When To Play

[Beanie]

This ties in a little with me considering whether or not to give the pro poker a whirl and seems very important.

For the past fortnight I've been hammering away at the cash tables, just playing ABC poker at $0.5/$1 which seems to be my comfort level skillwise at the mo, usually over 5 full ring tables...no problems and some nice profits, enough(albeit over a short period of time) to suggest that long term its a plausible idea...

However, one thing that has stood out for me so far(and again I know its a small sample size, which is why I'm asking) is the difference in the standard type of player at different times of day.

During working hours(which for the past year I've not been able to play at) the tables seem to be mostly full of full buyin and fairly tight players - the obvious and perhaps oversimplistic answer is that these are the grinding pros and prob quite a few students with way too much time on their hands reading way too many poker books to freely give me their money(which I gave them from my hard earnt tax dollars so that they can live a life of luxury!!! THE SWINES!!!))

Ahem, anyway...

Yeah, tough going during the day - and enough evidence to suggest there are a few decent poker brains at every table.

Switch to the 9pm-2am bracket and its quite different(and even more so at weekends) - people buying in for $20-$40 just ready to chuck their chips in every time top pair comes along, loads of weak post flop play, basically lots of easy money to hoover up to keep the bank balance ticking over. There's a few good players but you can spot them a mile off and give them the respect they deserve.

So is this true? A few random thoughts...

First, market forces 'should' iron out any obvious anomalies - if during the working day is tough work and the evenings easy money, then those playing during the day will switch to playing in the evenings until the difference is negligible. Of course, in practice this isn't always true and time constraints mean that for the majority of the population their only possible poker time is evenings and weekends.

Second, I'm still very much a tournament player, with my best skills in tournament strategy, and not in hand reading skills(altho I am learning as fast and as well as possible so keep those threads coming!) Consequently, it is perhaps just the current level my poker mind is at that makes me see this possible difference - ie were I to be a super duper cash game player, I would be comfortably better than the midday players and the evening players, and so there might not seem/be much of a difference as i'd be skinning the lot of them. As it is, it seems quite obvious. Just a possible explanation.

Third, if it is true, then it has implications for doing it as a full time job. Of course, I'm under no illusions that in reality turning pro is at all a glamorous or easy existence, and that sacrifices have to be made, but if true, then in order to optimize profits then evenings and weekends would be the times to play = big social life implications if 90% of my friends are working 9-5.

Anyway, I'm rambling - my sample size is too small to draw many conclusions, so I'm interested in thoughts on this(I'm sure its been discussed plenty in pro poker circles.)

[Doc]

interesting post Beanie

I think the hole in the argument may be that the fish don't think or move in any traditional sense of rational agents in a market. They just do what they do. The sharks have no choice but to follow the fish. For those sharks who for whatever reasons swim at times where there are not so many fish about, they have to eat each other.

I dunno if that makes any sense (lol - its late and I'm tired and tipsy), but I think you've hit on the key in your second last paragraph.

Slightly (but only slightly!) tangentially - I've been doing some work on analysing bank roll issues surrounding poker play - particularly focussed on SNG, but it would have broader implications. Look for it at a site near you, sometime soon

[Beanie]

I'd agree Doc - a perfect model would suggest that players would adapt(the better players moving to the best times) to negate any advantage at a particular time of day, but given that at 0.5/1 the vast majority of players are recreational, then adapting isn't an option as jobs/families/social lives dictate when they play.

[Scottieboy08]

Hi Beanie

As you probably know, I play 0.50/1 a lot and find that Friday and Saturday evenings (between 11-4) are the juiciest times to play. In the week this still holds true and I try to avoid anytime during the day. Too many regulars (and tight-nitty regs at that) during the day. I can't say if the edge is the same in STT/MTTs though.

[DAN DAN]

Originally Posted by Scottieboy08

Hi Beanie

As you probably know, I play 0.50/1 a lot and find that Friday and Saturday evenings (between 11-4) are the juiciest times to play.

Yeh but eventually Ed's bankroll will be gone and then what will you do.

[Scottieboy08]

Originally Posted by DAN DAN

Yeh but eventually Ed's bankroll will be gone and then what will you do.

lmfao

Actually Mickey came in for a game this morning and done very well

[DAN DAN]

Originally Posted by Scottieboy08

Actually Mickey came in for a game this morning and done very well

How can that be? He gets nothing but bad beats I thought, poker gods are ALWAYS against him. Had the gods gone to bed?

[Yen_Sid]

Originally Posted by DAN DAN

Yeh but eventually Ed's bankroll will be gone and then what will you do.

Will be gone real soon, can't seem to get a thing these days, feel I'm playing well but lots of bad beats and when i hit a big hand someone hits a bigger one. Aw well.

Seem to remember winning an STT last night after a HU of epic proportions, eh Mick?