A(n) (Un)Limited Operation...

Huge Edit:

I am playing NL now. I cashed out about 1k from my bankroll pre Neteller bustos and I left myself with $140. I have currently worked it up to $590 playing $10NL and cashing $150 in the FTR AP Freeroll. Scroll down quite a bit and read up on my NL adventures.

Hello everyone,

I have been writing in the SSSLHE forum about my recent attempts to climb the latter in 6max Limit Hold'em. While I know this is not the most intriguing topic for most of FTR.com members I have seen some interest from other players and thus I will keep it going. I feel this is a better forum to place this thread as it will mainly consist of results.

Starting BR: $500
Bodog.com earnings: $80 (including $50 Bonus)
Pokerstarts earnings: $107(including $50 Bonus)
2nd trip to Bodog: $101(including $60 Bonus)
Current BR: $734 (-$55 for PokerTracker)

Here are my main goals for the near future:
--Play an average of 3 hours/day
--Clear bonuses at FullTilt, Absolute Poker, and UltimateBet
--Become properly rolled for 2/4 6 max (~$3000)

I will not really be posting any hands in here just mainly results and my bonus trail for anyone who would like to follow it in the future. 6max Limit Hold'em is the BEST game for clearing the tough bonuses in the shortest time.

Thanks to anyone who has helped me along the way and continues to do so. Also, good luck to everyone else here on their operations.

For any of you interested in looking at the beginnings of the quest here it is: http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...oker-46794.htm

Good Luck spenda. I have been watching the trip you have been on. I have also started playing some 6max limit. I find it little more interesting than NL at the moment. Well like i said good luck.

Also let me know how u like Fulltilt. I have played there for 3 months and never got on a run. I withdrew and havent played there in a while. Had to calm down before going back lol.

Good luck man! Keep up the awesome playing so far and you'll get your goal in no time. I'm watching you!

So here's the deal, I feel like this is applicable to all forms of poker, no just Limit.

Even though I am a proven winner at the levels I have passed through I do not feel as if I can discern why I am winning and not losing except for the fact that I know my competition on a whole is not better than I am. I find myself making so many plays w/out reasoning that I just feel lost during the game. I really have little reasoning why I am doing certain things.

All of this leads to the fact that I just don't play much poker right now. Im not going to say Im scared to fire up FT, I'm not. I know if I play I will win; however, I just feel like the deck is hitting me in the face and that Im going to go on a large downswing anytime now. I really have not heard about this around FTR. Typically if someone is losing they call it variance, well, IM WINNING AND IM CALLING IT VARIANCE.

Because of this I think Im going to take some time off of poker. A $100 Amazon.com gift card just bought me TOP, HEPFAP, and WTO by King Yao. I think I'll try to read all of these books within a small time frame and maybe I'll learn some new theory to this game. I think I am fortunate to come to this realization before my poor play actually starts affecting my BR negatively. Ill probably be posting some theory in here as well as bumping old threads in the FTR Book Club forum.

Until then, gl boys.

Interesting you posted that...after my early success I just spewed a lot of my BR forcing me to finally cash out completely before I got too out of hand. Now, obviously, I wish I cashed out just 3 days ago to have a lot more than I have now. In my opinion, what you are doing is smart. Keep us updated though.

Hey spenda i have been getting hammered in poker lately so I made that decision as well.
My decision was to only play SNG`s for a while. This keeps me from taking huge hits to my BR and supplies me with the fun of playing poker.
Glad to hear you were at least UP when you deciced to slow down.

Good luck.

2500 hands down. I've cleared over $105 worth of bonuses or Id be pretty pissed. Anyone see any glaring stats? 6max LHE.

Hey man, I don't post here often, but this thread and your last one are pretty cool. I'm sorta doing the same, trying to build a roll for low stakes LHE and move up etc, but, I'm finding it difficult to overcome rake.

