Glenn's Poker Journal

Husband to FeliciaLee.. here are some of my poker adventures in 'bilking the internet poker machine, six dollars at a time' (--quoted from Sean, Anisotropy).

Name:
Location: United States

NOT a poker blogger!

Saturday, September 17, 2005

It's Rigged!

Was talking with a friend yesterday who is having trouble believing that online poker isn't sometimes rigged a little for more action. Saying things about having the nuts 11 times on the turn in Omaha (the biggest suck out game) and being rivered everytime.

Since I play a lot of Draw (not as much as some, I'm sure), I see a lot of hands. Today, I got the oddity of getting quads dealt to me:

Seat 5: felicialee [JS,JC,JH,9S,JD] ($28.50 in chips)

Being UTG I just cold-called. If I did this at Paradise, everyone else would have folded and I would have been HU w/ the BB. Not on PokerRoom though. Fortunately enough, there seems to always be more new players that I haven't played with that don't know that I limp only about 1% of the time, and 99% of the 1%, it's because I'm pat. Someone else had limped behind me with a straight draw and, again fortunately for me, he got there :D

So, out of curiosity, I looked up in my stats how many hours that I played in the last month: almost 40 hours on the button. I do recall that this is the 2nd time within the last 30 days that I got quads dealt... but thinking back, I hadn't gotten it at all the last month (I'm not sure that I got it at all the month before, but I don't trust that I'm just not remembering correctly; therefore, I'm not going to include the previous month).

So, in the last approx'ly 80 hours, I got quads dealt twice. I hopped back on PokerRoom to see if they said how many hands per hour that we get. Sure enough, they do. And just like on Paradise, the numbers of hands are huge for Draw since it's only 2 betting rounds and the tables are only 5 handed. The highest I saw for a 5 handed table was 136. Since this seems so high, I even did a screen shot so that you'd believe me :)



I also noted that the lowest hands-per-hour was 76 on a 5-handed table. Split the difference of 60, add that to the 76, and you have a mean of about 106 hands-per-hour per table. I played ~80 hours the last couple months, which comes to 8480 hands. I looked up in SuperSystem I the chart "Probability Of Being Dealt Specific Hands Before The Draw (52-card deck - without Joker)". It states for Four-of-a-kind: 0.02% or 4,164-to-1 against. Since I played about 8400 hands, I'd say I'm on track ;)

Of course, this is only playing Draw and only playing on PokerRoom. But I must say, just think of it! If one online poker room did influence the card distributions for higher rake, all of them would! Why would any want to be left out of getting more rake? Plus, PokerRoom just instituted a bit more aggressive rake schedule (at least on the 1/2 Draw tables). Pots before weren't raked until the pot was $5. Now, a HU's pot, no raise, is raked 10¢ before the Draw. If they were influencing the deck to get more action, they wouldn't have to do something like this.

Just my two ¢'s :D (thanks again Pete : )

Interestingly, it's over 64,000-to-1 to be dealt a straight flush. Of all my recorded time playing, approximately 700 hours for at around 70,000 hands of Draw, I have never been dealt a straight flush. (Somebody better look into the software.. they're slacking ; )

Posted by Glenn

Monday, September 12, 2005

My Stats Stuff.. or .. my "geekdom":

OK, Bill Rini asked for a preview, lets see what I can do here.

This is the input:

----------------------------------------------------

The date.....: />

The time.....: />

The DOW..: />

location......:

limit...........:

duration.....:

winloss......:

game..........:


Insert

Totals Only

LIST CVS RECORDS





Record ID..:

Delete Records

Update Date

Update Time

Update DOW

Update Location

Update Limit

Update Duration

Update WinLoss

Update Game
----------------------------------------------------

OK, on the input stuff, the php stuff that figures out the currect date/time is not working on the Blogger site here. Basically:
value=< ? php echo date("Y-m-d") .. this will put in the correct date in the format 2005-09-12 for today's date. value=< ? php echo date("H:i:00") .. this will put in the current time in the format 12:26:00 for the current time. Notes: must have php loaded on your PC; there is no space between the less-than sign and the question mark, I separated so that the editor would not try to make some kind of html out of it. If the Insert radio button is selected, the action.php form that I send the information to will insert the information that I inputted into the database. If it's Totals Only, then, you guessed it, no insert just totals:

