Thinking back to before the Grading Selection (doesn't that seem a long time ago!), I had got to a stage where I wanted to take my game to the next level but knew I didn't have the bankroll to have a serious crack at it. I was therefore looking for two things: firstly, a possibility to become a funded player, and, secondly, a forum where I could exchange views with my peers. When I discovered Black Belt Poker, I was delighted to find both these objectives were more than met.
Having resigned myself to a long road before funding, I was very happy to see the announcement for the Grading and jumped at the chance to take part. I was surprised but euphoric to get through the selection week and be picked to go through to the fullGgrading and have a chance to win a Blue Belt package and entry to the Irish Open.
I did not underestimate the task ahead of me, as there is a significant time and monetary commitment to the Grading, but even so have found it to be tough going at times. My bankroll did run out after five weeks (but was not surprised) so had to re-evaluate and find additional funding to complete the Grading. This small hurdle has not stopped my completing the Grading and I am glad to have done so.
If anyone is reading this thinking about entering a future Grading session, here are some observations and lessons learnt from my perspective
1. Be realistic about when you are going to be able to play
I really wanted to do the Grading playing STTs rather than cash, but for my time available there was no way I had any hope of doing 120 table hours per week. The cash table requirement was only 80 table hours per week and, luckily, I was able to negotiate with the wife to do four hours a day, Monday to Friday. Without her agreement and support, I would not have been able to proceed for sure!
Also be as sure as you can that there are no blocks of time where you will not be available, for example: holidays, etc. You really do need all six weeks.
2. Have adequate bankroll in place, plus some more available in reserve
Everyone can have swings, or simply play badly at times, and can have several losing sessions for multiple buy-ins. You need to plan to have good funds behind you already, plus some funds in reserve that you can bring in if needed. No one plays poker assuming they will lose a load of money, but it can happen to anyone.
3. Be at least near break-even player when multi-tabling
Before the Grading, I never really played or liked playing cash tables. I had also never multi-tabled more than two tables (STTs). Whilst I did adjust to cash and multi-tabling, it is a steep learning process for a STT specialist and, even now, I still find myself playing incorrectly for cash (which may be correct for STT).
The end result is that although I have successfully got through the Grading, it has come at a financial cost. Whether there would have been cheaper alternatives to improving my game is debatable, but certainly don't begrudge this cost (and obviously hope my improved game will pay for it eventually!). Had I already been a break even player then this whole process would have been a lot more beneficial, both on the game theory and also profitability
Why undertake the Grading?
In a nutshell, I have achieved a great deal and my game has defiantly improved considerably.
- the workshop days are fantastic
It has really opened my eyes to how you should analyse your own and other people’s play. I always tried to put people on hands rather than hand ranges before, so this has been perhaps the biggest revelation for me
- the people are great
It’s been good to see my fellow Graders and interact on the forums.
- experts on hand to analyse how you play
You can have a pro do a live sweat session to see how you play and give you immediate feedback and/or can have your day/week’s hands reviewed and get feedback and suggestions on where you may be going wrong. The benefit of this should not be under estimated as it is invaluable to have your play analysed in this fashion
- writing articles, doing hand analysis and other tasks help you think more about the game
Part of the Grading is putting your thoughts and analysis out there, either in articles, hand analysis, or whatever. Doing this yourself and seeing your peers’ comments also make you think about how you view the game and how you play hands yourself. All good for improving your daily game
- reading and commenting on fellow Graders' articles
Seeing how other people think and view game strategy, making sure you understand it and getting feedback if you don't all adds up to furthering your skills
- achieving Green Belt status has, in itself, benefits
Apart from getting Green Belt itself (which would have taken me years otherwise), I have a shed load of points which I can spend on various live and online tournaments, so looking forward to using those. :-)
In conclusion, I would say the Grading is not for everyone... but provided you have some skill at the tables already, a solid bankroll behind you, the time to complete the hours and, more importantly, the desire to improve your game, then it is definitely worth having a go! Overall, it has worked for me and I expect to reap more benefits over time with my new found knowledge and experience.