I'm also trying to deposit at UltimateBet due to a healthy sign up bonus and RB scheme, however, it isn't accepting my method of payment! Doh!

anyhooz, I was wondering if you have signed up to UB yet, and if so what bonus and rakeback are you using, and would you recomend it to a low limit (.5/1 and 1/2) player like myself?

many thanks bud, keep up the good work!

Josh

Originally Posted by Captain_RocknRoll

Hey man, I don't post here often, but this thread and your last one are pretty cool. I'm sorta doing the same, trying to build a roll for low stakes LHE and move up etc, but, I'm finding it difficult to overcome rake.

I'm also trying to deposit at UltimateBet due to a healthy sign up bonus and RB scheme, however, it isn't accepting my method of payment! Doh!

anyhooz, I was wondering if you have signed up to UB yet, and if so what bonus and rakeback are you using, and would you recomend it to a low limit (.5/1 and 1/2) player like myself?

many thanks bud, keep up the good work!

Josh

Yea, UB is on my list after FTP and Absolute. I think you get +$650 and 30% rakeback now (I think the 35% is no longer available). Also, I believe 25% of the bonus is taken out of the rakeback or vice versa but not bad at all.


An update: my laptop is down for the count. Actually, its the ac/dc power adapter. Anyways, Dell is getting one out to me Tuesday so now playing until then. In that time I have decided I will finish WTO and HEPFAP. I should have theory running out my ass by Tues night!!

Waiting for my Neteller account to get sorted, so I too will be reading HEPFAP again. However, due to some of the plays in this book being somewhat lost on lower stakes players (i like to call them donks! haha) I think I'll re-read Ed Miller's SSHE too!

Good luck bud, keep us updated on your progress, and I might do the same!

Btw, 25% of the bonus is taken out of the RB?! hmmmm......

cheers!

Originally Posted by Captain_RocknRoll

Good luck bud, keep us updated on your progress, and I might do the same!

Btw, 25% of the bonus is taken out of the RB?! hmmmm......

cheers!

Thanks, BOL to you too. Also, 25% is sure a lot better than Full Tilt. They take all of rakeback out of your bonus. Absolute is the only(large) site where they do not take any of your RB out of the Bonus.

Ugh, UB isn't going too well. Getting sucked out on, on pretty much every hand. Lost with AA against A4, KK against K7, QQ vs 55 etc etc etc...it really is pretty unreal.

However, my favourite part has to be where i raised with 55 in late position, to be repopped by BB. I called, flop came x 5 x, woooohooo!.....and then Villain open folded. WTF?! No draws have come in either....except of course the opponents, par exampler I flopped nut straight, villain flops lower straight....but goes on to turn and river a flush, YAY!

Some of the runner-runners are really getting on my tits!

sorry about the rant....but to say I'm rather PO'ed is an understatement.

Good luck!

Well I finally have my laptop back up and running. I actually received great support from Dell which is a huge change from how they have treated me in the past.

I have come to a bit of a decision. I cannot keep playing .5/1 at FTP. The bonus clears unbelievably slow and the rake is torching me. So here's the deal:

Br: ~$800
I can move up to 1/2 at FTP with 400BBs and play there. If I drop 150BBs down to like ~$500 then I would move down. My bonus will not disappear until April I believe.

I can move to Absolute/UB and get 30% rakeback+their signup bonuses. On both sites only a fraction of the bonus is removed from rakeback. I am a bit torn on what to do. I will probably decide in the next few hours after researching the traffic at the 1/2 games at each site. They are all PT and HUD compatible. Anyone have any preference on any of these sites?

Well...

I suck. I suck horribly. I am not a good poker player.

Ok, now that I got that out of my system. I ran into some shitty variance today. Lost 40BBs in 500 hands at 1/2. Im a little fed up with FTP and thus I think Im going to move my funds either:

A. Back to Bodog
B. To Absolute

I've already made an account at Absolute b/c I planned on moving my money there today. Anyways, I noticed I needed to only play400 hands to clear some more bonus today at FTP. Well, that sucked. Now, Im on the move to one of the 2 sites. Most likely a short short stint at Bodog (Now PT compatible...YAY!!) and then a month worth of grinding something like 30K hands at Absolute.

