Slap's Cool Million Challenge

[slapdash]

Oh dear! :sad I've just noticed that PokerStars have the equivalent of Coolers (though they call them "Double or Nothing") up to $100, and have lower rake than Boss. They also have the choice of turbos (5 minute blind levels) and 10 minute blind levels (they also have PL Omaha ones, though I think I'll leave those for the time being! :loon). I've spent far too much time recently playing this EVIL form of poker, just because I've been making money at it, when from the point of view of enjoyment and improving my game I'd much rather be playing "proper" tournaments. I also noticed that Stars have "Double or Nothing" satellites to the Sunday Million (and possibly other big tournaments?), which might possibly be softer if they attract players who aren't used to the format. So I've decided to harness this to try to get some experience playing some of the bigger tournaments that I probably wouldn't play otherwise. Here's what I'll do. I'll start with a bank of $500, and will play these to try to generate buy-ins for big tournaments on Stars. But I'll only use net profit for these buy-ins (so I need to have $500 left after the buy-in), and at least to begin with I'll increase the amount I need by $50 each week (so after next Sunday I need $550 remaining after the buy-in, then $600 and so on), so that I need to build my bank to gradually decrease the chance of a bad run wiping me out. [Edit: Changed my mind about the last paragraph: Instead of raising the bank needed week-by-week, which is a bit artificial if I play a lot more some weeks than others, I'll increase it by $100 each time I buy in to a tournament. So for the first tournament I buy in to, I need $500 remaining in the bank after the buy-in, for the second I need $600, etc.] I'll probably start playing at $50, but will experiment with turbos/non-turbos. I've already played one non-turbo (which I won't count for this ... I didn't cash, but didn't think it seemed any tougher than the ones I've been playing on Boss). So: Staring bank: $500.

[aldric]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge Good luck with this, sounds like a great challenge :ok

[slapdash]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge

Good luck with this' date=' sounds like a great challenge :ok[/quote'] Thanks. Just about to get this started with a $50+$2 turbo. :hope

[happyhornet]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge Good luck Slap:ok

[McG]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge Good luck with this :hope If you know this format well, better to make hay before the others rumble the evil psychology of the game :ok Mind you, there's turbo with 5 minute blinds, but what about antes coming in at Level 3? That's fast :loon

[slapdash]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge Out in 8th with KK v AA. C'est la vie.

Mind you, there's turbo with 5 minute blinds, but what about antes coming in at Level 3? That's fast :loon

Yes, I'm going to have to think about what difference the antes make. I won't update every game, just now and then (or when I lose all my money!). Current bank $448.

[Samba_SamPa]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge Good luck Slap

[slapdash]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge Bah! Bubbled twice. :wall I haven't had the best of luck, but I think the antes are messing with my timing in the endgame. I'll probably drop down to $20 for a while to "recalibrate". Current bank $344.

[slapdash]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge

I'll probably drop down to $20 for a while to "recalibrate".

Bugger! I accidentally registered for a PL Omaha one! :lol

[aldric]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge

Bah! Bubbled twice. :wall I haven't had the best of luck, but I think the antes are messing with my timing in the endgame. I'll probably drop down to $20 for a while to "recalibrate". Current bank $344.

I watched your last 2 games slap, unlucky coming out 6th :( (Especially the one where you had gone all in and the chap to your left had JJ and also went in). One observation if you dont mind? I know that these style of games you are only interested in finishing in the top 5. However you really did appear very passive and towards the end of the games I thought you would have gone all in with near enough any 2 cards? On both the last games you were on about 500 chips with 7 players remaining with the blinds 100/200 and ante's 25 or 50? And to me it looked like there were a a good few opportunites to push as it was clear the other small stacks were just waiting for you to bust. Hopefully you will cash in your next few :ok

[GaF]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge :lol :lol :lol :lol I want to watch this :ok

[slapdash]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge

One observation if you dont mind?

