Poker Calculator Report: PokerCharts.com

For the accountant in all of us.

This review goes deeper into our assistant software perspective, where not necessarily being a poker calculator, assistant software does certain and varied calculations for you, that allow you to improve your poker game.

PokerCharts.com is such a service. Improving your poker game, whether it be holdem, omaha, stud, no limit, pot limit, casino ring games, or any other poker profit seeking venture, involves scrutiny on your part. The kind of scrutiny that analyzes your own game based on the common variables that you find in the variety of poker games that are available in casinos, online, and at private and friendly games as well.

Here is the idea. After every game, or session you log into your account at pokercharts.com and enter the details of that session. There are categories for where you played, and what type of game. What the limits were, tournament or ring game, known opponents, notes on opponents, buy-ins and virtually every other conceivable scenario that could come up. You can even record the game you play with your friends for a social night, except that this service is really for improving your serious game and consequently your bankroll.

So after you have been collecting information regularly, the real value of pokercharts.com emerges as now you get to analyze all of that information. It isn't difficult to do either. In fact, by the way pokercharts.com produces immediate graphs on your performance, you will instantly be able to identify situations where your game suffers or excels.

For instance, while viewing my stats, I noticed that I played much better at 10 buck sit and go tables than I did at the 5 buck level. This would be contrary to what I would guess, because of the weaker players at the 5 buck tables. It also tells you which game, limit, and venue you perform best at as well.

If you knew for example that your hourly win rate at a 10/20 limit table was $36 you would think that that was time well spent. With PokerCharts.com however, you could research even further and divide the 10/20 limit games you between casino and online tables. Let's say then that you discover to your shock that playing the internet 10/20 limit holdem games, your hourly win rate is $88 as opposed to your casino games where you actually lose $8 per hour. Do you think this kind of information would cause you to think twice about where you play? Well if it doesn't then PokerCharts.com may not be able to help you, but neither would Howard Lederer coaching you over-the-shoulder would.

PokerCharts.com also has a main chart area that compares many different variables so that you can see graphically how your game is improving by way of ROI, and thus, the effects on your bankroll. You can even compare your performance to recent Dow Jones movements.

I really like the text paragraph below the main chart area which essentially talks to you about how you are doing recently, what is your best game and your best venue. Another thing it points out is how long you play each week, which could be a warning bell for some players.

PokerCharts.com has a trial offer for 30 days.

Poker Sit and Go Report - The Self Check

So you think you are finally making all the right moves. You have your math squared, you understand probabilities, and you play a well rounded, tight aggressive game.

Unfortunately this strategy has turned into a losing streak which has your bankroll on a freefall. In the meantime all the monkeys around you are benefiting from stupid hands, played stupid, with stupid flops. Why do the idiots constantly get rewarded? Why do they outdraw me every bloody time?

If this sounds like the kind of rant that is going through your mind while playing sit and go tournaments, the simple truth of it is - you are on tilt. It's not them, it's you.

Recognizing that you are not at your best mindset for playing poker is one of the toughest things to do. Poker is so reliant on your own psychology, that not having a handle on it can tailspin you at any level, at any time.

Consistent, profitable play is a result of constant self checks, not just in knowledge of the game but in knowledge of your own self. If you can recognize losing patterns and the black hole of spinning deep into negative bankrolling, you also have the self sufficient power to retract those pattern exact behaviors.

Some examples of negative mindset are accompanied by anger acted out in different ways.

You move to a higher limit table to make up for some losses. This is much more common than you may think and equally as disastrous on your bankroll.

There is a physical urge in your body that wants to exert force on something. This could be as tame as slamming your mouse or as violent as punching a hole in the wall. Ok then, either way, it's time out.

You are short or ill tempered with people you care about. This has happened to me, and it has happened to everyone. This could be the result of a particularly stinging outdraw or huge self blunder. Whatever the reason, this is too far.

Now it's one thing to recognize you may not be at your best, it's entirely different if you still cannot do anything about it. In other words, does your urge to continue playing still override everything else? Then you are setting yourself up for tilt play, or even worse.

Stop playing, take time to think, because tournament poker is a thinking man's game. Thinking about the game and yourself is going to allow you the opportunities to not only improve but gain an introspective that will help you come to terms with the psychological complexities of the game.

If you aren't ready for that, at least stick to the low, low entry fees.