Grand TotalDuration
xxxx.26xxxx.18

Today's TotalsDuration
xxx.xx
xxx.xx









GAMELIMIT$perHOURTOTAL_$sTOTAL_HRS
5cardstud1/2-00024.47-00046.501.90
adjust_bonus_re0.01/0.02000048.50000194.004.00
adjust_bonus_re1/2000020.00000020.001.00
draw0.05/0.10000000.22000001.004.50
draw0.25/0.5000000.65000039.5060.00
draw0.5/1000005.030000xx.00xx.50
draw1/2000005.84xxxxxx.45xx.80
draw2/4-00000.59-00020.0033.57
draw3/6000005.98000038.106.37
draw5/10001283.33000038.500.03
drawtournament000000.87000016.0018.25
Holdem0.05/0.10000001.67000004.192.50
Holdem0.10/0.20000000.00000000.007.00
Holdem0.25/0.5000001.11000071.2064.12
Holdem0.5/1000000.59000064.24107.98

And, oh there's more, no limit stats, tourney stats, stud, stud hi/low, etc.. I didn't include the whole table :p

In the table, I use a Java script that I got from http://javascript.internet.com. This script sorts the table that I create to output the values. The way the script works, I have to pad the table with zeroes so that it sorts correctly! There's prolly a better way.. I just haven't found one yet.

Also, the table that spits out is lifetime, over
2 years ago. That's since I start keeping stats on StatKing (I imported everything from the DB that I had on the other PC).

Since I play better then I did 2 years ago, created a totals only type input that will date range:


from date1...: />
to date1.......: />

from date2...: />
to date2.......: />



As stated in the previous post, I like to see a rolling month and 3 months to see how I'm doing currently. The dates, again, are produced from php:

$lastmonth = mktime(0, 0, 0, date("m")-1, date("d"), date("Y"))
$lastquarter = mktime(0, 0, 0, date("m")-3, date("d"), date("Y"));

...in the value of the form for last month: date("Y-m-d", $lastmonth)
...in the value for quarter: date("Y-m-d", $lastquarter)
...then the current dates is just: date("Y-m-d")

The output (complete with debug statements of the sql query that I use):
-------------------------------------------------------------

DEBUG: query=SELECT location, SUM(winloss), SUM(duration/60) FROM stats2 WHERE dat3 > '2005-08-12' and dat3 <= '2005-09-12' GROUP BY location
LocationTotalDuration
FullTilt11.954.50
Intertopsxx.7032.42
Pacific-8.017.88
Paradise36.505.62
PokerRoomxx.00xx.40
PokerStars4.5921.45
UltimateBet4.5118.85


DEBUG: query=SELECT location, game, l1m1t, SUM(winloss), SUM(duration/60) FROM stats2 WHERE dat3 > '2005-08-12' and dat3 <= '2005-09-12' GROUP BY location, game, l1m1t
LocationGameLimitperHourTotalDuration
FullTiltNLHE0.05/0.10 15.621.250.08
FullTiltO80.25/0.5 -4.20-4.201.00
FullTiltPLO80.05/0.10 3.216.502.02
FullTiltrazz0.25/0.5 -1.71-1.150.67
FullTiltrazz0.5/1 -22.00-2.200.10
FullTiltstud hi/low0.25/0.5 18.6511.750.63
IntertopsHoldemtournament 10.7498.509.17
IntertopsNLHE0.10/0.25 13.3698.267.35
IntertopsNLHEtournament 0.202.7013.25
IntertopsO80.5/1 100.9213.120.13
Intertopsstud hi/low0.5/1 -2.73-6.882.52
PacificO80.05/0.10 1.091.861.70
PacificO80.5/1 -18.28-5.120.28
Pacificstud hi/low0.05/0.10 0.882.903.27
Pacificstud hi/low0.25/0.5 -2.90-7.652.63
Paradisedraw1/2 3.5615.254.28
Paradisedraw2/4 150.0019.500.13
ParadiseO80.5/1 1.451.751.20
PokerRoomadjust_bonus_re0.01/0.02 10.0010.001.00
PokerRoomadjust_bonus_re1/2 20.0020.001.00
PokerRoomdraw1/2 7.03272.9038.77
PokerRoomdraw2/4 31.817.000.22
PokerRoomdraw3/6 -38.29-31.400.82
PokerRoomdraw5/10 1283.3338.500.03
PokerRoomHoldem1/2 0.000.000.57
PokerStarsNLHEtournament -1.60-1.200.75
PokerStarsPLO80.01/0.02 0.320.120.37
PokerStarsstud hi/low0.04/0.08 0.709.1212.90
PokerStarsstud hi/low0.25/0.5 -0.46-3.457.43
UltimateBetHoldem0.05/0.10 3.013.411.13
UltimateBetHoldem0.25/0.5 -1.50-7.354.87
UltimateBetPLO80.01/0.02 0.658.4512.85


