January results and moving averages
January was a change of pace for me as I played almost exclusively online MTTs. I had started mixing in a bit of online tournaments back in December, but was still playing a lot of live cash games which has been my preferred discipline in the past. But after living primarily in Las Vegas for the past three years, I am now back in New York and except for the occasional western trip I will likely be staying here for the near future.
While I’m very happy with my January results, I’m even happier that I am able to play longer sessions online than I used to. With cash games I usually lost my mind after an hour or two online, but somehow in the tournaments I am able to keep my focus and play much longer. So most nights I’ve been firing up the computer and staggering 5 or 6 MTTs.
For the month, I played in exactly 100 tournaments, mostly $20 or so buy-ins or $5 rebuys (which usually cost me more than $20). The majority were PLO8 or NLHE w/rebuys, and some PLO. I ran well and made 22 final tables and finished first in 5 of them. I had 7 cashes of $500 or larger and my biggest cash for the month was $1087 in a Stars PLO8.
One thing I’ve started to do recently which has helped me mentally deal with variance is keeping a running 30-day moving average, just like you might see when researching a stock to buy. The 30-day MA then becomes my primary measurement and is not affected too badly by a bad day or two, which keeps my outlook positive. It also keeps me playing on a consistent basis, ‘cause I know that if I take too many days off from playing then the MA could be affected greatly by a bad couple of days.
I’d suggest to anyone who has issues handling variance to try keeping track of a moving average. You can adjust it to your own needs and schedule. For instance, if you only get to play once a week, then a 90 day or even 180 day MA may be better suited for you. Or possibly only count your active days in your 30 day MA (I use all days, whether I play or not). If you’re not too sure how to do it just let me know and I’d be happy to help you out.
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I’d love to hear more about the moving average. Can you post details about how you calculate it, use it? Or email me shawneebarton{at}gmail.com