Bloom's Taxonomy and Poker

Has my game improved?

I was thinking about this question as I agonized through a particularly tough sermon at church yesterday morning. The sermon was tough because I already had discussed it with the pastor so I new what was coming for the most part. Anyway, I came up with a few ideas about my game that I am going to reflect upon in hope of finding the answer.

One idea that I’ve read about is that you have to play 10s of thousands hands before you can start to see improvement in your game. I agree with this whole-heartedly because of the fact that improvement doesn’t happen like the flip of a switch. It is a realization that occurs over time as you experiment with an idea or a style of play that is unnatural for you at that time. As you become comfortable with this new idea, nuances occur and you start the process all over with a new variation of a previous idea. In the end and over time you have the ability to adapt to situations that have occurred in the past and make sound decisions while you play. The anatomy of experience is thus a constantly evolving understanding of the game that allows you to adapt. This is not rocket science but is in fact the way we learn everything in our lives. Some of learn at faster rate then others just like when we were in school. We have A players and we have failing players. The A players have bad tests and the F players have good tests. In the end the As have success and the F struggle with their inept play.

So, like just about everything else, our ability to learn and adapt is the driving force behind our success. This should explain why so many of the great players in the world are college graduates as well as some very successful businessmen. They have gone through the grind of life as a student, learning new things and forging the rest of their lives through study. After time in the working world, or sometimes not, they are drawn to the degenerate challenge of new and constant adaptation of the poker world. Of course, these intellectuals thrive on the challenges placed before them where the want-a-be players shrink at the obstacles that hinder their path. However, is it really intellectuals? Or are they people that have the propensity to be an intellectual?

Many of today’s successful players may not have gone through the learning experiences that many former students went through. Does this mean they are lesser qualified to play the game? They have the same abilities as their well-educated brethren without the time commitments to higher learning. The explanation for this is not hard to decipher. Many brilliant people have forgone the path of higher education. This doesn’t leave them any less intelligent. It only changes the knowledge base they have achieved. In reality, a college degree doesn’t just show all the things that you have learned but in fact shows that you have the ability to learn. A degree doesn’t show that you are more intelligent. It shows that you have a larger base of knowledge to expand upon. In the end, have a master's degree or whatever other intellectual achievement award you have obtained, doesn’t show more intelligence, it show your propensity to learn.

I guess all this can be explained by Bloom’s Taxonomy. In essence, we are all at different levels of learning and thus are chances of success are directly proportionate to the skill level of our opponents. Notice I said chance. It truly is chance in the case of poker because the element of chance is inherent in the game. But what is Bloom’s Taxonomy? It can be categorized as the different levels of learning as it pertains to the human condition.


Knowledge
Understanding
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation

Anyway, it shows the different levels of thinking that are needed to become a truly successful poker player. The players we want to play against are the ones with knowledge and understanding of the game while the Evaluators and Synthesizers challenge us to improve our game.

Locking back on my progress as a player, I can see the different levels I’ve gone through as well as the ones I still need to attain. There are times when I have touched the top of the triangle but I have not maintained a residence in this position. I think I’m somewhere around the 4th or 5th level for the most part with forays in both directions. This would put me at a slightly better then average play that can make some money in the end. Of course, this is relative to the level of game I’m playing. As you move up to higher games your position in the triangle changes. Overall, to achieve the highest level in Bloom’s Taxonomy, you must be able to do it at the highest games.

Now that I’m through with my term paper, there are players who can play at the highest levels but don’t have the bankroll to do so. The different levels of thinking help them build their financial backing as the move up in limits over time. I’m working on this as a way to categorize my position within the playing world in order to achieve the goals I’ve set for myself.

This evaluation doesn’t improve me as a player but it gives me the tools for future success. I guess that broad knowledge base I gained while attending college did some good after all.

Man it Hurts

My buddy JAG has a 22 year old daughter who just got married last night. Now I'm hung over.

We had a blast dancing and drinking and drinking and drinking. that's what an open bar will do sometimes.

I made a final table yesterday and went into the final table with the chip lead but ended up in third. It was a lot of fun but the blinds were stuck at 4000/8000 and not being raised. I had to be somewhere so after an hour plus playing the final table I got uber aggressive and got knocked out. The game could have gone on for a long time and as it was, I played for 41/2 hours. In about 300 hands I had AA once and kk once. The hand that put me over the top was calling a min raise from the bb while holding 6,4 sooted. It was right before the break but I called anyway. I was an about average stack and playing a chip leader so I t was a chance to double-up. The flop hit me in the face with 6,4,10. I checked my bet and so did my opponent. A Q hits the turn so I raise just in case he has a queen and or a strait draw. He pushes. I think for a moment and put him on his AQ and call. The river fails to help him and I move to higher levels. From that point on I looked to chip up and let the other players knock them selves out unless I had a good hand.