I finsihed FTP up $1.25. Yup ya read that right. I cleared $115 in bonuses so all in all I got pwned at FTP 1/2 game. I still get way too tilty and I am making horrible reads/calls/raises/etc... I can chalk up some of it to variance but not nearly enough of it. I never ran good over the 3k hands I played and I never ever seemed to just have a good solid session.

My br~735
BR wanted before I go to absolute ~800

Everytime I think I suck Bodog tells me I am not that horrible. If all you want to do is 3table then I would strongly reccommend Bodog. It is honestly the softest site I've played on (this includes FTP, PS, Titan, Paradise, Pacific, and Party). Until it becomes PT compatible it will remain this way.

I deposted $600 of my roll onto Bodog and am already up $130. I've also cleared 1/3 of my $60 bonus which is nice. I think I might just clear the rest tonight/tomorrow and be able to deposit on Absolute this weekend. Been talking to others and I hear the Absolute 1/2 game is beatable. With bonus/rb I hope to do some major br building there. As long as I cashout Bodog +20 I will be able to make Absolutes full bonus.

Peace out

I think I need to keep posting in here to keep my interest up. I finished Bodog up ~$75. I have that in my Neteller acct and am waiting on the rest of my BR to clear from my checking acct into my Neteller acct. I will be placing all of it on Absolute. I used rakebrain to get 30% rb plus the full $750 bonus. Hopefully I will be on there either today/tomorrow. If not, I may have to wait until Mon which would suck (although I could prolly deposit back on Bodog again, I don't think they even notice).

Starting BR: $500
Bodog.com earnings: $80 (including $50 Bonus)
Pokerstarts earnings: $107(including $50 Bonus)
2nd trip to Bodog: $101(including $60 Bonus)
FT Poker: $2(including $115 in bonuses )
3rd trip to Bodog: $75 (including $60 in bonus)
Current BR: $810 (-$55 for PokerTracker)

Hey, I've made $355 and $335 has been in bonues. YAY bonuses, boo no rakeback, lol to running at about .2bb/100 over 8k hands. Here's to a major upswing!!

Well, Bodog let me hit-n-run again and now I have moved my money to UB. I received a $650 bonus and am getting 30% rakeback through an affiliate(pm if you want to know who ). I haven't played much but I must say that the 1/2 LHE 6max game there is extremely weak. If I practice any type of table selection I do not see why I should not run +2bb/100 or more. Add about 1.5bb/100 with Rakeback and bonuses and I have a great chance of moving up to 2/4 in a month. I also registered my copy of PAHUD for $25. It is pretty cool, I have to thank TJ for getting me to finally buy it.

A lot of my huge draws have been bricking lately and that is upsetting. I got 3outtered in a 25BB pot which hurt a ton. I did have one lucky hand though...

Ultimate Bet
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $1./$2
6 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is BB with
UTG calls, 2 folds, Button calls, SB folds, Hero checks.

Flop: (3.5SB, 3 players)
Hero bets, UTG raises, Button folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (3.75BB, 2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets, Hero raises, UTG calls.

River: (7.75BB, 2 players)
Hero bets, UTG calls.

Results:
Final pot: 9.75BB
Villian mucks

Starting BR: $500
Bodog.com earnings: $80 (including $50 Bonus)
Pokerstars earnings: $107(including $50 Bonus)
2nd trip to Bodog: $101(including $60 Bonus)
FT Poker: $2(including $115 in bonuses)
3rd trip to Bodog: $75 (including $60 in Bonus)
Ultimate Bet: $82($25 of bonus cleared)
Current BR: $867 (-$80 for PokerTracker/PAHUD)

YAYYY Freerolls!!!!

