Tell Al Gore I want my money back

My internet connection to party is down. I managed to get in 150 or so hands before getting disconnected from all poker clients...Party, Stars, the whole lot. All other internet connections somehow went unscathed and are working fine. I don't understand the internet at all.

Anyway, here's party's description of my problem (which my ISP also confirmed is likely the problem....at least they admit guilt):

To explain to you in full details let us start from the basic level of how tables connect from the Players Internet Service Provider (ISP) to our Game Servers. Every time you connect to the main lobby it is through a network of servers on the Internet. These network connections or routes or paths are decided by your ISP.

When you connect to the tables, each table is again connected to our Game Servers through individual sets of network connections on the Internet. Each of these network connections has multiple intermediate servers on the network. Each of these servers is handling not only your connection, but also various other connections on the Internet that happen to take a route on which the server lies. This puts a lot of load on these intermediate servers.

Some of the servers can handle a lot of load and are very stable but some of them are not. If it is a weak server, then it will randomly select a connection passing through it and disconnect the subscriber. This is why Players face a sudden disconnection on a table even though they are still able to browse through the Internet or even play on another table.

I fully understand that it is not a problem from your end. However, if there is a weak server on the network connection, that your ISP has chosen to connect to our Game Servers, then it is quite possible that you might get disconnected from a table.

Comcast has assured me that this is probably a result of some maintenance they are doing in Valley Forge (100 miles away!), and to try again tonight. We'll see.

First 1K hands at 2/4

Well I've hit my first 1K hands at @2/4 in just 3 short days. I'll post the stats here, although they are meaningless. Nonetheless, it feels damn good to hit the limit running hot...click to enlarge:



I feel like such a rock after all my recent 6 max play :)

My Bankroll in a nutshell

First, some background....

I have quickly discovered that I become disinterested in poker if I spend too much time playing any given game. After a week of playing strictly cash games it becomes next to impossible to find the motivation to play another session. I also enjoy playing MTT's and SNG tourney's, but quickly loose interest if I overdo it in any of them.

So, about a month ago I made an executive decision to mix up my play between cash games and NL tournament play (wow, what a novel idea). Granted, I am definitely running the risk of stunting my poker development by not focusing on one game...trying to improve in limit cash and NL tourney play at the same time is borderline crazy. The games are vastly different, and there's just too much to learn on the subjects for a pea-brain like me to digest. Just looking at the amount I still have to learn about limit play leaves me feeling like a starving coyote who just bagged an elephant. Yes, leave it to me to create the most retarded symolies ever.

In any case, I have decided this is a risk worth taking if it keeps me interested in playing. Thus I have thus divided my bank roll into 3 categories - one for each game type. I have selected one site for each category and deposited as follows:

CASH LHE: Party Poker - $1500
SNG's: Stars - $300
MTT's and HU: Paradise - $500

I will be using these sites primarily to play the game indicated. If I spot a good game somewhere else I will play it, but will continue to use the listed sites as the 'home base' for that BR category.

Additionally I have kept $600 on standby in neteller for misc bonus chases/reloads.

Now for a final disclaimer - I intend to spend most of my time playing cash limit games, and will focus most of my study on improving in that area. Any tourney play I do is mostly for fun, so I need to be careful and play within the tourney BR I have set for myself. So far I have found this easier said than done, so I may need to revisit my overall plan later.

Introduction

Hello, my name is Craig aka CWONSIE to the online poker world (but my friends call me Wade). I have been playing low limit hold'em on and off for about 4 years, mostly in Atlantic City. In late 2003 I opened my first online account at PartyPoker.com, and quickly became addicted. After about 8 months and thousands of hands at 1/2 limit six max I made some progress towards a sub-par (but slightly-winning) game.

My study of the game has been a slow process. I have read most of the essential 2+2 publications, and am an active participant in the ITH.com forums.

Part of my commitment to re-learn the game was to start from scratch at micro limits (.25/.50 at Stars), and follow a disciplined bank roll strategy as I moved back up. The purpose of this blog is to track my progress as I move up in these limits, and to serve as a journal for my tournament play. I am getting a late start into the blog world, so my journey here begins with my recent move to Party Poker $2/4 full ring Hold'em.

I'm not sure how good of a blogger I'm going to make, but I'll do my best to post the latest and greatest.