Thursday was a bad day for me. I went on mega tilt after repeated junk shots and drop about 15% of my bankroll. The worst part is that I knew it was happening and continued to play. Eventually I got away and stop the bleeding. I made it back with my third place finish.

Gotta go get the kids from grandma's house.

Omaha

I like Omaha 8/b.

I repeat I like Omaha 8/b

Yesterday I talked about this game as I reflected on the last week of my play and I want to continue it today. So, I put some money on Paradise yesterday and messed around playing some 1-2 limit hold’em in an attempt to work off their sign-up bonus. I made a little money in a few hours of play and figured out that their bonus is easy to achieve. I continued this morning but couldn’t find a good game so I started playing .50-1 Omaha H/L. Let us just say that in that in 4 hours of table time I made $60 and cleared $10 of my bonus and almost clearing another $10. I am amazed at the inept play of many of my opponents while competing for their money. The name of their game is passiveness and I am more then willing to let them chase my draws. At the same time, they call my raises when they are drawing to slim pickings or when I hold the nuts. Maybe I’m just lucky. I’ll see after I’ve played for a while.

I really think that Omaha H/L is a great place to build my bankroll because the skill level of the average player is much lower then the skill level of the average hold’em player. Either that or I’m not as good a hold’em player as I think I am. It more then likely that I’m not good at either but less bad at Omaha.

I’m thinking about going to the boat next week to play in their Wednesday $165 buy-in tourney. I’ll have to get the money from my bankroll and I’m not sure I want to take a 15% hit right now but I’m feeling good about my game and a nice run at the tourney tables could increase it a lot. I’d like to do it tomorrow but I have a meeting so I can’t do it.

The WSOP is winding down the only mega star left is Allen Cunningham. He is sitting in the middle of the pack and primed to make the final table. I like his chances against most of the remaining players including the chip leaders but we will see.

Back From the Dead.

It’s been a while but I should be back. I took a hiatus from writing because of obligations I had at home that interfered with my time as well as job interviews. It’s amazing how fast something like this blog can get away from your routine if you let it happen. At least I have a strong job prospect that I should have an answer on by the end of the week. The drive is about 30 minutes and it will involve building a quality program from the ground up. It is a good opportunity for me to use the skills I have and gives me the chance to move up within the company in the future. That is if I get the job.

As far as poker goes, I’ve made a few changes to my game. When I last wrote I was playing some tourneys, either SNGs or MTTs, as well as some NL cash games. I was having success but not at the rate that I liked because of the variance of MTTs and because SNGs are just to time consuming for the return I was getting. Additionally, the NL cash games are fun but my comfort level with the stakes I need to play for the bigger returns just isn’t there for me yet. Therefore, I had one option. I returned to the limit game to grind out some cash.

My change to limit started about a week ago and has been a good ride so far. I started at the .25-.50 level at first to become comfortable with the game again and moved to .50-1.00 shortly after. By the end of the week, I was playing $1-$2 and have played there ever since. Right now, my bankroll is a little short for that level being that I only have about 25 buy-ins but the quality of play is weak so I don’t foresee a problem. If I drop to a lower level based on my buy-in criteria then so be it.

I’ve also started to play some limit Omaha HL lately. I’m really enjoying the game and have also seen some good returns at this game. I think my ability to analyze the drawing aspect of the game could be an advantage for me in the long run. In fact, I took third in an Omaha HL MTT the other day so I think this could become another regular part of my poker experience. We’ll see what happens.

Now that the summer softball season is over for the girls, we are preparing for the fall season. Both girls will be playing in a 6-week season that will not interfere with soccer so they will get to continue improving their skills. On a side note, L will be trying out for two other teams for next year as well as for the local team. These other teams play at a higher level and could put her at a national tourney if she makes either of these teams. I think she is ready but it will be a completely new level of intensity for her to play at.

Checkout Pauly or CC for great coverage of the WSOP.

Limit Hold'em is a Blast

Well I have an interview next week with a company in West Chicago. The pay isn’t what I want but I’ll take a look nonetheless. The position is for a Quality Manager and should fit well with my experience.

Well, today I threw some money onto Pacific Poker just to give it a try. They give a 50% bonus up to $100 that is put into your account right away. So I’m looking around the site and see a $10 + 1 tourney starting in 10 minutes so I sign up. After we get started I realize it is a limit tourney so I get to use skills I have been neglecting. A few hours later, I’m on the final table and end up in fourth. I also took second in a SNG so during my first to games I’ve doubled my money. Not a bad start if I may say so. Anyway, I’m not to happy with the structure but the players are bad. I’ll continue to mess around here for a while just to see what I can do.

