Poker: Financial results for June 2011 and half year thoughts

What I forgot to mention in my May 2011 results report was the satellites for the UKIPT in Brighton, so June did end up being a bit disrupted from my normal routine in the end...

Plan

My monthly targets are:
- Play 1000 hands of cash on NLHE $0.50, 1000 cash hands on PLO $0.20 and 500 cash hands of PLO8 $0.20 (all 6-max) with profit target of 2 BB per hour. ($16.00 for NLHE, $6.40 for PLO, $3.20 for PLO8 = $25.60 per month)
- Play 20 STT hoping for 10% ROI (around $20 per month)

Monitor

Overall results for the month:-

Pokerstars :    +$23.11 (normal play)
           :   -£106.50 (UKIPT satellites)
Black Belt Poker: +$0.28 (£0.17)
Live play  :  -£40

My Pokerstars results were 4 wins from 6x 8 game STT.    The  UKIPT results were a little disappointing, having played 7 sats in total I bubbled once but didn't come close the other times.  I'm still playing the UKIPT as I have tucked away the buy-in in my piggy bank under the mattress :)

The BBP results break down as follows:

Cash results (-£60.23 loss overall)

NL Holdem ($0.50)  1203 hands -£17.92
PL Omaha   ($0.20)  1137 hands   -£7.32
PL Omaha HiLo ($0.20)  481 hands  -£34.99

Tournament Results (+£60.40 profit overall)

6x MTT  +£6.37
1x 2 seat STT -£6.40 
3x 6 seat STT -£56.92
8x 10 seat STT +£117.35

Reflect

I managed to play the target number of hands for NL HE and PLO and near enough PLO8 (Hi-low) as well, so was pleased with hitting that target.  What wasn't quite so good was the losses incurred, although I'm not too worried by the small losses.  The PLO8 was a bit more annoying as I dropped the whole amount of the loss in about 20 hands on one session but otherwise was about breakeven.     Overall reasonably content with the cash results but obviously want to get into positive results over the next few months, so some work still to do there.

My STT play suffered this month again, playing only 12 games.   My results are pretty OK so just need to get plugging away

I just now need to get more consistent in my playing routine and also do a bit more work on my cash games to make sure I can consistently get into profit.  

Adjust

July I will be focussing on preparing for UKIPT, so wont be having a normal first couple of weeks, but in the second two weeks should be able to get some cash games in.   I need to spend more time on my learning activities as been a bit lax in catching up with my viewing of the Deuces Cracked videos downloaded.  

References

January 2011 results http://www.blackbeltpoker.com/blogs/read/259109/sceaga/Financial-results-for-January-2011
February 2011 results http://www.blackbeltpoker.com/blogs/read/294043/sceaga/Financial-Results-for-February-2011
March 2011 results http://sceaga.blogspot.com/2011/04/poker-financial-results-for-march-2011.html
April 2011 results http://sceaga.blogspot.com/2011/04/poker-financial-results-for-april-2011.html
May 2011 results http://sceaga.blogspot.com/2011/06/poker-financial-results-for-may-2011.html

Six month summary

Of course end June marks the end of the first half of this year, so wanted to summarize my half year results for BBP

The six month BBP result is a loss for six months   -£42.98

This is broken down as:

Cash results (-£439.59  loss overall)

NL Holdem     ($0.50)  5829 hands  -£173.86
PL Omaha      ($0.20)  3876 hands  -£149.39
PL Omaha HiLo ($0.20)  1457 hands  -£116.34

Tournament Results (+£396.61 profit overall)

59x MTT           +£365.73
54x   2 seat STT   -£10.11 
56x   6 seat STT   -£64.25
3x 7-9 seat STT    -39.10
54x  10 seat STT  +£144.34

I was actually quite surprised by my six month figures.  I was aware my cash results would be down and tourneys up, but didn't realise it would be more or less breakeven.   I also expected my 6 seat STT results to have been better, so just shows how important looking at the financial results are !

Music: latest additions

After watching them on Jools Holland’s Later, I decided to buy a couple of CD’s

Seasick Steve : You can’t teach an old dog new tricks

It’s a good Seasick Steve album, so if you liked his previous work you will like his latest album.    Little bit of everything you would expect, slow tracks, fast tracks and a little chat at the end….