I don't mind at all. :ok

I know that these style of games you are only interested in finishing in the top 5. However you really did appear very passive and towards the end of the games I thought you would have gone all in with near enough any 2 cards? On both the last games you were on about 500 chips with 7 players remaining with the blinds 100/200 and ante's 25 or 50? And to me it looked like there were a a good few opportunites to push as it was clear the other small stacks were just waiting for you to bust.

You're probably right. That's more or less what I meant about "timing". Without antes I think I have a fairly good feeling for when I should shove and when it's right to wait for better cards/situation. But with antes, my stack reduces faster, so I can't afford to wait so long, and I don't think I was adjusting enough.

[GaF]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge Nice double up :ok Do you know that there's a filter - so you can remove all the games from the lobby you dont wish to play.

[aldric]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge :ok Sounds like a good idea dropping down, getting used to the ante's etc. Maybe play some more omaha as your doing well!! :clap

[GaF]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge

Maybe play some more omaha as your doing well!! :clap

+1 Well done :clap :clap :clap

[slapdash]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge

Bugger! I accidentally registered for a PL Omaha one! :lol

:dude Current bank $363.20.

Do you know that there's a filter - so you can remove all the games from the lobby you dont wish to play.

Yes, and if I'd thought "Better make sure I don't accidentally register for PLO" then I'd have used it. :lol

Maybe play some more omaha as your doing well!! :clap

Haven't got the foggiest what my strategy should be when I can't open shove for 10xBB! But then again, maybe nobody else does either!

[slapdash]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge I played five $20 turbos and cashed in two. Not brilliant, but I think I'm starting to figure out how to adjust for the antes. I think I'll try some $20 non-turbos next. I'm pretty sure that in the turbos most players are playing far too many hands, and if that's the same in the non-turbos, that might mean that more players are out by the time the blinds get high, which might suit my strategy better. Current bank $339.20.

[slapdash]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge Aaaargh! This is getting frustrating! I played eight turbos and two non-turbos at $20, 2-tabling, and every set of two I won one and lost one, losing a total of $9.60 in rake. Current bank $329.60.

[slapdash]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge Another four $20 turbos. Guess what? ... Won two, lost two. :eyes I'm coming to the conclusion that it's not mainly the antes that make this different from what I'm used to on Boss. I think it's that the players on PokerStars tend to be a lot more active, which means I get fewer opportunities towards the end to shove as first into the pot in late position. On Boss I've been successful basically just playing extremely tightly until the 50/100 level and then making well-timed shoves to preserve a playable stack. I usually even have the luxury of having time to pass up shoving with my worst hands, which I think helps to discourage callers when I do shove because the players to my left see that I'm not shoving with any two cards. On Stars this just doesn't seem to happen. This probably means I need to make restealing, and shoving against limpers, a bigger part of my game on Stars. Just as on Boss, or maybe even more so, I've seen plenty of obviously wrong calls in the endgame (e.g., people calling for all their chips with AK when they'd clearly be about 75% to cash if they folded). I just wish it didn't always seem to be me that they were calling! :( I think I've been a bit unlucky so far, though I guess everybody thinks that when they're disappointed with their results. It feels as though I've been running into AA/KK more than I'd expect, and that I've not had my share of suck-outs when I've been called by better hands. I'll persevere for a while, anyway. I definitely like the fact that Stars only charge 4% rake on the turbos. Anyway: Current bank $326.40

[GaF]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge In general, if the players are more active, then there should be more "clashes" and the game should be over earlier? So you should need to win less hands to cash? I imagine the structure is deeper/slower on Stars too?

[slapdash]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge

In general, if the players are more active, then there should be more "clashes" and the game should be over earlier? So you should need to win less hands to cash?

Except that they're mostly "small ball" clashes. There seem to be a lot more hands (compared to Boss) where we get to see a flop, but fewer where there's a showdown with a player all-in.

I imagine the structure is deeper/slower on Stars too?

