davega

Posts - February 2009

• The Value of Micro-ing

  February 25, 2009

  What in the world can a serious poker player gain from working his bankroll up from the micro-limits? If he has the expendable income, why not start at a higher limit where there’s more money to be made? Anybody can beat the micro-limits, so why should he bother playing them at all? Actually, there are many advantages of starting at the micro-limits and working your way up to higher stakes.

  Every book, article, forum post, etc. that I’ve ever read has always said that to win at the micro-limits, a player should play ABC poker. You should play very straight-forward by only playing good starting hands, playing them aggressively, and rarely bluff. Bluffs are simply not effective at the micro-limit level. You will be called. Don’t get fancy because the players at this level don’t think to that level so fancy plays aren’t necessary and don’t work. So what can be gained by playing the micro-limits?

  In one word, the answer is patience. Since the micro-limits are all about playing ABC poker, the player has to wait until the cards actually come before he can play a hand. The player also has to wait until the stars align before there will be another player also with a hand to play against them. How aggravating is it to get pocket aces, put in a standard raise, and everybody fold? This is a case of the stars NOT being in alignment. This is the “luck” side of poker. To be a winning player at the micro-limits, you have to have the patience to wait on a big hand. This is what makes playing at these limits so tough. It may take hours of grinding it out before you are dealt a big hand. During this time, there’s not a lot of money being made. This is a tough time to sit through if you’re not used to playing at these limits.

  This is the time that builds a foundation of patience in the player. This foundation will be used throughout the player’s assent to higher stakes or tournaments. There will be times during each cash game session or each tournament that a player plays where the cards don’t come or when they do, the stars aren’t aligned so they are of little value (blinds). This experience of grinding it out at the micro-limits can help the player be patient through these times and realize that these things happen. Be patient. Eventually, the cards will come, the stars will be in alignment, and they will get value out of their big hands. Without this patience, mediocre hands start to look like premium holdings and POOF, the tournament is over or the bankroll takes a big hit. This can lead to that evil stack and bankroll eater, tilt. But that’s another post.

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  Read more: Patience, Micro-ing

• Random Thoughts

  February 15, 2009

  I decided that there's enough random things on my mind that I'd jot them all down in one post. It's not like this is all that I've thought about, but it's what comes to mind after a day of playing online.

  Changing Online Sites-- I recently changed from playing almost exclusively at Stars to playing on FullTilt and Cake. I started playing on FullTilt again because I've been railing a friend playing the FTOPS Events. He's played well but just hasn't been able to put it all together. I started playing on Cake again because I signed up for Cake through PokerNews and also get rakeback. As much as I play, I think I should take advantage of this. I've been playing much better since the move. Along with playing better comes more enjoyment from playing. It may just be a psychological thing, but I'm glad to give Stars a rest for awhile. I'm sure I'll be back, but I needed a break from the KITNs.

  Wife's Account-- I finally set up an account on Stars for my wife. We've "shared" my account for years. Looking at my stats, it's hard to know how I actually play with the blending of our play. I'm thinking about giving Stars a 120 day break to clear her stats from mine. At least she'll be able to rate her play by her own stats. So far, she's up over $20 from a $50 deposit. Gogogo.

  ChipMeUp.com-- Since PokerNews acquired the site, I've been monitoring a few players over there. It's a really good opportunity for players to get staked into higher buy in tournies than their bankroll might allow or to decrease the effect of a loss on their bankroll. It also opens doors to some live events for some players. Tony G staked one (that I know of) to play in LA. Great opportunity for him. I may have to list some live events for myself.

  Ryan Nelson-- Reading his blog post from the other day, it will be interesting what PokerNews looks like in a couple of months. Change can be good as long as people are ready for it. Hopefully, PokerNews is.

  Daytona 500-- What a rip. Junior wrecks Brian Vickers and gets no penalty. Matt Kenseth leads one lap and gets the caution. Then the race is called for rain. Kenseth wins. It was good to see some of Richard Petty Racing's cars in the top 10. Maybe they can turn things around and be competitive again. Sorry Kyle, the King is better without you.

  Well, that's enough for tonight. I'll post again when my brain fills up and needs to relieve pressure.

  310 views, 1 comments