By
grapsfan |
Published
May 31 2008, 02:10 AM
Accumulation of Frequent Player Points (FPPs) is one of the four most common topics in the Poker Discussion Forum on PocketFives.com – the other three being bankroll management, how to accumulate chips late in a tournament, and ripping on top-ranked players for one hand out of the 4,000 they play on any given day. For years, I have never been able to contribute to the FPP topic…I had no concrete evidence as to the best way to pick up lots and lots of points. Until now, that is.
I designed an experiment, which required me to play a bunch of everything: Hold’em (limit & no limit), Omaha 8/b (limit & pot limit), pot limit Omaha, Stud, Stud 8/b and HORSE. For Hold’em and the Omaha variants, I played at 9-man and 6-man tables. I assumed a bankroll of $2000, so I played at proper buy-in levels: $3/$6 limit, or $.25/$.50 NL/PL. I played approximately 3 hours in each game.
Here are my results for PokerStars (I used VPPs as a baseline, because FPPs accumulate in different levels, depending on your Star status):
My data for play on Full Tilt Poker:
Before I make my two summary recommendations, I’ll admit my sample size is fairly small. Since the # of points awarded is directly related to rake taken, a loose-aggressive table will generate far more points than a weak-tight one.
Summary Point #1: Split-pot games offer the most points per hand
This only makes sense, as there are usually more players choosing to play instead of folding immediately. Players have options to play in one of two directions…and more of your opponents will be bad at judging starting hand strength.
The one game countering this rule is Pot Limit Omaha 8/b. At this buy-in, it’s brutally tight, with most players just sitting around and waiting to flop the nut low.
Summary Point #2: Play Limit Hold’em
The problem with Point #1 is the game selection is fairly small. Even the largest sites will only have two or three games, at most, running at a given buy-in for Omaha 8/b, stud or mixed games. Limit Hold’em offers nearly the same # of FPPs, only you can multi-table to your heart’s content.
If you’re a SNG multi-tabler, you are also benefiting from FPPs…but not as many as you could be playing cash games. At this same buy-in, you can play the $25+2 turbo or $30+3 regular single-table games. The average lifespan in a turbo SNG is about 25 minutes, and 40 minutes for regular blinds. Completing the math, for each game, at these buy-ins:
Depending on the site, this is between one-half to two-thirds of the points per hour you can earn from Limit Hold’em cash games.
The key to poker success is to play the games you play best. If you lose money at limit Hold’em, but win at SNGs or MTTs or someone else, then don’t chase the most possible FPPs. But if the value of FPPs is important to you, knowing how to get the most from your table time is critical. I hope this data is useful in your quest.