After hitting an all time high a few weeks ago, I gave back a good chunk when I started to play stupid. I‘ve gain back about half of my loses from that point and hope to continue the run I’m having.

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I’m trying to get an idea for cash game bankroll management. My thinking is that I should have 30 buy-ins for the level that I’m playing. Is this conservative or is this about right? Does this line of thinking work for SNGs and tournaments? I think it’s OK for SNGs but I’m not so sure about tourneys because of the higher variance involved with them. Also, should I keep my cash game money separate from my tourney money. I’m not sure this is needed but it is an idea.

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No game tonight. We have a ton of rain since yesterday and the fields are a mess. It’s to bad because I was really looking forward to playing tonight. One other side note is that If I get a job soon then I will go play in the NAFA World Series in mid August.

Chicken Salad Out of Chicken ****

At times, I’ve been a chicken shit and not willing to move up in levels because I don’t want to lose money. We I made the move to $10 SNGs today because I have more then enough bankroll to do it. In fact, I should be playing $20 games so I’m still full of crap. I haven’t seen a big difference in play except that the lunatics are smaller in number. Tight aggressive play will win the day and has so far. In the limited number, I’ve played so far, my ROI is well above 100%. This will change but for now, it’s fun to look at.

My wife made a comment the other day that I found interesting. She said that winning at the rate I am now isn’t worth the time or effort. It doesn’t bring enough money into the household for the time commitment. What this told me was that if I play at the higher levels, within my bankroll, and thus bring in a better rate that the time is better justified. Now this is pure speculation as to the meaning of what she said but I will use any justification I can to continue playing. I know if I won a big tourney with a large return, she would be more then happy to put some of it in the bank. We had a discussion on the increased level of my bankroll and what we should do with it but more on that some other time.

I’m thinking about playing in DADI 8 later this month. The only problem is that I’ve gotten away from Poker Stars because I don’t like their SNG structure. Those antes add up in a hurry and my return wasn’t nearly as good there. I guess I can throw in enough money to cover the re-buys and play some cash games after words but with all the blogger sharks out there it is –ev. I’ll probably play and just have some fun.

I’m playing ball again on Thursday night with one of the local teams. I played with them earlier in the year but had to stop because of my coaching commitments. Now that the in-house season is over I can play a few more games. By the way, I’m fully recovered from the abuse that I put my body through last weekend by playing 4 games in less then 24 hours. I remember the day when that wouldn’t have fazed me at all but those days are long gone.

I worked with both L and M on their pitching last night and I think I figured out some things with L. To make a long story short, L was popping the ball as hard as ever and even threw numerous change-ups for strikes. I hope she can bring this to the field on Saturday as we will need her to be on her game. M still continues to get better and should be ready to play a major roll on the pitching rubber next year for her 10u travel team.

On the job front, I spent almost all of Monday sending out resumes and making inquiries to various companies. Later that day I got a call from my headhunter about a temp to hire position that isn’t a terrible commute and would pay me what I was making before. It’s not the ideal situation but I’ll take it if they make an official offer. Of course, my poker time will be hurt but I’m not making enough playing poker anyway.

Happy birthday to CC’s blog that turned one year old today.

My 102th Post

I just hit my 100th post the other day and forgot to bring it up.

The weekend is over and it’s back to the weekly grind. The only difference between you and me is that I’m not heading to work this morning. I think it’s time to start putting more effort into finding a job and getting my life back into a routine. It has been nice to be around the kids but being a domesticated, stay at home dad isn’t really my style. I’m not good at keeping on task for the daily workload.

So after an early week spike in my bankroll I thought I would try the NL cash games for a while. I have the bankroll to play the $25 dollar tables but I decided to play low at the $10 level. I lost part of a buy-in so I moved up to the $25 level. Needless to say chasing a lose is stupid and so am I. I didn’t drop it all but I did drop part of it. My next thought was “lets try $50”. I ended up about even before I came to my senses and quit playing. Looking back on the incident, I fell victim to some suckouts after making the right decision after the flop and turn and will gladly let people continue to make these calls when they are behind in these hands. In the end, I returned to the cash tables later that night and regained most of the loses I had incurred.

