In the beginning

[monkeyman]

I was refused time off work so I could take part in the 2006 WSOP main event. I"m still working for the same employer; maybe I"ve got my priorities wrong :"(

[nosey-p]

With the British Masters visiting Leeds in June. It's a tournament I would like to play in but with it being £550, it's out of my range.  If anybody is willing to stake me please pm me for more information or you can email me wayne1847.parker@virgin.net        

[nosey-p]

Now we have reached the half way point in the Poker League and with some post's already appearing on the forum, I thought I would give my view on the League.

You can fire up your computer, log on to any poker site and play in cash, STT and MTT games 24/7. What I am trying to say is if you want to play run of the mill poker then it's there in abundance. The Poker League offers you something different; you are no longer playing as an individual but as a team, not just a team but your local team. Playing for your town or city or were you were born in.

At the beginning of this season, it was said that APAT would have like the Poker League to be a live event but with the present climate this would not be possible, but would look at this again for season four. But how would a Poker League work in a live game? Would individual towns/city hold a game a month were you would travel to and have a MTT? Could it be club vs. club in a football league structure? Would Liverpool travel 200 miles for a £20 game? Would Nottingham put a team out? I don't know the answer to these questions. Apart from the Nottingham one  

Now that the league is on line I believe that this is were it should stay. I am not saying there should not be a regional live game; it's the one thing that is missing from this season. I believe that they should be an APAT on line event for a low buy-in and this is it, something different.

They as been talk about the size of clubs, is it fair for a club to have 20 members and another to have 4? Again I cannot answer this, for me it does seem unfair but what is the answer?

As the league progresses to the later stages I can only see the clubs at the top of the leagues playing as the rest will have no chance of qualifying

To keep players interested in the league an individual league should have run alongside the club league in the same way, top 3 go through to a STT.

Should the leagues be smaller (5 leagues of 6)?
Could there be a promotion/relegation system?
Should there just be one league of 30 with a bigger point's structure?  
Instead of clubs can we have counties?
Should the league be shorter? (Less games)

What ever the future holds I will be 100% behind APAT.

[Mikeyboy9361]

Quick reply cos far to many questions to answer. I love the league format, as Wayne says it is something a bit different, and the buy in is fine for us low budget players, unfortunately it does mean that for some of our members it doesn"t seem to be worth their effort which is a shame. 20 rounds may be a bit too long. Some sort of individual prize for players who are doing well but their team is out of it, in order to keep numbers up towards the end of the season is a good idea. But as Wayne said this tourney will have to stay on line, but I would love to see the return of a few regionals.

[Honeybadg]

If you changed it to two 9 week seasons and two finals then the existing format works really well.

I like the idea of an individual player MTT too - top 100 players across the leagues?

I think the $10+1 buy in is spot on. For the league you shouldn"t constrain people from playing.

If you have enough established clubs then I like the idea of divisions with promotion and relegation.

Looking forward to tonight"s game.

Louis

[nosey-p]

Scared money

They say you should not play with scared money. I don't know who "they are" but I don't think that this is always right. The thinking behind scared money is if you play with money that you cannot afford to lose then it will affect your game (for the worse). Where as I think it makes you concentrate even more (you should be concentrating all the time anyway).

A few months back I met Stuart for a night out at our local casino. The conversation turns to the poker league and how well Leeds is doing. When I told him that I only had $11 left in my Blue Square account and when I lose it I will not play on BS again.

Since the start off season 2 I have not taken to BS. I know they are our sponsors but it's a site that I don't like. I am not knocking them just that some sites seems to suit you and some don't

Now with my $11 I had two options, to play the satellite to the Welsh on-line championship or play the next league game. I decided to play the satellite were a finished one off the seats but won $50 but I was still short off $5 for the game. So I hit the cash tables to get the $5 and entered the Welsh. Did I play my normal game or did I play scared?

I now have entered the Welsh Championships with my last $55 knowing if I lose then that's it for me with BS and APAT on-line games. So how do I play? Do I play my normal game or do I play scared? Which ever way you look at it, the result is that I came in the money, so my love of Blue Square is extended for now.

A few weeks go by, with no luck at the tables on BS (strange that the other 3 sites I play on, I am in profit). Down to my last $11 again, I enter game 5 of the league. Again knowing that this could be my last game. Do I play my normal game or do I play scared? The result is that I go on and win.

