How do you interpret these results?

[lightfungus]

So, since I don't really have hours per session, these are going to be in chunks. But since I am not worried about dollar amounts or anything, just about winning sessions versus losing, I will be dividing everything by the first sessions value so that we get simply a pattern. For example, if I won 100 bucks the first time, that is "1", if I lost 150 bucks in another session that would be "-1.5"

Session results for a spread NL game over a 2 month period:

-1.00
2.93
-1.43
1.80
1.47
7.60
-2.73
9.51
-2.94
-1.69
-13.63 Probably over 5 sessions in Vegas, so averaged I get 5 sessions of -2.73
-2.73
-2.73
-2.73
-2.73
-2.73
5.82
-1.61
0.75
-2.94
9.26
7.75 and these two were the same day, with like a 3 hour break
-4.64
-3.27
4.02
-4.90
0.49
14.56


Are more losing sessions than winning ones bad? I have been worried that my winning sessions are so big, but I don't have many small winning sessions. Does that mean that the winning sessions are too heavily relied upon? Or is it okay to mill around until you get those nights with good tables (lots of idiotic action) and good cards and then maximize the opportunity? Is it a sign if you aren't beating the game a majority of the time and should not be playing there? Opinions are greatly appreciated...

[lightfungus]

So no opinions or personal experience that says whether large wins and lots of medium to small losses says something. Or more losing sessions than winning saying something? I understand the sample size is small, and that people may not have ever looked at a per session kind of analysis...but nothing?

[BlibbityBlabbity]

I don't know if there is really all that much to be gained by totalling up annonymous wins and losses like this.

Limits played and time played (and some sense of whether you played well or poorly) is needed to really judge for yourself whether there is any cause for concern.

Pokertracker-type stats are what would give you a better picture. If you were using PT this list would be irrelevant and what would matter is what hands you are losing with, are you playing too many hands preflop, are you too aggressive or not aggressive enough, etx, etx.

Also a sense of what bankroll/ limits this is for are pretty important for us to give an educated reponse. If you lost $1.20 in 20 minutes playing 1c/2c then it is totally different than if you played 50c/$1 FOR 3 hours and essentially broke even.

Just looking at the list I notice that the winning sessions are larger than the losing ones. Is there any reason for that (different limits, etc)? Do you feel you played badly, late at night, for too long, etc, etc in any sessions?

Losing vs winning is NOT a leak you can plug, if you think there might be reason for concern use some tool/system for finding and fixing the leaks and don't worry SO much about the # of winning session vs losing ones.

[JDMcNugent7]

ya like BB said, tally hours instead, then get a BB/hr. much more useful.
also its hard to say if having more losing days then winning days is bad, it totally depends on ur style.

[melioris]

to make sense of these numbers...

what game(s) are you playing?
what levels?
what levels are the next above and below the level you are playiing?
even though it is a tough estimate, give me a rough bb/hr number if limit or a $/hr if NL. Just guestimate it.

[lightfungus]

Thanks for the responses...this is live poker, 5/150 NL, meaning the maximum you can bet at anytime is 150 bucks. If you want a sense of what those numbers are, I divided everything by 102 bucks (just happened that I lost that much first go round)...and I estimated that overall, my sessions averaged 4 hours and I therefore was winning at a rate of approximately $40-42, or 8BB an hour. What is a good winrate for NL?

[jaeh00d]

To be honest here man, even if after the end you were up one dollar i would not label it failure. if at the end of all of those sessions you are up 14K then i dont see any problem there. I just dont like the fact you dropped 13k over in vegas. Once again, i am nowhere near your bankroll level and at times struggle to buy into tournaments of 500 dollars, but if you are up 14k in the past 2 month period i do not see that as bad. I see it as a big gain, if you continue on the same pace you are good for 87K of profit this year (ballpark estimate.) Now ask yourself, as that good enough in your eyes? Do you think you should be making more than that? Are you happy at that number? Is it below or beyond your expectations at this point? The only thing is the drop of over 13k in a 5 day period over in Vegas, it seems a little scary. Other than that man, I think you are doing fine and wish you the best of luck.

take care

By the way $40-42 an hour seems great to me, I'm sure others make more. But track your numbers the same way for the next two months and see if your hourly rate increased or decreased. And attempt to take some valuable notes, during your sessions to see if there is any pattern you can pick up on good or bad, those are the little things i have done and have been up $1,100 dollars in the past 40 days in poker. (Bullshit in your eyes i know, but babysteps and to me) best of luck

[Talking Poker]

You need to work on your mltiplication skills.

x100 means you move the decimal two places, not three.

[jaeh00d]

Lmao, yes you are correct. It was 4:30 in the morning sorry...