Do you play poker on the internet? Yeah, I thought so. Do you pull your personal playing statistics to review them on a regular basis?
Yeah, I didn't think so. Do you ever look at your playing stats and attempt to evaluate them? Jeez, I hope so and if you don't maybe you should start. It's a free service the poker sites offer, and something that isn't available to you in your live playing sessions.
If you're willing to spend a few bucks, you can even purchase a service that collects all your playing stats from multiple sites. These services offer much more depth and detail, but you should at least be reviewing the free poker site offerings. That being said, let's take a look at how your internet playing statistics can be useful and help you improve your game. The format differs from site to site but basically they all provide pretty much the same information.
First, I would like to state that what you glean from these statistics needs to be taken with more than just a grain of salt. As an example, when you look back at the last 2,000 hands you have played you won't be able to assess the texture of the games and therefore the numbers will be viewed out of context. I believe the best use of these statistics is to assess trends. They also can help with discipline, as you know every decision you make at the table will be creating a statistic that will be viewed in the future. Maybe that's just me, but it sure helps me feel good about folding, which in limit hold'em is something you should be doing an inordinate amount of the time.
Everyone who is even remotely aware of the ground rules for successful play in limit hold'em has heard countless times the number-one guiding rule: Tight is right. We all know it, but do we all embrace what it means and adhere to it religiously? You might believe you do. But if you're looking at hard evidence by way of your internet stats, and they state that you regularly play 60 percent of the hands dealt ... guess the news! You're as loose as a goose. If this is a problem, the fix is easy.> Attempt to force yourself to play squeaky tight for a while and get your "overall hands played" stat down to the 25 percent range and see your results improve.
Another key stat is the percentage of pots won at showdown. To be a winning player, that figure should be up around 60 percent or higher. If yours is down in the forties, it indicates two things. One, you're probably entering the fray with marginal hands. Two, you're chasing with inadequate holdings. Either way, if you're traveling all the way to the river and coming up short more than half the time, you need to be asking yourself why.
Our goal for this time together is obvious. If you play poker on the internet and have not been reviewing available free statistics in an attempt to rate and improve your play, you should begin immediately. Again, as stated earlier in this column-take the stats with a grain of salt but use them to assess trends. If pulled on a regular basis, you'll be able to see if you've been getting sloppy and playing too many hands, or if your success rate on the river needs to be improved. Knowing every hand I play will be graded helps me immensely with my discipline. Hope it helps you too.
See you next "TIME."