A couple of months go by and my BS account gets down to $11 yet again. My APAT life is on the line in game 11, which again I go on to win. Is this just a coincidence that when I need to win I do? Is it just variance? Or am I concentrating more knowing it could be my last game?

About two years ago I went through a very bad patch. One of the things I did, to try and get out of it was to play at a higher level than I normally do. I did not make any money at this level but it did make me concentrate more, why? When I dropped back down to my normal level, my game had improved and I was winning again.

So should you play with scared money?                        

[Mikeyboy9361]

Good question Wayne. I was recently in a very similar position with my BSQ account, and I stopped playing cash tables altogether and decided to really concentrate on the one and two table SNGs, I had to start on the $2 games, thats how bad my bankroll had got! And now I have built it back up to a decent level, I think it is really a concentration thing, but also when you are hanging on to a bank roll you are less inclined to make that risky call, and as such you reduce that variance.

[nosey-p]

On my annual trip to Headingly this Saturday to do some Aussie bashing. Sitting in the main stand, behind the bowlers arm. Normally sit in the west stand so don't get to see much cricket, for the people who as sat in the stand will know what I mean. Then at lunch and tea will be in the Skylark.

It's like summer as started, sat in the sun with a pint watching the Npower girls walk up and down I mean watching the cricket. Just got to remember to put some suntan lotion on.  

[AMRN]

It's like summer as started, sat in the sun...........   Just got to remember to put some suntan lotion on.  

why you trying to kid??!

[deanp27]

Western Terrace at Headingley tomorrow for me  

[nosey-p]

Cash

Since I started playing poker, I have played tournaments. I play STT with the profit I then enter MTT and what ever I win in the MTT, that's my profit. If I have a big win then I try the cash tables, were I go and lose and lose and lose some more. So I go back to MTT's until I have another big win than I will put my toes back in the cash pond only to get them bit off again

A few people keep telling me that my style of game should suite the cash game so this week with me being off work I decided to give cash another go. So I put aside $100 and hit the tables.

Rules

Buy-in $25 (0.10/.25)
Play 2 tables at a time
If I lose a buy-in, not to reload
Only play for 2 hours in one session
Not to play drawing hands pre flop (i.e. 87s) in any position
Not to play in first 3 positions unless I have AA, KK, QQ, AK
If I hit the flop, bet out, don't give free cards
If I miss the flop, the hand is dead, unless I get big odds to call
NEVER NEVER BLUFF even if I think I could get it through

So far I have had 5 sessions (10 hours) 2 loosing and 3 winning. After I finish a session I have been making notes on the session, how I played, what I did wrong, what I did right, and any key hands. One of the losing sessions I had AK 5 times which all lost and KK which lost to 6,8 (all on the same table). But the pleasing thing for me was that I only lost $10. All in all without going into too much detail, I am up $78. So that's $7.80 per hour in profit.  

My aim is to get to $500 before I move up a level but as I only play at the weekends, this may take some time.

I know this is a very small sample and I will need to play at least 100+ hours before I can get a true reflection.    

Any thoughts on my rules?      

[SirPercival]

Cash

Since I started playing poker, I have played tournaments. I play STT with the profit I then enter MTT and what ever I win in the MTT, that's my profit. If I have a big win then I try the cash tables, were I go and lose and lose and lose some more. So I go back to MTT's until I have another big win than I will put my toes back in the cash pond only to get them bit off again

A few people keep telling me that my style of game should suite the cash game so this week with me being off work I decided to give cash another go. So I put aside $100 and hit the tables.

Rules

Buy-in $25 (0.10/.25)
Play 2 tables at a time
If I lose a buy-in, not to reload
Only play for 2 hours in one session
Not to play drawing hands pre flop (i.e. 87s) in any position
Not to play in first 3 positions unless I have AA, KK, QQ, AK
If I hit the flop, bet out, don't give free cards
If I miss the flop, the hand is dead, unless I get big odds to call
NEVER NEVER BLUFF even if I think I could get it through

So far I have had 5 sessions (10 hours) 2 loosing and 3 winning. After I finish a session I have been making notes on the session, how I played, what I did wrong, what I did right, and any key hands. One of the losing sessions I had AK 5 times which all lost and KK which lost to 6,8 (all on the same table). But the pleasing thing for me was that I only lost $10. All in all without going into too much detail, I am up $78. So that's $7.80 per hour in profit.  