Played in the FTR freeroll at Absolute today. Only a few other vets played but it was definitely good times. I think I made $33 in the freeroll, I then ran that up to $50 play $25NL (good BR management I know). To let you guys know the $25NL play was pretty appalling at Absolute.

What sucks about playing this freeroll is I think I may have some how screwed up my affiliate with rakeback. I got an email from them stating that Absolute is claiming I signed up throug another affiliate. I know this is not true because I know exactly what I typed into the Bonus Code box. I really hope they can fix this b/c Absolute +750 bonus AND full 30% rakeback is a great deal for br builders.

I decided today what my goal would be. I kinda got motivated from the "intro yourself" thread in the beginner forum. Everyone is young and making much more money than me. My new goal is to be rolled ($6K) to play 5/10 LHE 6max by my 22nd Bday which is May 21st.

Another updated BR after tonights NL adventure:

Starting BR: $500
Bodog.com earnings: $80 (including $50 Bonus)
PokerStars earnings: $107(including $50 Bonus)
2nd trip to Bodog: $101(including $60 Bonus)
FT Poker: $2(including $115 in bonuses)
3rd trip to Bodog: $75 (including $60 in Bonus)
Ultimate Bet: $89($25 of Bonus cleared/$7 in RB earned)
Absolute: $50
Current BR: $924 (-$80 for PokerTracker/PAHUD)

This means with total assests my BR is over $1000. GO ME!!!

Im going to finally finish reading WTO by King Yao tomorrow and hopefully play 1K hands at UB 1/2 game. I'll probably datamine while reading for an hour or so and then play. Seeya boys at the tables.

If you want to build your BR, why are you playing limit???

bigspenda,

In response to your PT question above:

I would be attempting to steal the blinds a bit more, and protecting a bit less.

I could be way off because I'm certainly not strong at SHLE but 50% BB protection seems way too high to me. I would think something more like 35-40% in the BB would be much more reasonable. I think your SB protections is high too. And I wouldn't be afraid to try to steel the blinds greater than >35%.


I don't know how well this translates to 6max, or have yet determined how well it works, but this has been my theory:

They say that the counter strategy against a HU player that tries to steal every hand, you should call ~40% of the time and re-raise ~15% of the time. So, if use that as a guideline, then this would mean that against someone who tries to steal 75% of the time, we should call ~30% and re-raise ~11%. Now, when translating this to 6max, I kind of like to be a little more concervative than this. I usually go with more like 35% and 12% against a 100% stealer. So, if he attempts to steal 80% of the time, I'll roughly protect with my top 28% of hands and 3-bet my top 9%. And occationally I'll have a few more hands in there due to pot odds when the SB calls first.

So, all in all, I would think that around 35-40% is better than 50%.

But that's just my two cents.... for what it's worth.

Originally Posted by zook

If you want to build your BR, why are you playing limit???

Because if I played NL my BR wouldn't grow
Also, with my the levels my BR allows me to play my bonuses clear faster at Limit and I make more rakeback.

Originally Posted by NWNewell

bigspenda,

In response to your PT question above:

I would be attempting to steal the blinds a bit more, and protecting a bit less.

I could be way off because I'm certainly not strong at SHLE but 50% BB protection seems way too high to me. I would think something more like 35-40% in the BB would be much more reasonable. I think your SB protections is high too. And I wouldn't be afraid to try to steel the blinds greater than >35%.


I don't know how well this translates to 6max, or have yet determined how well it works, but this has been my theory:

They say that the counter strategy against a HU player that tries to steal every hand, you should call ~40% of the time and re-raise ~15% of the time. So, if use that as a guideline, then this would mean that against someone who tries to steal 75% of the time, we should call ~30% and re-raise ~11%. Now, when translating this to 6max, I kind of like to be a little more concervative than this. I usually go with more like 35% and 12% against a 100% stealer. So, if he attempts to steal 80% of the time, I'll roughly protect with my top 28% of hands and 3-bet my top 9%. And occationally I'll have a few more hands in there due to pot odds when the SB calls first.

