my normal flexibility of going in to work at my own pace. So playing cards until midnight or later was out. I'd have to stay home and get to sleep at a normal hour if I was going to make it to class on time.
That is what I have done. No poker. Just work(class). This sucks. But, wait! I've strayed from my intended topic...my poker game.
My plan unpon returning to action was an experiment. I would go to Commerce and play 5-10 NLH for five straight days (Mon - Fri). I know this will be difficult simply because I don't like making that drive all the time. And I probably won't want to be around all the Man-Ass for so much time without a day or two break to rid myself of the mental stench.
Fortunately, it seems the extra time away from the game has provided more time to think about it. And just the other day I recalled a concept that had slipped my mind: Variance. (It is a generally accepted theory so I wouldn't add it to my list of Truths). Variance is key to long-term success when employing gaming theory. While I do look at my game as a collection of sessions over a long period, I have been falling short of applying it to the individual sessions. As of late, they have only been around 4 hours each. I think an individual session should be nearing 7 hours or more to lower the average effect of luck and increase the net effect of skill.
So going to the card room each weeknight after work wouldn't be a perfect experiment anyway. I would only get 4 hours of table time in on average. But I still intend to try it. Next week might not be good because work will likely kick my ass as I recover from a week away from the office for training. Then I'll be in Maui for a week (but I aint complainin' bout that). It may be several weeks before I can devote a significant amount of time to poker.
I will, however, get out and play a serious session or two within the next few days. I might even head up to Chumash this weekend. What say you, Kid?
SEEYa
Friday, June 02, 2006
Darsky's Poker Truths
The following is a list of poker-related thruths. I hesitate to call them "Laws" because they have not been scientifically tested and I'm not that arrogant...take my word for it...I'm not. They are kind of quidelines but not quite rules. At any rate, I have discovered them through my experience at the tables so I know them to be generally true...hence, "Truths." Take 'em or leave 'em:
1) No one wants to believe they are beat -- Even against the tightest players, no one wants to believe the bettor has actually made a hand. They may lay down their own cards to a bet because they did not make a hand, but they will usually does so reluctantly. They expect that any preflop raise followed by a flop bet is an indication of a bluff with overcards.
***How do you use this info?: If you make a raise before the flop, follow up with a bet on the flop [unless you have good reason to think you are behind and your opponent(s) will not fold]. Do this whether you have hit it big or entirely missed. It disquises the strength of your stronger hands. You will get action with big hands more often than not.
2) Look to your left before calling -- From time to time I find a mediocre hand that I want to try limping in with. It usually happens from the small blind when I can play almost any hand for a discount. Trouble appears when the player to my immediate left raises behind me. Suddenly, instead of limping, I've thrown away money on a hand that I am not willing to play for a raise.
***Yeah? And? So? What?: While many players wait until the action gets to them before looking at their cards, some will go to them while waiting for the person on their right to act. Sometimes, a player will go so far as to pick up chips for a raise. What a great tell! All you have to do is look to your left...then lay it down and save some coin.
3) The Man-Ass Theorem -- People! Please! No. It stands for "Maniacs and Assholes." Card rooms are filled with peolpe who fall into this classification. They tend to be wild and aggressive. Plenty of ego in play. They bet big and call big. They like to trap and love to bluff. During the course of a hand, money means nothing to them (its after they lose that they tilt).
***What do you do with these future felons?: Be careful. Don't bluff into them too often. The #1 Truth applies to them which means they will call often. Then you won't know where you are in the hand as it's hard to put them on a hand or draw. In other words, pick your spots.
4) Trust your reads -- You may be wrong and suffer non-profit or a negative hit in any particluar hand. But one should always try to act based on informed decisions. If you call when you think you are beat or fold when you think you have the best hand, why bother making reads. And why bother getting involved at all. I've been there...I'll be there again...so I know from whence I speak.
***How do you use this?: Trust your read and be satisfied in knowing that you did what you did for a reason. Then learn from the results of those reasons.
I have more Truths running around my noggin but nothing else is coming to mind right now. I'll post more of them as they come up.
SEEYa
1) No one wants to believe they are beat -- Even against the tightest players, no one wants to believe the bettor has actually made a hand. They may lay down their own cards to a bet because they did not make a hand, but they will usually does so reluctantly. They expect that any preflop raise followed by a flop bet is an indication of a bluff with overcards.
***How do you use this info?: If you make a raise before the flop, follow up with a bet on the flop [unless you have good reason to think you are behind and your opponent(s) will not fold]. Do this whether you have hit it big or entirely missed. It disquises the strength of your stronger hands. You will get action with big hands more often than not.
2) Look to your left before calling -- From time to time I find a mediocre hand that I want to try limping in with. It usually happens from the small blind when I can play almost any hand for a discount. Trouble appears when the player to my immediate left raises behind me. Suddenly, instead of limping, I've thrown away money on a hand that I am not willing to play for a raise.
***Yeah? And? So? What?: While many players wait until the action gets to them before looking at their cards, some will go to them while waiting for the person on their right to act. Sometimes, a player will go so far as to pick up chips for a raise. What a great tell! All you have to do is look to your left...then lay it down and save some coin.
3) The Man-Ass Theorem -- People! Please! No. It stands for "Maniacs and Assholes." Card rooms are filled with peolpe who fall into this classification. They tend to be wild and aggressive. Plenty of ego in play. They bet big and call big. They like to trap and love to bluff. During the course of a hand, money means nothing to them (its after they lose that they tilt).
***What do you do with these future felons?: Be careful. Don't bluff into them too often. The #1 Truth applies to them which means they will call often. Then you won't know where you are in the hand as it's hard to put them on a hand or draw. In other words, pick your spots.
4) Trust your reads -- You may be wrong and suffer non-profit or a negative hit in any particluar hand. But one should always try to act based on informed decisions. If you call when you think you are beat or fold when you think you have the best hand, why bother making reads. And why bother getting involved at all. I've been there...I'll be there again...so I know from whence I speak.
***How do you use this?: Trust your read and be satisfied in knowing that you did what you did for a reason. Then learn from the results of those reasons.
I have more Truths running around my noggin but nothing else is coming to mind right now. I'll post more of them as they come up.
SEEYa
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