My aim is to get to $500 before I move up a level but as I only play at the weekends, this may take some time.

I know this is a very small sample and I will need to play at least 100+ hours before I can get a true reflection.    

Any thoughts on my rules?      

Great that your trying real poker for a while Wayne.  

I would suggest your $100 bankroll is a bit low for /25c. I would either have a roll of $250 or move down to 5/10c. $500 sounds right for 25c/50c

2 tables is good. Certainly most people tell me no more than 4 if you want to improve. I was playing up to 10 but it was very much to a formula and not enjoyable any more. I now play between 2 and 4.

Not re-loading seems reflective of your bankroll / level. Dropping down would allow reloads after bad beats. If you are getting your money in good you want to stay at the table.

Not playing suited connectors might make you a bit predictable but I can see your logic

First 3 positions need strong hands

Betting out after the flop is good but you may need to mix it up a bit and c bet when you miss as well. Remember you will miss most flops - but so will they!

Didn"t think you bluffed in MTT either  

1 final thing - GET POKERTRACKER  

all IMHO of course.
Stuart

[nosey-p]

0.05c/0. seem to get more bad beats at this level as more people will call with anything.

Not to reload, See scared money. I do have a bigger bank roll than $100 but giving me a limit makes me focus.    

Mixing it up, most tables I have played on, the players come and go so the turnover of players is high and therefore don't get a reed on me.

I NEVER BLUFF

I only play about 4/5 hours a week, plus I play for the fun and trying to beat my opponents, having pokertracker is like keeping an ace up your sleeve (cheating ) if I played more or if I did this for a living then yes pokertracker would be a must.      

What is a good $ per hour for this level? I was aiming for $10  

[nosey-p]

A quick update on how my cash adventure is going.

Not played much, just played 17 hours over a month.

$180 in profit so that's around $10.50 an hour which is what I was aiming for.

At one stage I was up $220 and got a bit cocky so I started to play 4 tables which were against one of my rules. But after losing around $60 in one session I soon reverted back to 2 tables and back to winning ways.

Overall I don't like cash I don't get the same buzz as going all in on a bluff (which I never do) in a tournament and getting your opponent to lay down there hand. But if I keep winning at over $10 an hour then I will stick with it for now.

Should I be moving up to $0.25/$0.50 or is it too soon?

Played some live poker this weekend which is a rarity for me. Visited Alea in Leeds for the forth time at cashed for the third time, ok it was not as big cash just my buy-in back but can not complain. Then I played at the Gala and got my Aces bustard (live poker so rigged)      

Cashed for over $600 on PS finished in 5th my pocket kings v's A 10. 1st place paying $2600 which would have been nice as I have just got a garage bill for £900  

[coprey]

Scared money

I now have entered the Welsh Championships with my last $55 knowing if I lose then that's it for me with BS and APAT on-line games. So how do I play? Do I play my normal game or do I play scared? Which ever way you look at it, the result is that I came in the money, so my love of Blue Square is extended for now.

A few weeks go by, with no luck at the tables on BS (strange that the other 3 sites I play on, I am in profit). Down to my last $11 again, I enter game 5 of the league. Again knowing that this could be my last game. Do I play my normal game or do I play scared? The result is that I go on and win.

A couple of months go by and my BS account gets down to $11 yet again. My APAT life is on the line in game 11, which again I go on to win. Is this just a coincidence that when I need to win I do? Is it just variance? Or am I concentrating more knowing it could be my last game?

About two years ago I went through a very bad patch. One of the things I did, to try and get out of it was to play at a higher level than I normally do. I did not make any money at this level but it did make me concentrate more, why? When I dropped back down to my normal level, my game had improved and I was winning again.

So should you play with scared money?                        

It has been said that scared money is dead money, and I would generally agree. Playing scared, IMO, is when the money you can potentially lose has a great deal of importance to you. I could imagine a situation where I am on the bubble in the WSOP, for perhaps $25,000. I could imagine myself playing scared through each money level.

I find it difficult to imagine how playing $55 or $11 could ever fall into the caregory of playing scared. It may have busted your bankroll on blue square, but you can still play other sites or even break your own rules again and reload.

Playing at 25c/50c id recommend a slightly larger bankroll than $500, perhaps $750 - $1000. A bad cash run can be very expensive esp when playing above your limits.