Friendly Fires: Pala

I had the impression the Friendly Fires were kind of soft rocky kindof vibe…  but the album is pretty consistently smooth, soulful and pretty laid back.   My main criticism is that there is no one standout track, its all pretty similar.   I do actually like the whole album, but is more a CD you would play at a family party for background or a bit of jigging about to perhaps.   I’ve only listened to it a couple of times, so hopefully it’s a “grower”

Whilst I was in the CD shop, I also came across a couple of CDs in the bargain bins so bought two Scissor Sisters albums as well

Scissor Sisters: Ta-Dah

Bit disappointed with this album.  It’s got a couple of the classic tracks, but the rest are OK to mediocre.  It was worth the £4 I paid for it though,

Scissor Sisters :Night Work

Again got a couple of classic tracks which are great, but mos tthe other tracks are also pretty decent, so overall of the two Albums, I think this the better one.  Also a great bargain at £3

General: New Bathroom–planning stage

Now the kitchen has been completed, it’s already time for our next project which is to refit the bathroom !

We want the work to commence when we’re away for a few days, so although it’ll take two weeks to do the job, at least we’ll miss most of the hassle and mess.

Our main criteria for the new bathroom is we want to fit in a bath with shower above.   Also wanted to make best use of space as the bathroom is pretty small..

So small, that even with wide angle lens, is tricky to get good pictures of what it looks like now!

First thing is to find a supplier, so got three quotes:

1.  Oakwood Bespoke

We are happy with the work they did on the Kitchen, so are an obvious choice for doing the bathroom as well

The plan they came up with looked good and quote was just within our budget.   Only concern was a small lack of attention to detail and not entirely convinced the layout will work in practise.  Obviously can get the plan changed to allay any concerns if we wanted, but also not all that impressed by the showroom facilities, as you can’t really see everything you’re getting “in the flesh” before you commit.

2.  Stone & Chrome

We have spoken to them for work on a previous house and were impressed by Jim’s enthusiasm and technical knowledge, so wanted to give them an opportunity again

The plan looked good and the price was bang on budget (with stone rather than ceramic tiles as well!).   Visiting the showroom you can see all the bits and pieces in situ and certainly got the impression that all the materials are good quality and will be fitted by appropriately skilled craftsmen.  

My only concern was that they do seem very busy (which is probably a good thing overall) and although the original quote turned up within the time Jim indicated (just) I had to chase them up for the re-quote.  

3.  NPP Installations

We got their details from CheckaTrade.com and they seemed to have a lot of good reviews, so got them in as well.

They seemed to be skilled technicians and am sure any job they do will be well thought out and well fitted.    Despite the quote being only about 60% of the other two, it was disappointing that there was no plan, artists impression or scale drawings of any kind… the only thing we got was a list of materials and costs.   Also there was no offer to see the materials being proposed, so can’t get a feel for the type of quality being quoted for.  

We had this with small one/two man small companies with the kitchen quotes as well…. although you are sure it would all end up OK, all the detail are in the builders head and you have to explicitly trust a stranger with a great deal of responsibility.    Employing this kind of company seem to be similar to buying the stuff yourself from Wickes or B&Q and just getting them to fit it.   I can understand why they don’t have time to do all the fancy stuff on the quote, so it’s not a criticism as such, but sadly for us means we can’t even consider them for the job.

So our short list was Stone & Chrome or Oakwood.   It was a close decision as both had pro’s and con’s, but in the end the enthusiasm and knowledge of Jim and Mel swung it for us, so have placed our order with them.    The fitting will commence in July, so will do an update once work has commenced.

General: The Vyne (National Trust)

Julie and Sean came down to visit today.   What with one thing and another, it’s been a long time since we saw each other, so was nice to get together.

We first went out to our local Sunday carvery, The Ely which we’ve been to before (and was nice, albeit standard meal), then onto The Vyne, whch is a National Trust house and gardens.

Despite the weather being intermittent light rain, we managed to dodge the worst of it whilst walking around the walled garden and house, and even managed to squeeze in a cake stop inside the restaurant to escape the drab weather.

Julie got excited to see the chickens and managed to buy some plants in the shop.

It must be a family trait, as Julie also insisted on having an ice cream before we left, as we didn’t have a pudding with lunch (I didn’t object to strongly )

On the way home, the rain started in earnest, so timed it just right !  

Next time, we’ll have to make a day of it as didn’t get a chance to go round the gardens very much (and maybe try to go on a sunny day) but in any case a lovely trip out and interesting to see the house and some of the grounds.

General: new kitchen–week 4

We had obviously expected the job to take three weeks, so is a little frustrating to not have a completed kitchen and go into a fourth week, especially with the end so close and in sight. 

