A D-Lux apartment in the Sky

Yes, Weeze; I want to talk about moving on up. Glenda has touched on it in discussing her play trying to outdo Chris Ferguson. Her experience is a lot like mine of late. She’s just the better, more experienced stud player.

What Glenda did was ignore her bankroll and move her game up a couple of levels. She’s playing Stud8 and I’m playing StudHi. I think her’s takes a lot more discipline. I really am a bit too loose to try to emulate her. I’m not a loose cannon but I’ll speculate a bit more than is advisable at times. It isn’t quite as negative at high play.

Now the following info doesn’t have enough hands to say for certain we’re on to something but it gives some support.

Level   Hands   Won

.25-50  5182     167.05

1-2         702     203.85

With a 4:1 difference in it’d be normal to look at a comparison calling it $50 and change. But the big bet difference dispels that. The cheap seat wins 6.45 BB/hr. The 1-2 table is running 14.52. Now that is unsustainable over the long haul. And such a small sample reinforces that view.

However, there is a benefit that doesn’t show up easily in Poker Tracker. I’ve experienced far fewer suckouts. The reason is I’m not getting 4-5 people on the late streets. In isn’t unusual to see site stats reporting 70% doing the door round. You know there are some remarkably bad hands being played on a regular basis. You also know that the pot odds give thinking players a valid reason to chase. When you go combining that you’re no longer playing poker; you have entered the lottery.

All of us have the idea of playing higher level poker. We throw around terms like post oak bets. That will work at all levels at times. But, JB likes the old saw that you can’t bluff a stump. When the calling rate is 70% the table often will resemble a just clear-cut section of forest. All you see from here to the horizon is a field of stumps. In that environment, playing anything but level 1 poker isn’t profitable. And, the variance is going to be more substantial.

Glenda has similar observations and elected to play above her Chris bankroll. Normally, that could be challenged by any thinking player. It is even more attackable when you factor in the tight Jesus rules of bankroll management. I’m think that it is still a likely better move. Too much bankroll is at risk. And, as Glenda’s recent blog stated, she got mashed a bit by the play. But, overall, I think she has a winning strategy. She may go broke playing it. I still think it a valid option.

What you do need is your A-game. Yesterday, I didn’t have it but played anyway. I speculated too much. On the hands I won, I lost table image in doing so. That might go unnoticed in the cheap seats but it does get more notice higher up. After getting down a buyin – I usually buy double the recommended – I turned it around and made a 6BB profit. That was luck and getting my head screwed back on where my big hand profited from my suck laden table image. That isn’t the way to consistently turn a profit.

Image can work both ways. So many players have a straight down decision tree. It never branches to alternatives. If they get an ace up they bet. There may have been another door A or even two, but they will bet. The same guy will bet his 83o up if everybody checks to him. He may have a so-so hand like 8’s up and he’s in it against the tightest guy at the table betting every round with a possible royal his ups. Your notes say he’s a super aggressive calling station and he evidently thinks he’s bamboozling you. That is a player that you see at all levels. But, playing him heads up is a lot better than with 3 or 4 other callers. He may suck out or even have a concealed hand against you at times. But, with a full field, you’re playing with a lot more risk and that is the regular difference between better levels and cheaper seats.

ADDENDUM:

$mokkee and I seem to be joined at the hip. Poor guy; that is a lot to live down! His latest article here seems to echo more of the sentiment I provided in my last blog. He just does it a bit different. Same idea. Pick a winner of exercise or my veggie, couch potato method.

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Just booked my first losing session at 1-2. Still doing nicely though. Had to happen. They drew out with those flushes which happens often.  I’m up 313.20 on PokerStars.

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The new laptop arrives today.  Pant! Pant! Pant!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 at 11:11 am and is filed under Journal, Other poker. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.