Not sure where I picked that up from, perhaps a DVD on poker but someone once said it and is proving quite true. In my short week last week Wed-Sun I was down quite early before finally finishing up for the week, a nice $12.25 which is my largest up week thus far. Though I was still well short of my massive $500 I was aiming for in December with a combined loss of $26.18. If I remove the Tilt on Poker Room, as I switched from Poker Room to Poker Stars when I started this adventure, I made a profit of $29.77 as I have been playing exclusively on Stars this is a solid enough result.
So last week out of 15 x $5.50 SnG
1 = 2 (yay!)
2 = 4
3 = 1
4 = 5 (boo!)
5 = 1
6 = 1
7 = 0
8 = 0
9 = 1
So in the money 46% of the time with an overall return of 31% on investment. There are two worrying trends for me, the amount of 4th place finishes and the amount of 2nd place finishes not being converted into wins.
So like a good little beginning poker player mid week in my run of 4ths, 5ths and 6ths I had a good look at what I was doing. I found that I was short stacked and was doing the 'ol all-in with A6os and losing (not surprisingly) I was moving away from my regular playing strategy, top 13 hands early positions with open raises 2-4 x BB, top 26 hands middle positions open raises 1-2xBB and limp in late positions top 40 hands, assuming no raises in front, otherwise play the table and call. When playing this strategy and sticking to it I have had the most success. I only move away from it when I am not short stacked, and when we are down to the endgame, 3-5 players left. E.G when we have 5 players left and I am chip lead I will open raise a K8os, resulting is stealing blinds or a look at a flop with 1 other player.
The other major worrying trend has been in all-in A2os board of KT2, I have assumed that because I have a pair and can win it, only to lose to pocket K4os.
The goods news is that after this review, twice I was very short stacked 400 chips each time and came back to win one and place 2nd in the other. I guess the moral of the story is that while you have chips anything is possible, and all-in should be reserved for when you have a very good hand, not A9os pre-flop coin flip races. Since the review placing’s have been 4, 3, 1, 4, 1, 2, 2, 6. So I will continue to play with a concerted effort to think about my betting and my playing strategy.
I hope that you all had an enjoyable New Year's, I know I did. All the best for 2006.
