So after my hellish night of beats, I decided to take a short break from the Challenge. I already knew I would be on mega tilt even the next day, and decided to try some SNG's to limit my exposure. I got 2nd on the 2nd one I played, then lost like 5 in a row. No cashes. Hence the break.
I did however get my poker fix by playing in a series of nightly tournaments put on by a poker website I am a member of called The +1. These were really fun, and we played a whole slew of games. They also served a good purpose by letting me play some poker just for fun, and not really worrying about spreadsheets or anything like that. I played those for the whole week then got back on the horse on the weekend. My initial session was more of the same nonsense from before, but then things evened out and I made progress getting back up to just over $1000.00. I have since gone down from that total a bit, but am basically just hovering around that level.
I started trying to shift about half of my focus over to Omaha Hi/Lo, as I think most players are at a similar level to when Party Poker was still going for Hold'em. Lots of horrific play, and horrific players. I may take some shit for saying it, but I think the .25-.50 at Cake is pretty damn tough. Players are generally nitty and rarely make huge mistakes. You have to value bet all the way down with your good hands or they will just fold. At different times on different sites, I have been able to just jam on people and they would call down really light; no longer. I know I can be profitable at these levels and the levels above, but how profitable? If my edge is relatively slim, I would like to try to branch out and go where the dead money is. I think that the dead money is in Omaha right now. I also think that once the poker public gets bored of Texas Hold Them, that they will naturally merge over to Omaha. It is a flop game very similar to Hold'em, unlike 7 Card Stud, which is drastically different if all you have ever played is Hold'em. (Ante's? Bring in's? wtf?) I want to be there waiting for them when they migrate over.
I have also started to try out 8-tabling. I did 4-tabling for almost the whole duration of this Challenge, but I feel like I am starting to have the capacity for more. I am very comfortable at 4 tables at this point. I talked to a few of the guys from +1 and they recommended jumping up to 8 tables from 4, then adding 2 tables at a time after that until you hit your limit. Apparently you will just know when its your limit. I have had mixed results 8-tabling. I basically have just been hovering, and I know part of it is because my play has suffered a bit during the transition. I also had a rash of bad beats in monster pots, (including 4 under-boats in one session), but did well enough to stay even due to other pots won. One thing that I have noted about 8-tabling is that it's extremely difficult to keep detailed records. I can barely get my buy-ins and re-buys on paper, let alone details on hands etc. On one hand I am fine with this, but on the other I don't want to stunt my poker learning because of it. I think I am going to view the 8-tabling thing as a trial. I will let myself adjust and if I can make a smooth adjustment, I will stick with it. But if I can't, I think I will probably save the 8-table sessions for weekends or times when I have lots of time to give it proper attention. Otherwise I will try to stick to 4 or 6 tables.
So now we are up to date, if only I could summon the will to dig through all of my records and update my spreadsheet...
Up over $80
14 years ago
3 comments:
Dead money is where it is at. Keep up your records on which game is softest for you. The only other games I can suggest are heads up, either NL Hold'em or O8 if you can find one.
I am not that much of a fan of 8 tabling, I can 3 table at O8 but I am most effective at 2 tables.
Don't worry, you will hit a good run soon.
Good luck out there, Marsh. It’s interesting to hear you say the $.25/$.50 tables are “pretty damn tough”. That’s a pretty bold statement for you to make, considering you’re the top earner at NLHE in the Challenge. I’m wondering if it’s just a bad stretch you’re in? One that’s only being exacerbated by your 8-tabling? Granted, a bad stretch for you is merely treading water, but still…
I’m dying to get in on the O8 action, especially to hear the way you and Jason describe it. But I’m planning on sticking it out until my bankroll can support it.
Ya Royal I stand by my statement, but at the same time, I will say it's totally beatable. It's just not easy money, where people are throwing it around like madmen. They make plenty of mistakes, but just not the huge ones that we used to see. Your points about being in a bad stretch and about the negative affect of my 8 tabling are very valid as well and should be considered.
About O8, good call on holding off. While the games are pretty damn soft most of the time, it is still a high variance game, and caution is required if you want to throw you hat into that ring.
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