We didn’t want to “move in” to the kitchen until it was done, otherwise you get in the way and everything gets messy…. so we were very happy when the fitter came back on Tuesday to complete the cupboards and fir the appliances (at last we have a fridge!!) and then the builder came on Thursday to finish off the radiator, skirting, etc. and we even got the driveway cleared of the rubbish on Thursday as well !

So in the fourth week, I have pleasure in declaring this kitchen now OPEN

Of course it’s one thing getting your kitchen back, but another to actually get everything sorted out!    We did start putting stuff back into the cupboards on Wednesday afternoon/evening, then took Lynn all afternoon Thursday to unpack all the pots, pans, crockery, etc and find a home for it.   I managed to put the clock up as well !   

We have a couple of small things to get sorted, there is a wobbly electric socket (Oakwood are sorting out) and also need to get someone in to put up the blinds (yes I really am that screwdriver phobic ) but otherwise, as at Thursday night, we are fully moved in and using the Kitchen now.

So were there any lessons to be learned ?

• I didn't like having to pay the whole balance up front, despite the monies and finished work being guarenteed.  At the time it made sense, but made me uneasy throughout the process.
• Certainly didn't like having to order all the appliances and radiator myself.  In some respects it makes sense as I could order precisely what we wanted and get it cheaper, but added additional areas for mis-understanding or dispute if something is not as expected, and the whole project is not under the installers control (which was one of the things I really wanted and had expected)
• Having the rubbish sitting on the drive wasn't ideal, especially as the third week was very windy!    I was expecting them to put a skip on the drive, so just leaving it loose on the drive would cause us and the neighbours inconvinience if stuff blew everywhere.  I guess this was a cost shaving exercise but seems a false economy to me.
• Oakwood Bespoke didn't really seem to be doing any project management.  I have no idea what they did behind the scenes, but would have certainly have liked a courtesy call at the end of each week or even an inspection visit to see how things were looking.   Perhaps they just trust their sub-contractors that much they don't need to inspect, but seemed it was up to me to keep an eye on things and make sure they were on schedule.

Overall though, everything went pretty smoothly and worked out to give us the end result we were expecting, so have to give Oakwood credit for doing a good job.

In the end we are both very pleased with the result and have got new matching kettle, bread bin, etc to go with the new kitchen so everything is nice, shiny, clean and new.

Of course it's easy to love a brand new kitchen before you've really used it, but first impressions are great and we are really happy with how it's turned out.   I guess the real proof of the pudding is in a couple of months time to see how we have adapted to the new layout and new equipment, but for the moment at least we are delighted :)

Poker: Home Tourney–June 2011

The quarterly £10 special is always an interesting game and one I always make special effort to win.   Despite being only 9 players (or perhaps because of it), this time was no exception.

I start off cautiously as normal and the whole table seems to be playing fairly tight, except Sean who needs his 2nd chance within 10 minutes !    His refreshed stack of chips lasts….. less than 10 minutes so Sean is out just on the end of level 1 !!   

My stack is going down with no real hands to play.  I limp in a couple of times, but not really getting anywhere.  I play aggressive against Simon on my right when we are Blind V Blind and my K high manages to win a pot!   My good fortune comes on the last hand before the break when I limp in with Q-Ts and see the K-J-9 flop (with two spades)   Alex shoves, I call, then Andy shoves behind me… happy days !   Alex has one pair, but Andy’s two pair gives me a sweat and I don’t really need the flush that comes for me on the end, but have won a huge pot and am chip leader going into the break.

After the break, play is a still quite cautious on the whole table so with chips to burn I open up a bit and end up making steady progress.. maintaining my chip lead by hitting cards and taking out Derek and Andy.    After that I quieten down a bit as can sit back to wait for a hand.

It’s surprisingly quick when we get down to three players, with two levels left to play.   I have about half the chips and Karen and Darren are about even.      The chips move around the table a bit, then after Darren folds, I raise Karen with A-Qo and she calls.  The A-8-5 flop looks good for me, but with two hearts on the board I bet out, with Karen calling.  The heart on the turn makes me nervous so check and get even more nervous when Karen puts in a sizeable bet… so after tanking for a while, decide to fold…. making Karen chip leader!