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Well I played ball for my old fastpitch team last weekend and I’m paying the price. Being out of playing shape and playing 4 games in less then 24 hours isn’t good for the body. Add the fact that temperatures were in the high 90’s and you have the recipe for disaster. I drank lots of fluids and didn’t begin to cramp up until the 5th inning of the last game. In the end, we beat a top rated team in the country and lost 3-2 to another ranked team. It was fun to be back on the field with my buddies and also realize I can still play the game at a high level. I was 5-12 with a couple of walks and hit good change-ups as well as some real gas. I felt comfortable and may even go to the NAFA World Series with the team in August. I just have to get the OK from the wife and figure out a way to have spending money. One of buddies on the team said he would cover me but I don’t like to take handouts. We’ll see what happens but more then likely I won’t go. I would have to find a babysitter for the kids on the first day and I would be at the mercy of my bankroll for spending money. I don’t want to use any of that money.

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I have caught myself being timid in a couple of situations as of late and I don’t like it at all. I think the junk kicking I had taken in the cash games put me onto a passive wait and see mode that has caused me to lose some bets. I got out of it in my last cash game by going to the other end of the spectrum. I was ultra aggressive and test my opponents hand when I thought they were week. I also returned to putting them on a hand and trying to mask the hand I have at the same time by playing non premium hands once in a while. They paid off when they hit and it kept the competition wondering what I had. I think that I need to learn to separate my tourney game mind set from my cash game mind set. The goals and styles are not that much different but one is a game of accumulation and survival while the other is a game of accumulation. Get knocked out of a tourney and your done. Get stacked and you re-buy. I’ll try and remember.

Screen Shot

I just wanted to try a screen shot so I thought this strait flush would work.

More of the Same

I play three more MTTs today with more of the same success. Though I busted short of the money on the first one, I made a final table in the second and earned 11th in the third. I screwed up in the 11th place finish because I could have coasted to a higher finish and more money. I felt a guy was stealing so I called his push. I held AJ suited but he had pocket jacks and I was done. My final table appearance saw me get knocked out when I pushed the BB and he called with pocket 4s. My AQ was no good. It would have been nice to get a little farther and to a bigger payday but oh well. I did get lucky at one point when I pushed with jacks and got called by queens. I hit a four flush to take the pot. Some luck is needed to get deep some times.

I hooked up with JJOK on the chat box last night. He was playing the Mookie while I was playing two MTTs. We made some small talk about Titan/Noble and lamented our misfortune at the tourney tables. I busted just short of the final table in one event while bubbling out of the other.

I put some money on Ultimate Bet the other day. I have played there in the past but I have stayed away because of the bad taste it left in my mouth. You see, it was the site I put my first deposit and as you know, most people drop their first deposit. I put $185 dollars on the site about 8 months ago and saw it climb to $400 on the first night. I was playing way above my bankroll and saw most of it gone in less then a week. I hung around with around $25 for about a month, playing $1 sngs until I got frustrated and lost it all on one hand at a cash table. I was the poster child for fish and tilted like crazy. Shortly there after I figured out the poker blogging community has good information and that I should use it. I thank all of you for your help.

Anyway, UB gave me a %100 bonus so I threw $200 back on their site. It takes forever to get the bonus back but it is free money. And I don’t have a time limit. So far I’m up $35 bucks in just two day so well see how it continues.

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I’m playing ball this weekend. My old team asked me to play so I’m heading to the field for one game Friday night and three on Saturday. I should be just about cashed come Sunday morning. I’m sure Pastor Bob will be looking for me so I better go to church that day. I’m already excited about playing and will see some of the best teams in the US. This isn’t the nationals or world tourney but it is a good invitational tourney. The pitchers will be throwing hard and I’ll be swinging and missing. Maybe I’ll have L throw to me some tonight just so I can get some swings. She needs the work to.

On the Road to Obscurity

I cashed in two more MTTs today. I didn’t reach the big money but came close by taking 23rd and 20th in the two events. In both tournaments I pushed with pocket pairs and got called by QT and J8 respectively. Each opponent ended up getting a strait and knocking me out. I’m more then happy with my decisions and failed to win the needed hand.

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Boy, I’m enjoying reading the trip reports from the WPBT. I would have loved going to Vegas for the fun and the sun but not this time. We’ll see if I can swing next time.

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I was in a funk earlier today. It started when I was knocked out in 5 strait SNGs and continued when my wife got home. As far as the SNGs go, I never put myself in a position to win by playing a passive game. I don’t know why I continue to fall back on this but I ended it before I quit. And my wife is just tired. She is running a girls scout camp this week and comes home drained of life. She walks around in a zombie like state with a glassy look in her eyes. This goes away after a short while but I can see it draining her life force.

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I tried to load some pictures but I'm having troble moving them to the spot I want them. I will experiment some and see what I can come up with. By the way, my talk of Charles Bukowski got me some extra hits yesterday. Maybe I should add something like.... I'm not interested in more hits.