DEBUG: query=SELECT game, l1m1t, SUM(winloss), SUM(duration/60) FROM stats2 WHERE dat3 > '2005-08-12' and dat3 <= '2005-09-12' GROUP BY game, l1m1t
GameLimitperHourTotalDuration
adjust_bonus_re0.01/0.02 10.0010.001.00
adjust_bonus_re1/2 20.0020.001.00
draw1/2 6.69xx.15xx.05
draw2/4 75.7126.500.35
draw3/6 -38.29-31.400.82
draw5/10 1283.3338.500.03
Holdem0.05/0.10 3.013.411.13
Holdem0.25/0.5 -1.50-7.354.87
Holdem1/2 0.000.000.57
Holdem2/10 4.4011.002.50
Holdem2/4 -32.00-16.000.50
Holdem2/6 -32.00-48.001.50
Holdemtournament 10.7498.509.17
NLHE0.05/0.10 15.621.250.08
NLHE0.10/0.25 13.3698.267.35
NLHE2/5 -30.50-61.002.00
NLHEtournament 0.101.5014.00
O80.05/0.10 1.091.861.70
O80.25/0.5 -4.20-4.201.00
O80.5/1 6.019.751.62
PLO80.01/0.02 0.648.5713.22
PLO80.05/0.10 3.216.502.02
razz0.25/0.5 -1.71-1.150.67
razz0.5/1 -22.00-2.200.10
stud hi/low0.04/0.08 0.709.1212.90
stud hi/low0.05/0.10 0.882.903.27
stud hi/low0.25/0.5 0.060.6510.70
stud hi/low0.5/1 -2.73-6.882.52


DEBUG: query=SELECT SUM(winloss), SUM(duration/60) FROM stats2 WHERE dat3 >= '2005-08-12' and dat3 <= '2005-09-12'
Grand TotalDuration
xxx.68144.17


DEBUG: query=SELECT location, SUM(winloss), SUM(duration/60) FROM stats2 WHERE dat3 > '2005-06-12' and dat3 <= '2005-09-12' GROUP BY location
LocationTotalDuration
24h-38.0011.20
FullTilt18.2024.22
Intertopsxx.7543.03
Pacific-3.2028.75
Paradise72.2516.82
PartyPoker0.500.72
PokerRoomxx.50xx.93
PokerStars2.3646.40
Rio-363.0033.58
UltimateBet5.3721.35


DEBUG: query=SELECT location, game, l1m1t, SUM(winloss), SUM(duration/60) FROM stats2 WHERE dat3 > '2005-06-12' and dat3 <= '2005-09-12' GROUP BY location, game, l1m1t
LocationGameLimitperHourTotalDuration
24hPLdraw0.25/0.5 -3.33-37.0011.10
24hPLdraw0.5/1 -10.00-1.000.10
FullTiltNLHE0.05/0.10 15.621.250.08
FullTiltNLHEtournament 6.2512.502.00
FullTiltO80.25/0.5 -4.20-4.201.00
FullTiltPLO0.05/0.10 -10.44-15.351.47
FullTiltPLO80.05/0.10 0.493.907.92
FullTiltPLO80.25/0.5 -3.16-0.950.30
FullTiltrazz0.25/0.5 -0.37-2.556.85
FullTiltrazz0.5/1 9.3910.051.07
FullTiltstud0.25/0.5 -0.67-0.550.82
FullTiltstud hi/low0.10/0.25 5.001.250.25
FullTiltstud hi/low0.25/0.5 5.2012.852.47
IntertopsHoldemtournament 10.7498.509.17
IntertopsNLHE0.10/0.25 13.3698.267.35
IntertopsNLHEtournament 1.9442.7021.98
IntertopsO80.5/1 100.9213.120.13
Intertopsstud hi/low0.5/1 -0.64-2.834.40
PacificHoldem0.05/0.10 0.780.260.33
PacificO80.05/0.10 1.003.333.30
PacificO80.25/0.5 -3.25-8.192.52
PacificO80.5/1 -18.28-5.120.28
PacificPLO80.05/0.10 -1.80-0.450.25
Pacificstud0.05/0.10 -0.34-1.494.35
Pacificstud hi/low0.05/0.10 1.078.127.58
Pacificstud hi/low0.25/0.5 0.030.3410.13
Paradisedraw1/2 1.3518.2513.43
Paradisedraw2/4 112.5056.250.50
ParadiseO80.5/1 1.451.751.20
Paradisestud0.5/1 -3.75-4.501.20
Paradisestud hi/low0.5/1 1.040.500.48
PartyPokerHoldem0.5/1 0.690.500.72
PokerRoomadjust_bonus_re0.01/0.02 10.0010.001.00
PokerRoomadjust_bonus_re1/2 20.0020.001.00
PokerRoomdraw1/2 10.05xx.65xx.55
PokerRoomdraw2/4 -37.50-30.000.80
PokerRoomdraw3/6 -38.29-31.400.82
PokerRoomdraw5/10 1283.3338.500.03
PokerRoomHoldem0.5/1 4.410.750.17
PokerRoomHoldem1/2 0.000.000.57
PokerStarsNLHEtournament -1.60-1.200.75
PokerStarsPLO80.01/0.02 0.320.120.37
PokerStarsPLO8tournament -11.00-11.001.00
PokerStarsstud0.05/0.10 0.970.340.35
PokerStarsstud hi/low0.04/0.08 0.6518.1727.85
PokerStarsstud hi/low0.05/0.10 2.520.630.25
PokerStarsstud hi/low0.25/0.5 -0.32-4.9015.08
PokerStarsstud hi/low1/2 0.260.200.75
Riomixed5/10 -40.00-120.003.00
RioNLHE1/2 -52.35-323.006.17
RioNLHE2/5 63.76234.003.67
RioNLHEtournament 8.61140.0016.25
RioO810/20 -94.57-331.003.50
Riostud hi/low20/40 37.0037.001.00
UltimateBetHoldem0.05/0.10 3.013.411.13
UltimateBetHoldem0.25/0.5 -1.50-7.354.87
UltimateBetPLO0.01/0.02 -1.60-0.800.50
UltimateBetPLO80.01/0.02 0.6810.1114.85


