Multi-tabling/Volume

Didn't play Tuesday, had soccer instead. We actually won our playoff game! 0-0, 4-3 on penalties. All the goalkeeping obv :) Then we went to some bar with some people that were way too drunk for 9:30 on a Tuesday. Also found cool soccer bar called the Globe to watch the Liverpool Champions League match yesterday, only a ten minute walk away on Irving Park.

So yesterday was the first day of the month for poker. Nothing of interest really, fell short of third straight AP 30r FT when lost a flip and finished 15th. I did win the AP Forum Tourney, which throws in the 75K entry for Sunday, so that's $162 I won't have to buyin for. Today was the day I was thinking about heading to the casinos across the border in Indiana, but instead I realized that I'm out of clothes, so I'm going to do laundry instead. Most likely early next week on the casino trip, maybe Monday.

Played eight tournaments yesterday, counting the AP Forum Tourney and a $250K qualifier that only had 7 people. Looking back over March, eight tournaments is sort of typical for a poker night, though of course it depends on how long I'm lasting in those tournaments. I usually try to keep three tables going at a time, sometimes four. But four is really my maximum, because I don't feel like I can keep concentration on my all my tables above that. I feel like this is unusual compared to a lot of other people who play online, for whom 7/8/12 tables is no big deal. I can sort of understand that philosophy while playing at lower levels and it's all ABC poker anyway. But the joy of playing multis is that I don't feel like I am playing ABC poker, and that I'm actually making some attempt to read my opponents. But even if I was doing that, I feel like I would have trouble. Even with three tables going, if I have a couple decisions at the same time, I sometimes feel rushed, and feel like it affects my play. I tend to be a more deliberate player than most, and like to give myself a couple seconds to make a decision unless it's really obvious. But that's all fine I think, I'm absolutely sure I can make a living playing only three (with sometimes four) tables at a time.

The real trick is to keep that many tables going. I have to keep in mind that volume=my friend. No such thing as guaranteed income in poker, but volume I can control. There are two reasons that I don't play the volume that I should. The first is days when I decide to not play. For whatever reason, some days when I'm really planning on playing I just don't have the motivation. Frankly this was a lot more of a problem in February when I was just getting depressed about poker, and it was cold outside and I wasn't leaving my apartment enough. Lately I've just been in a better mood about everything, so not really an issue. The other that I've been trying to focus on is just staying in three tournaments at a time. If I get knocked out of a tournament, there's usually a tournament at the stakes that I'm playing at within the half hour, combining the six sites I have accounts on. This is also something I've been doing better at lately. But still, need to keep it up. Space away from poker is healthy as well, but that's not usually my problem. Usually the other way around.

Should be playing a lot this week, trying to get the month started right.