Thoughts on Chris Ferguson's $0-$20K Challenge

[HPG ADMIN]

I agree that playing against bad players (i.e. game selection) is key. But how do you "hunt out" bad players in heads up games? You don't have the normal stats like "flop %" to tell you.

[buck22]

Well one could use the free datamining sites that are out there but of course these are against the rules of the major sites, and I wouldnt dream of using these untraceable gold-mines. However, a birdy told me that 90% of the people that are sat waiting at HU tables are poker-genius sharks, so selecting a free table and waiting for the fish is a good way to table select, avoiding regulars also.

Had an awsome 14K hand HU battle today, the real poker starts after 2hrs play, shame most games arent like this. I got hit by the 'upping stakes' curse though, it's horrible to watch 12hrs work vanish just because you've hit 1/2 hr of bad luck when you double your stakes. Still, free from tilt and playing well, current role stands at $3154.

[buck22]

All is well, bankroll at $3740, seem to have broken through the upping stakes curse, running a little hotter this week but freak me dont i deserve it!

Got some new software 'holdem manager' which is pretty cool, really good record keeper if your serious bout your game, loads of cool stats. Only really look at my profit, EV, and previous hands. All this ' 3bet%' and 'VP$IP' seems like a waste of time cos they'll be different when I change them for every opponents style. There's importance in plugging leaks in your game but you don't want to swing towards the 'predictable play' zone, of which i think putting too much importance on these stats do.
ie theres a site that grades how close you are to 'optimum strategy' and DURRRR and PHIL IVEY have got grade F's and E's on nearlly all of them, yet theyve won the most amount online in the world.

I will also point out im on Full Tilt Poker now for a while so as soon as I get 100,000 hands I'll post my stats on the 'Full tilt so rigged' thread, I have seen some crazyness on there but now that i have all my stats organised, it all seems about right, only 5000 hands in. Bummed I can't get rakeback on FT though, got an affiliate, some sod is getting paid even though I found FT through Youtube.

So if anyone plays on FULL TILT, could you give me some tips on getting the most out of the rewards on this site, thanks.

[buck22]

Last post on this thread, basically, it went tits up! Been some good support but have been more unlucky in the last 3 months than in 6 years of playing.

Bankroll is at $500 but banked out $4500 since starting the $10 challenge so downswung about $3900 in last 3 months and it just aint gonna happen.

You get bad days and weeks when you play and it sux but you have a general trend. I used to curse the 20 buyin downswing, but that seems like the tip of the ice-berg for what lies ahead for anyone who constantly plays a game involving luck. Inevitably, you will run horribly for months on end losing more money than I thought possible, and the only bad luck was that it happened right in the middle of this fekin challenge.

Gonna try grinding this 500 bones back upto something respectable but I for the life of me, just cant stop losing as a huge favourite, sux so bad.

Still don't think online is rigged, but have a deeper understanding of how odds work, they truly are RANDOM.

[HPG ADMIN]

do you think it was a bankroll management issue?
do you have bankroll management rules that you go by?

[buck22]

Definately not a bankroll management issue, It's thanks to the management that I used that I didn't go broke through the worst downswing I've suffered in 6 years. A 3 month-long downswing has only demolished 1/2 of my bankroll, so maybe that's an arguement that my bankroll management is too cautious.

I thouroughly recommend using Chris Ferguson's bankroll management of 20 buyins for single tables, and 50 buyins for tournaments until your buyins reach $50. After these stakes the competition is more experienced so would advise 33 buyins for single tables and 100 buyins for tournaments.

[HPG ADMIN]

do you keep a spreadsheet with all of your activity?

[buck22]

I kept a spreadsheet until a few months ago, mainly cos Im a tight sod. But i'm also a lazy sod so I bought Holdem Manager. It's got some impressive stuff on and logs every hand detail and it's just a one off payment....i hope. Tracker and office looked like they wanted $90/year which turned me off those softwares.

I literally only use them to keep track of my own hands, although it's great to see one opponant cont bets 32% and another 62%, I think one could only profit from utilizing this information on vegetables. I love this fad of tuning up your game according to 'optimum' strategy, e.g. your river play is 32% more aggressive than optimal. Optimal play is exploiting your opponants strategy, whatever it takes. To prove my point, theres a site that ranks players according to this 'optimal' play, and Phil Ivey got a grade F, made the most money online in the world so obviously a deserved grade.

Spreadsheets are good but a tracking software is far more efficient, just don't get bogged down with stats.

[AWSOM]

Where can I get info on the Chris Ferguson's $0-$20K Challenge?

[VA Poker]

Hey Buck are you still doing the challenge? I was thinking about doing a challenge for myself for the rest of '09 to keep myself motivated. If you've scrapped the one you are in now maybe we can both do one and keep each other updated.

[buck22]

Ye, some epic downswings and too many cashouts have trashed any chances of hitting 20k any time soon. Bankroll's at about $1.8k, what challenge you got in mind? Reckon that would be good to keep eachother updated.

[buck22]

Well, I finished 2009 grinding $10-$12k which isn't too shabby but still working on the $20k mark. Playin Cereus and Cake, irony being that had I started the year on these sites i woulda hit the $20k target with rakeback included

Raked $15k plus on stars in 2009 and they rewarded me by closing my account, freaking joke but theyve done me such a favour, bankroll's hasn't seen better days since getting rakeback.

[luke67]

why did they shut you down?

[buck22]

I sold a few articles to a datamining site and emailed support to see if it was ok to do so whilst playing their site. I was expecting a rational response either stating that it was fine because I wasn't using any datamined hands for my games, or that any access was against the ruless.
Instead, with no warning they shut my account mid-gaming THEN I got sent an email telling me that my account was closed. So much for honesty being the best policy hey?

[buck22]

11 months 3 days $15,434.05

Missed the 8 month mark but still gunning for $20k, reckon about 5% of my games have been played on NL100 and higher so not surprising its taking longer. 50 buyins is the way ahead, GL all!

[buck22]

11 months 14 days : $19,544.23

Few cooler days then humungo epic upswing at nl100 over last week taking $5k, sick freakin game finally gave me a rebate for last summer's devistation. Be chuffed if I can pull off $20k challenge in under a year and haven't played over nl100 yet.

Wasn't gonna continue this but seeing as im close to my goal thought i might as well. The 50 buyin bankroll's working a treat, dropped $1.2k over the weekend and didn't bother me that much. With my 20 buyin structure i started with, the computer woulda been outta the window by now.

22 days to get around $450, BRING IT ORRRRN!!!

[buck22]

11 months 15 days $19,929.91, so tempted to martingale the last $70 on roulette What a way to go broke lol

[buck22]

11 months 16 days $21,113.63

Woohooo, over-shoot and under a year. Im off to re-introduce my pasty skin to sun light again! gl all