I don't think so (at least in the turbos). Though I ought to look at the blind structures and compare.

[slapdash]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge Ugh! Awful! :sad I lost four $20 turbos on the trot on PokerStars. I'm going to reconsider this. Maybe I've been unlucky (I've not played that many really), and maybe I'm just being outplayed. In any case, I feel a lot less comfortable than I do on Boss, and with the bank in freefall, it seems silly to be too stubborn. So I'm not going to restrict myself to Stars. I've discovered that Cake run these, with lower rake than Boss (but higher than Stars), so I'm giving them a try. So far I've played three at $25+2 and only won one. But I feel more comfortable (the two I lost, I ran into aces in the late stages), so I'll try a few more there, and may revert to Boss if my bank needs intensive care. Current bank $222.20.

[Fonzie14]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge FYI ipoker run 6 or 10 seater $20 + $2 "Double up" turbos as well. :ok Not sure if you've tried these or not.

[slapdash]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge

FYI ipoker run 6 or 10 seater $20 + $2 "Double up" turbos as well. :ok Not sure if you've tried these or not.

Thanks. Yes, I've tried them, but with the same rake as Boss and less activity, they didn't seem to have much advantage. Just lost two more $25+$2's on Cake. Time to go back to old familiar Boss for a bit to try to regain my bank and my confidence, I think. Current bank $168.20.

[slapdash]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge Well, at least I've halted (or at least delayed) the slump. I played five at €50 on Boss and won three, for a net profit after rake of €25=$33.57. Now I'm dealing with mixed currencies, I can't be bothered to keep track of the cents, so I'll round off to a whole number of dollars each time I update. Current bank: $202.

[slapdash]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge I've decided to slightly change how I'll do this.

Here's what I'll do. I'll start with a bank of $500, and will play these to try to generate buy-ins for big tournaments on Stars. But I'll only use net profit for these buy-ins (so I need to have $500 left after the buy-in), and at least to begin with I'll increase the amount I need by $50 each week (so after next Sunday I need $550 remaining after the buy-in, then $600 and so on), so that I need to build my bank to gradually decrease the chance of a bad run wiping me out.

Instead of raising the bank needed week-by-week, which is a bit artificial if I play a lot more some weeks than others, I'll increase it by $100 each time I buy in to a tournament. So for the first tournament I buy in to, I need $500 remaining in the bank after the buy-in, for the second I need $600, etc. Of course, since I've lost 60% of my original $500, this will be academic for some while ... possibly for ever. :sad Having reminded myself what Boss is like compared to Stars (and to a lesser extent, Cake), it really does feel a lot easier on Boss. I just feel under a lot less pressure to make a move. I wish I understood exactly why, though. Maybe it's just the players, or maybe the antes make more difference than I appreciated (Cake also has antes, but only when the blinds get large).

[staffy]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge I only play in stars at the moment but only as a break even player slightly down on cash and slightly up on SnG's. Interestingly was reading somewhere that the standard if play on stars is better then other places. Dont know how true this is.

[GaF]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge I just played 6 coolers on boss (simultaneously) - thought I was going to win all 6, but messed up my final one (see post in strategy ;)) - definitely think Boss is amongst the weakest standard of players of all the networks.

[GeordieGaz]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge

I just played 6 coolers on boss (simultaneously) - thought I was going to win all 6' date=' but messed up my final one (see post in strategy ;)) - definitely think Boss is amongst the weakest standard of players of all the networks.[/quote'] that'll explain why I do well on there!! :lol

[slapdash]

Re: Slap's Cool Million Challenge Played a bunch on Boss this evening. Won 4, lost 2 at €50, won 1, lost 1 at €100, for a net profit of €52 = $69.82. Slightly disappointed, as at one point I'd won 3 €50's and one €100 and lost none. (By the way, I know that playing at €100, or even €50, is dreadful bankroll management for the bank I've allowed myself in this thread! But at least if I go bust, I can put the thread behind me. :tongue2) Current bank $272.