DEBUG: query=SELECT game, l1m1t, SUM(winloss), SUM(duration/60) FROM stats2 WHERE dat3 > '2005-06-12' and dat3 <= '2005-09-12' GROUP BY game, l1m1t
GameLimitperHourTotalDuration
adjust_bonus_re0.01/0.02 10.0010.001.00
adjust_bonus_re1/2 20.0020.001.00
draw1/2 9.08xx.90xx.98
draw2/4 20.1926.251.30
draw3/6 -38.29-31.400.82
draw5/10 1283.3338.500.03
Holdem0.05/0.10 2.493.671.47
Holdem0.25/0.5 -1.50-7.354.87
Holdem0.5/1 1.421.250.88
Holdem1/2 0.000.000.57
Holdem2/10 4.4011.002.50
Holdem2/4 -32.00-16.000.50
Holdem2/6 -1.66-5.003.00
Holdemtournament 10.7498.509.17
mixed5/10 -40.00-120.003.00
NLHE0.05/0.10 15.621.250.08
NLHE0.10/0.25 13.3698.267.35
NLHE1/2 -52.35-323.006.17
NLHE2/5 37.03247.006.67
NLHEtournament 4.73194.0040.98
O80.05/0.10 1.003.333.30
O80.25/0.5 -3.51-12.393.52
O80.5/1 6.019.751.62
O810/20 -94.57-331.003.50
PLdraw0.25/0.5 -3.33-37.0011.10
PLdraw0.5/1 -10.00-1.000.10
PLO0.01/0.02 -1.60-0.800.50
PLO0.05/0.10 -10.44-15.351.47
PLO80.01/0.02 0.6710.2315.22
PLO80.05/0.10 0.423.458.17
PLO80.25/0.5 -3.16-0.950.30
PLO8tournament -11.00-11.001.00
razz0.25/0.5 -0.37-2.556.85
razz0.5/1 9.3910.051.07
stud0.05/0.10 -0.24-1.154.70
stud0.25/0.5 -0.67-0.550.82
stud0.5/1 -3.75-4.501.20
stud hi/low0.04/0.08 0.6518.1727.85
stud hi/low0.05/0.10 1.118.757.83
stud hi/low0.10/0.25 5.001.250.25
stud hi/low0.25/0.5 0.298.2927.68
stud hi/low0.5/1 -0.47-2.334.88
stud hi/low1/2 0.260.200.75
stud hi/low20/40 37.0037.001.00


DEBUG: query=SELECT SUM(winloss), SUM(duration/60) FROM stats2 WHERE dat3 >= '2005-06-12' and dat3 <= '2005-09-12'
Grand TotalDuration
xxx.37xxx.22

---------------------------------------

This last table, shows the Grand Totals for the time period inputted. Plus it breaks it down by room and game/limit, so that I can see how well I do at the different locations. Then also breaks down just by game, so that I can see how well I do at each game, at each limit.