A few hands later I am short stack with 12’000 chips (blinds 2000/1000) and after Darren folds, I raise my SB against Karen again… this time with 9-6o (hoping to take the blinds) but Karen calls.   The K-9-4 flop looks good for me, so bet 3000 but Karen calls.   I am ready to give up, but the 6 on the turn makes me think I’m ahead so put in another 3000 with about 4000 behind.  After much deliberation Karen calls again.   The T on the river doesn’t change my plan of shoving the rest of my chips in, and again Karen calls…… showing Q-T (!!)   Phew, thought I might be in trouble, but am now safely chip leader again.

After I can be a bit more aggressive and take a few blinds/small pots (You were right Darren, I was bluffing the 5 on the turn ) and am back up to having half the chips.

In the last level of blinds (4000/2000) no-one can really afford to give away their blind, so Darren and Karen are soon all in against each other, with Darren taking Karen out at the start of the last level.

We both have around 25’000 chips and about 15 mins to go, so a bit of play left in the game… however after a couple of hands Darren raises 10’000 with A-8o and I shove my 4-4 and we have a race for the winner…. luckily for me, my 4-4 holds up and I take it down.

Phew, it was a great game and am very happy to have won it as it was a very tough fight all the way through.

It also makes the league standings very interesting, as with half the season gone, the top 7 players are separated by only 10 points, so all to play for !

Well played all, see you next time…

Poker: Financial results for May 2011

May was intended to a month where I knuckle down and hit my BBP targets, but also had the distraction of SCOOP games, so how did May fair financially…

Plan

My monthly targets are:
- Play 1000 hands of cash on NLHE $0.50, 1000 cash hands on PLO $0.20 and 500 cash hands of PLO8 $0.20 (all 6-max) with profit target of 2 BB per hour. ($16.00 for NLHE, $6.40 for PLO, $3.20 for PLO8 = $25.60 per month)
- Play 20 STT hoping for 10% ROI (around $20 per month)

Monitor

Overall results for the month:-

Pokerstars :   -$54.89
Black Belt Poker: +$396.83 (£240.57)
Live play :  £0

My Pokerstars games were all SCOOP related, bar one 8 game STT.  I’ve already talked about my SCOOP results, so nothing more to add really….

The BBP results break down as follows:

Cash results (£145.76 loss overall)

NL Holdem ($0.50)  1095 hands -£64.33
PL Omaha   ($0.20)  1025 hands   -£68.25
PL Omaha HiLo ($0.20)  170 hands  -£13.18

Tournament Results (£386.33 profit overall)

10x MTT  +£474.55
10x 2 seat STT -£17.83
3x 6 seat STT -£37.19
4x 10 seat STT -£33.20

Reflect

I managed to play the target number of hands for NL HE and PLO and even made some PLO8 (Hi-low) as well, so the effort was put in.   The results were not great, but also not too bad all things considered.   The NLHE equates to 2 buy-ins (around $100) and know I am playing fairly steady.  The PLO is more like 6 buy-ins but am still learning and analysis of the hands shows I just need to tighten up a little (same as last month!).    The PLO8 I haven’t played much recently so was a little rusty, but the whole loss was from one bad table, so again don’t feel I did to badly over such a small number of hands.

Clearly need to work more on my cash game but feels under control and moving in the right direction (although I guess we’ll see whether my feeling is right or not over the next couple of months )

My STT play suffered this month due to time constraints.   The 2 seater games are high variance,  and can ignore the small loss there, and isn’t enough volume to be worried about the other STT.  

Obviously my saviour for this month was my MTT games.  I cashed 4 out of the 10 played, winning one for £470 !     Obviously a good result, but not sure I can repeat it every month.

Adjust

June is expected to be a “normal” month, so hope to get the hands/games played during the month, but also hope I get back to better results!

I’m keen to get more STT volume as well as maintain my cash volume, which should be doable as will likely be playing less MTT anyway (BBP league has finished) 

I do really need to focus my cash game, PLO in particular, to try and get better/consistent overall results.   Although I do analyse my sessions afterwards, probably need to spend more time thinking about the hands and also try to fit in more time for the training videos I have put to one side but not got around to watching yet

References

January 2011 results http://www.blackbeltpoker.com/blogs/read/259109/sceaga/Financial-results-for-January-2011
February 2011 results http://www.blackbeltpoker.com/blogs/read/294043/sceaga/Financial-Results-for-February-2011
March 2011 results http://sceaga.blogspot.com/2011/04/poker-financial-results-for-march-2011.html
April 2011 results http://sceaga.blogspot.com/2011/04/poker-financial-results-for-april-2011.html