So, all in all, I would think that around 35-40% is better than 50%.

But that's just my two cents.... for what it's worth.

Why are we being more conservative in 6max when the stealer has to have a much wider range? I will say that my ATSB is pretty low, I had not noticed that. It could stem from the fact that at that level I was at I was rarely able to open on the button. But does that stat take that into account? Does that mean I only raised 32% of the time from the button when all folded to me? Honeslty, that doesn't happen to often at that level so I wouldn't know.

I will tell you that my folded BB to steal at 1/2 is 55% and my ATSB is 45% so maybe I am making slight improvements.

Yeah, I think the ATSB does take into account only the times that is folded around to you and you are the first to open.

I was refering to being more concervative at 6max as compared to a Heads-Up Game (an actual heads up game, not just a cash game that is folded into being heads-up for that hand). The range of typical 6max steal attempts would be much narrower than the range of a HU Stealer. Being more concervative may not be nessecary. But for one, being a little more concervative in this situation in 6max does not give up quit as much value as being too concervative in this suatuation during HU (since HU you are in the BB every other hand). And for a player like myself who does not consider themselves to be an above average post flop player (with regards to knowing where I stand and putting people on hands), protecting too much can get me into some sticky sutuations. So, trying to be a little less concervative in this spot doesn't really earn me much value compaired to the added volaltility.

Im falling into the trap of not playing any poker again. I'm really not sure what this is all about. The Neteller business really bummed me out today as I just cannot see the fishies flooding the market like they used to. This could really spell bad news for limit hold'em. But you know what, fuck that! Im gonna stick this limit shit out until Im rolled for 5/10 LHE 6max (~$6000). It's going to take a lot of hands, but hell, I have a lot of free time on my hands right now b/c Im at a lull in my career. All I really want to do is play 1000 hands/day at the minimum. Doing this would allow me to clear a large sites signup bonus monthly.

I was recently screwed by Absolute poker regarding rakeback. I am still in the process of having them correct the error. I am not quite sure what my gameplan is because I feel Absolute is in all actuality NOT supporting high volume players. Im still at UB and I have about $600 in bonus left to clear. I am already getting rakeback there which is a great little bonus. After this the trail will really dry up. I will clear my FTP bonus next. I hope to close my Absolute account out and download later after I have deleted my cookies. I wont have the option of having to open a new Neteller account so whatever. I've heard of a skin of Absolute which is offering 28% rb which sounds great to me.

Back to the grind tomorrow. I have been reviewing a lot of hands and situations and hopefully tomorrow I can start making much more +EV decisions.

This is where the NL adventure begins:

Well I couldn't see a future in limt after 2/4 6max and since I want to make tons of money playing I have recently switched to NL. That is all you need to know except my last limit session ended badly with me taking a shot at a 5/10 game and getting owned/card dead for about $500. At that time I had approx a $1600 roll.

I left myself $140 on UB that I couldn't get rid of and that is where I started. I have played 10k hands at $10NL running 8.5ptbb/100. I've cashed in the only 2 donkaments I've played and have run my BR up to $590. I have $440 on UB and $150 (thanks FTR) on AP. I have a rakeback account with UB and am looking to get my AP money onto UB

Anyways, I have recently watched a lot of cardrunners vids and have started reading NLTEP. I plan on moving up to $25NL tonight! WOOT!

I'll update after my first 10k at $25nl which is hopefully in about 5-6 days.

See you guys at the tables.

Good luck bro. Sounds like you are running great in 10NL. Let me know how it goes. 6max still?

Well I've won over $200 playing $5/$10/$20 HU SNG's on AP. If you've run into Borat4Prez and his buzzsaw I apologize. I think it was just a phase though. Either way my roll is approaching $800 and I've barely played any $25NL at all.

Goals for this next week.

1. Post on FTR less
2. Play more poker
3. Keep reading NLT&P
4. Keep watching cardrunners vids
8. Profit