Eventually, I want to work something in there about the times and day-of-week as well. Already, intuitively, I know that I don't do well on Sundays, so I don't play. I'd like the DB to be able to tell me this time of information at some point so that I know what days and times I make the most money, so that I can concentrate my playing then. I just haven't gotten that far yet ;)

Posted by Glenn

Sunday, September 11, 2005

2nd in Tourney :D

For all 8 of you (according to sitemeter ; ) who still come to my site daily to see if I updated, here it is :D

I apologize for not being one to write everyday, but when you do the same thing everyday (play Draw online) it's not all that interesting; at least to me.

At one point in the past (long past), I posted my results on Draw via StatKing. Since that time, I've gotten a new computer and, low and behold, that version of StatKing doesn't work on the newer hard/software of this machine. I found StatKing on the web, but found that you now have to pay for it (I had a beta version). So, I did what all computer geeks do and started to create my own. I now have a PHP web page driven by an Apache server with a MySQL database on the backend that I send all my stats to, and another PHP page that spits out the stats in nice tables. Things like the sites that I play on, the games that I play, what I've made, and what is my BB/hr for those games. I even broke things down into a rolling month and rolling 3 months so that I can gauge my progress! I know, nominate me for "geek king". -grin- (One second thought, I'd just have to be "geek prince", as people like Joe from www.lasvegasvegas.com have me beat hands-down for "geek king".)

After our last tournament foray at the Rio, Felicia and I have been concentrating on ring-games. One thing stats confirm is that tournaments can be -EV (perhaps others are savvy enough to be +EV, but, not us yet...I guess we are truly Sklansky devotees).

One thing that the stats had shown was that I was up overall for satellites:


LocationGameLimitperHourTotalDuration

RioNLHEtournament 8.61140.0016.25

So I made $8.61/hr playing satellites.. but this didn't compare to my ring game play at 2/5:

RioNLHE2/5 28.69134.004.67

..where I made $28.69/hr playing NL. Of course, I played less than 5 hours there, so using these results are less than accurate. They just fuel my "why do I play tournaments?" mindset. What also didn't help, were the last 3, yes 3 in a row, $225 tournaments that I played where I had the best hand going in but got sucked out on. One, an A4o vs. T4o.. T4o flops a full house. AA vs. QQ (all-in pre-flop); QQ flops a full house. QQ vs. JTs (and yes, this too was all-in pre-flop, JTs was loose raising woman.. why she called my all-in is beyond me): I flop quads, she gets runner-runner perfect for K-high straight flush.

Anyway, after this Felicia and I have been concentrating strictly on cash games. For a wonder, she has been playing online.. yes! FeliciaLee playing poker.. online! Hehehe.

I've had a good run playing Draw on PokerRoom. My first 100 hours I've had about a $10/hr average playing $1/2 limit. I've played the $3/6 a couple times; made a nice hit at the $5/10 the one-and-only time that I played (which I needed since I lost a bit at the $3/6 that day :-p )

All this, however, hasn't kept me from playing the freerolls at Intertops! :) At one point I had cashed out completely from Intertops after they started playing Draw at PokerRoom. But then I played some of their $100 freerolls for the heck of it. I think the first I got just barely into the money for a whole $0.65! (Where the heck did the "cent" symbol go on modern keyboards?? Just a little pet peeve.) Then, back-to-back, I won 2nd for $15, and first for $25. I suddenly had money in Intertops again. Started playing the ring games there; Felicia too, playing both the NLHE and the O8. I had a good run the few times that I've played the NLHE $25 tables always coming out ahead. The one time I lost my stack AI pre-flop w/ KK (at least no bad-beat.. guy min-raised pre w/ AA, which usually means, well, AA, but mostly AK or some suited connector), I got it all back after I got KK again vs. JJ and we both flopped sets. It's amazing how people cannot lay down a set after being check-raised. I guess at the $25 tables, there are not really any "big lay downs".

Now that Felicia and I have been playing, we've been able to play the raked-hands freerolls too. Last night, I actually took 2nd in the $500 one for $78.50:



Yippee! I held the chip lead a few times, but my tight play watched it drain away many-a-time. Not to mention that there were enough people being aggressive that my "sit-back" strategy worked just fine there. I'd get chips in a hand that would allow me to watch the others knock each other out; fine by me :) I got aggressive when I needed too, the couple times I got short, and my hands held up. I had a tight enough image that after the one time the guy to my left defended his BB and re-raised to put me all-in with my Ace-rag, the next few times that I raised his blind, he just folded (allowing me to steal once with T6s..but, I just couldn't pull the Harrington and re-steal with 62o from the button steal of my BB ; ).

After a rocking day up and down at Draw, it was nice to finish the day ahead after this win.

Just thought I'd share an update. Hope all is well with everyone.


Posted by Glenn