The Summer Ahead

Some of you might remember the prop bet I have with Brackchips regarding my poker play this summer. I'm definitely looking forward to grinding some serious hours at the felt. Now that I've turned in my big paper for the year, and only have grading responsibilities left to go, it's time to look ahead to a summer vacation filled with Hold 'Em.

The purpose is not just to build up the bankroll, but to improve my game. I hope by the end of the summer I will be a much better player than I am right now. I have some monetary goals that I won't reveal until I do a summer recap, but here are some things that I'm going to try and work on as a player:

1) Tilt control: Usually I play only 1 or 2 hour sessions, and I can usually avoid tilt. But playing longer sessions, the frustration can build up more, and I'll have to be able to keep my cool and stay on top of my game. I have improved a LOT in this area since I first started playing. For a while I would go on monkey tilt after a bad beat, which was bad for my win rate and my overall happiness.

2) Move up the six-max levels: You've probably noticed that my 6-max hands are all from $0.25/$0.50, which is kind of dumb given my bankroll. Now that I've put in some 6-max hands and gotten the feel of it, I think I can move up a little. Hopefully by the end of the summer I'll be playing some decent stakes. I think overall the win rates per 100 hands for good 6-max players are better than those at full ring, and there are usually more games available at the higher stakes. Add on the fact that more hands per hour are dealt, and 6-max becomes a mandatory part of the arsenal of any serious hold-'em player.

3) Adjust my play to my opponents: I do a pretty good job of this, but sometimes I get a little spewy trying to bluff guys off one pair that just don't fold very often.

4) Learn some new games: This is way down the list, but I'd like to get decent at PLO or maybe even some Omaha Hi-Lo. Those games are a good distraction from NLHE, and there is plenty of action to be had there.

Good luck on the felt this summer, all. Of course with thousands of hands to choose from every day, there should be a few interesting ones for me to post and discuss.

-BRUECHIPS