Poker Stats

Logo courtesy of the OPR website

If you play online poker, you're likely aware of the Official Poker Rankings site.  I don't know much about the creators behind it but it's a great resource for checking out opponents and following your own play.

I have to say I'm pretty disgusted with my stats pre-July 2010.  Since becoming disciplined about adhering to a bankroll plan (begun around June 23, 2010), my stats are moving in the right direction.  I know it's going to take awhile to get my ROI for the entire year in the positive, but that's ok.

In June 2010, I had -67% ROI.  Si, senor.  That's a negatory sixty-seven percent..

In July, I had a +19% ROI and a profit of $27. In August, I had a +10% ROI and a $34 profit.  So far this month, my ROI is at +88% and I'm showing a profit of $206.

As I wrote here previously, I started off with $600 in my online account on September 1, 2010.  As of today, my BR is at $873.65 (which includes a PokerStars VIP Stellar reward - wheee).

I really don't know how I played poker before creating and sticking to a Bankroll Management plan.  Now that I am, I very much believe it's changed my game.

What about you?  Do you practice bankroll management?  If so, what is your plan and how does it work?  I'd love to hear your comments about the practices you follow.

My philosophy, in a nutshell, is:

Never buy into an MTT for more than 2% of my BR

Always have 250+ buy-ins for the game I'm playing

In addition, I write down my daily efforts.  It looks like this:

September 15, 2010

BR = $830.55

7 tourneys (-$15.40)
         Won (+58.50)

Profit (+42.10)

BR = $873.65
VPP = 121.28

Picture courtesy of Linda Spivey

I blank everything out and cut and paste and do it all again the next day that I play.

Maybe that seems too results oriented, and I admit that it sucks to play a lot of tourneys in one day and only have a $10 profit...and I've been there (and worse, with losing sessions).  But, tracking it in this way really clarifies it for me.

After writing it all down, I then often use my HEM and PokerStove to go over marginal hands and see where I messed up in a tournament or could've played a hand differently.

Anyway, that's how I'm doing it.

If you have not checked out OPR, I'd highly recommend using it.  If nothing else, it can keep you honest about whether you're being serious about your online pokers.

For grins, check out the stats on these monsters (they lead the PokerStars tourney leaderboard for 2010):

BFIZZ11
AltyAA  (this guy doesn't even have stats pre-2009!)

While I doubt I'll ever be able to play the volume these guys do, it's fun to be able to track the effort.

Hopefully, I'll get motivated to write soon about something other than poker (and Brandi Carlile).  Until then, I hope you're running good and I hope to hear your comments about BR strategy - or anything else you'd like to share.

Good luck at the tables!