Spring championship of online poker or SCOOP
Well for the last few weeks SCOOP has been running. I think this year they ran about 170 SCOOP events with if I am remembering correctly paid out total prize pools of over $90 million US. They ran 57 SCOOP events which each have a high, medium and low level buy in. The high ranges from $700-$21000, Medium I think was $109-215 but I think I might have the max a bit low for that one and the lows run between $11-$100.
I played a total of 37 SCOOP events mostly the lows with a few $215 mediums mixed in. Along with the SCOOP's I also played numerous red tournaments which is what they call the daily tournaments with large prize pool guarantees. In total I think I played roughly 180 tournaments over the two weeks.
Here is the fun part the money. The joke between my friends and I is that during SCOOP everyone will either lose a car or win a house. Well I didn't play large enough to lose a car but I fired just over $7000 in tournament buy ins. I also didn't have a great SCOOP making only a few deep runs and no final tables this year unlike last year. Today I added up my numbers, I expected to be down around $1000 but was quite wrong. I was actually a winner without realizing. I made a whopping $4.95. I figure I played around 120-140 hours over the 2 weeks. At 120 hours that means I made roughly $0.41/hour. This is why I play 90% cash games because of the huge variance in tournaments. The reason I play these big tournament series is to hit a big score. Even with all the chances of making $20,000 in a day I definitely prefer the low variance of my everyday cash game grind.
This was quite long and probably bored a lot you but this is sort of my trip report of sorts without taking a trip.
Ugg. While I was reading I was hoping to hear about a big score or something really good.Quote: PokerGrinderAs a lot of people here know I play poker for living and have for years. I mainly play cash games although there are three main times during the year that I will play a lot of tournaments. These times are WSOP (World Series of Poker), SCOOP which is Pokerstars Spring championship of online poker and WCOOP which is Pokerstars World championship of online poker. This is my trip report of sorts for you.
Well for the last few weeks SCOOP has been running. I think this year they ran about 170 SCOOP events with if I am remembering correctly paid out total prize pools of over $90 million US. They ran 57 SCOOP events which each have a high, medium and low level buy in. The high ranges from $700-$21000, Medium I think was $109-215 but I think I might have the max a bit low for that one and the lows run between $11-$100.
I played a total of 37 SCOOP events mostly the lows with a few $215 mediums mixed in. Along with the SCOOP's I also played numerous red tournaments which is what they call the daily tournaments with large prize pool guarantees. In total I think I played roughly 180 tournaments over the two weeks.
Here is the fun part the money. The joke between my friends and I is that during SCOOP everyone will either lose a car or win a house. Well I didn't play large enough to lose a car but I fired just over $7000 in tournament buy ins. I also didn't have a great SCOOP making only a few deep runs and no final tables this year unlike last year. Today I added up my numbers, I expected to be down around $1000 but was quite wrong. I was actually a winner without realizing. I made a whopping $4.95. I figure I played around 120-140 hours over the 2 weeks. At 120 hours that means I made roughly $0.41/hour. This is why I play 90% cash games because of the huge variance in tournaments. The reason I play these big tournament series is to hit a big score. Even with all the chances of making $20,000 in a day I definitely prefer the low variance of my everyday cash game grind.
This was quite long and probably bored a lot you but this is sort of my trip report of sorts without taking a trip.
I used to do this a TON about a decade ago, before they had specific events and fancy names (SCOOP/etc). The spring time (and the fact that it was just shortly after the poker boom) would bring an influx of people (or possibly high schooler's with their parents credit cards and no bed time) to the mix. The tournaments just seemed to bloom so my friends and I would start getting together and all playing a ton of tourneys instead of cash games. My pain was that I cashed in an absurd amount of tournaments I entered (like 75%) but struggled to run deep as I'd just get it in good and lose one way or another... ALWAYS as you stated for like the chip leader with 2 tables left so I could really make a deep run. One of the few years I did this I had an amazing run where I played probably 25 tournaments and won I think it was 8 or 9, and cashed in over 20. Running good during tournament time can really bring in the bacon (american bacon, not canadian) ;-).
While I wish you had better results PG, not negative isn't a bad thing =). On a lot of those big tournaments it's almost like a mine field that in addition to playing well you just have to run good to go deep/win.
