So I decided at the end of March to devote all of April to no-limit. So far, I’ve enjoyed every minute most of it and I see no particular reason to hold on to limit hold ‘em as my main game. I really feel that having extensive limit experience pays off tremendously when playing no-limit, however. I’m used to thinking in terms of equity, which really helps when I’m faced with a decision as to whether or not to play a big pot. Getting the percentages right time and again helps a lot in situations like that.

Still, I’ve only played 4k hands. It’s been a busy month so far, with work overload combined with busy weekends. Now that spring is here (knock on wood) the garden needs attending to as well, and last but not least, I’ve started reading George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series (starting with Game of Thrones). Having read non-fiction books exclusively for the last year and a half or so, I had almost forgotten how captivating a good novel good be. And this is four books around 1,000 pages each, so I’m kept busy with that, no doubt. I’m through the first one and I’m not entirely sure if I want to keep reading as quickly as I have been so far, since the man hasn’t finished the series yet. I’m told there will be 7 books total, and the fifth one is expected to be released in October this year, so even if I rush through the books now, I’ll still be left hopping up and down waiting for the next book to be released. And let me tell you, if he DARES go and die before he finishes this series, I’ll be very very cross with him. Very, very cross.

Oh yeah, poker.

So, 4k hands played, but I feel I’ve gotten good value out of those hands. I’ve practised 8-tabling, which goes fairly well but is quite a strain on my eyes because my monitor is slightly too small to really tile all of the tables up and still be able to read the PAHUD stats properly. I’m sure this is something I can work myself around (perhaps the PAHUD stats can be enlarged? Note to self: Check.) Furthermore, I feel like I’m developing a better and better sense of when pots are contestable and when they’re not. In general, I’m still in slight shock over how often people fold in no-limit. I bet, they fold, I win.

I’m a bit nervous about PT3. I expect it’s going to change preflop and flop mechanics quite a lot, specifically in terms of getting people to play more aggressively. There is a lot of folding going on now, where there probably should be raises instead. You want to beat me at NL? Play your normal ranges versus me, and then when the flop comes and you miss, toss a coin. If it comes up heads, raise me. I think you’ll show an immediate profit.

Of course, once I start getting played back at, I’ll adjust. But for now, I’m trying to play exploitatively, and that means betting a lot. It also helps to be somewhat of a nit preflop in getting people to fold postflop.

Oh, results? Yeah, since April 1st, I’m at 8.2BB/100. Yes, it’s a small sample, no, I don’t think I’m that good. But I feel comfortable enough with what’s going on at the table that I’m going to move up to $50NL on May 1st. The only condition that I want to have met in order to take that step is that I get myself in gear and finish the 10k hands of $25NL I wanted to play this month.