January Report, February Goals

January was one struggle after another and no matter how many PT analysis I did during this month I was not able to pin down specific trouble areas. Many times the amount of hands was just too small to make any real determinations. It was also possible that the specific filters I was choosing to create were not specific enough, and finally I may have ignored the incredibly obvious figuring it was just unimportant or assuming that in that area of my poker I was fine. I was NOT fine. I have been anything but fine this month and now, after pouring over hands and numbers for at least 3 hours yesterday I found out why. I know I am still in the early stages of my NL cash game education, but damn, the things I am finding make me feel like a first month newbie donk. I am pretty disgusted with myself.


KQo & KJo:
Overall: ($14.41)
Due To Errors: ($5.67)
EP RFI: ($7.47)

Obviously KQo and KJo are not viable early position hands. I always knew they were not in full ring, but I was convinced the story was way different in 6 max. All my other starting hands seem overall profitable.

Calling 3 bets preflop:
Overall: $19.19
Pairs, AK & AQ suited or not: $34.55
Everything Else: ($15.36)

No comment. The numbers say it all.


Call A Raise Not Facing A 3 Bet:
Overall: ($19.84)
Pairs & Suited Broadways: $20.00
All Others: ($39.84)

Damn!!!!

Add to this 7 hands of the 16,000+ played this month where errors I made added up to over ($16.00) in losses.

So there you have it. $14.55 in cash game earnings that when you take the errors and hands that never should have been played or called those earnings should have been over $77 from cash games alone.  Total earnings were $55 and change and over $40 of that was from rakeback and a VIP bonus.

No wonder I wallow in subpar numbers while so many others are making extraordinary earn rates.  I was completely disgusted with myself so much so I did not play one hand of poker on Thursday the 31st.  I did not deserve to be on those tables much less be called anything resembling a poker player.  Just another fish in a sea of poker.


Fast forward 24 hours.  Instead of playing poker yesterday I slept as I didn't feel I deserved to play and after a shift at work I did realize something.  I may be a poker player, but I am also human and human beings make mistakes.  But damn it hell or high water I will not repeat the errors of January.  So I came home from work and had 2 choices.  Either play $4NL for another month or hit the $10NL tables.  I decided to start the month off with $10 NL.  Rakeback is over and all Merge players are back on the VIP system.  I still want to utilize a 40/30 system of buy-ins for moving up and down as necessary, but since I am starting on the VIP system today I decided to go with a 35/30 system for $10NL.  Cashing in points is the same as rakeback only the percentages are lower.  The first 4 element levels, as they call them, are earth, wind fire, and water and they need 1,100,750, and 1500 points respectively.  The better your VIP level the higher percentage you get back.  Those cash for point percentages are 8% for Earth, 10% for wind, 14% for fire, and 19% for water.  So if I were able to get the wind level for example which takes 1500 points per month to achieve I could then cash in 3000 points for $57.  Now if I achieved wind but did not get the 3000 for the $57 I could exchange lower than that such as 250 points for $2 cash, 500 points for $5 cash, or 1250 points for $17.50, depending on how many points I had or keep saving them til I got the 3000 points for the $57.  If I could make water level it would be equivalent to 19% rakeback and that would suit me just fine, but my goal is VIP level Fire.  Speaking of goals, here are mine for February.

Cash Games, VIP, And Bonuses:

20,000 Hands Played  (This is a monthly standard and does not change)
4bb/100 earn rate
Stay at $10 NL, but if that does not work out $32 in total cash game earnings
VIP Level Tier Fire
$7 in Bonus Money

Tournaments:  

40 Tournaments Played
20% ROI
$31 In Earnings


That's all for now.  Time to hit the tables and avoid January's mistakes

Play well.