I was hoping to hear about a nice score as well, but you kinda did have a nice one. You thought you lost 1k so you kinda made $1004.95
GWAE you and Romes are correct not losing is good but not making money for two weeks is rough when putting in so many hours. I'm impressed that you were almost Supernova that takes a lot to get to. What were you playing? I've never been above platinum I believe but I don't consistently play online even before Black Friday. I played more in spurts.
Quote: PokerGrinderRomes these big series really are so demoralizing, I mean like you said you have to play well and run great. I can grind 10 hours of cash and be fine but 10 hours of tournament grinding is painful. Stars didn't have SCOOP ten years ago? I thought that it had been around that long but I'm young I guess.
GWAE you and Romes are correct not losing is good but not making money for two weeks is rough when putting in so many hours. I'm impressed that you were almost Supernova that takes a lot to get to. What were you playing? I've never been above platinum I believe but I don't consistently play online even before Black Friday. I played more in spurts.
well I wasnt close since it was only April but I was well above average in fpps for the 4 months to get me there. I played sngs mostly and usually had 12-18 running at once on 3 monitors and 1 monitor with 4 cash games if I am recalling correctly. I loved and did real well in tournaments. I played almost exclusively O8. I am really missing that game since it is tough to find live unless in Vegas or AC.
Annnnnnnd you've found the truth to tournament play. More geared towards online too because you can play in so many tourneys even at one time. Tournaments are usually so feast or famine that you feel like an idiot when you lose in a bunch in a row, then you feel like the best player in the world when you do very well in a few in a row.Quote: PokerGrinderRomes these big series really are so demoralizing...
Poker wise, I'd say you did great. You essentially free-rolled how many tournaments with a shot to win some real cash. Do that a few times and you'll hit one and in will fly your EV... Just sucks in the mean time waiting for it!
Cash wise, I could very much see how frustrating it would be to make 40 some cents per hour =/.
GWAE that is very heavy volume, not a lot of people can stand to play that type of volume. Very impressive if you were beating the game for a solid amount.
Quote: GWAEwell I wasnt close since it was only April but I was well above average in fpps for the 4 months to get me there. I played sngs mostly and usually had 12-18 running at once on 3 monitors and 1 monitor with 4 cash games if I am recalling correctly. I loved and did real well in tournaments. I played almost exclusively O8. I am really missing that game since it is tough to find live unless in Vegas or AC.
I have this question for years.
In poker you are suppose to know your opponents. In live you read tells, on line you are at least suppose to remember their styles.
but when you are playing that many games I don't think you you have the time to maintain an image, remember your opponents' playing styles, etc. i bet you can't even remember how the play preflop when they go all in at the river.
So how much time do you spend on each table/decision? do you just basically play instinct?
Quote: andysifI have this question for years.
In poker you are suppose to know your opponents. In live you read tells, on line you are at least suppose to remember their styles.
but when you are playing that many games I don't think you you have the time to maintain an image, remember your opponents' playing styles, etc. i bet you can't even remember how the play preflop when they go all in at the river.
So how much time do you spend on each table/decision? do you just basically play instinct?
You would be surprised. When you play that much you get to know people. Plus don't forget about the tracking software to give you quick stats. My software was very helpful and if you know how to use it it was powerful.
Quote: PokerGrinderWell Romes I have known this for years and have had a few decent binks but still such a grind. I much prefer playing my boring 2-5 and 5-10 NL. I have one friend who plays online tournaments for a living and I swear he is ready to jump off a bridge half the time. He makes good money but can go months without anything good happening and that like I said can be so demoralizing. It is worth it to me a couple times a year to put in this type of tournament volume because the +EV is there but like you said it takes so long to realize that EV. Tournaments are similar to counting Bj in that way I think. Just cause you have an edge doesn't mean that you will win.
GWAE that is very heavy volume, not a lot of people can stand to play that type of volume. Very impressive if you were beating the game for a solid amount.
Wait, who said I was beating it ;-)
In the final year I was up a little but that includes the nice milestone bonuses that I got. The worst part of black friday was I was super close to a milestone. I can't remember now how much it was but over thay weekend I was going to hit it. I only had a fee hundred on the site at the time which I got back but the missed milestone was the real killer.
