How big a sample for honest eval?

[QuietEarner]

How big of a sample size do I need to make an honest assesment of my game. I just started playing limit (regularly), and was wondering how long it's gonna take me to be able to assess my overall game.

Right now my sample size is ~7,500 hands (yes I know not much). Of those hands I would say the first 2,000 were adjusting to limit, reading this forum, and trying to learn to apply the basics. Since then has just been the constant learning curve we all have and still learning the basics (obv) but with a feeling I'm playing alot better now with some help from here.

[sethypooh21]

10k for basic stat analysis.

Probably at least 3 times that for some second level stats like showdown numbers

and 100k or so before WR is anything resembling accurate.

[QuietEarner]

thanks seth, only a few more thousand hands for stat post. Then I can get ripped for how loose and passive I am at 1/2.

[sweetjazz]

I'd say you only need about 100-200 hands for an expert player to tell if you know what you are doing. If you want to seriously assess your game, then you should consider getting coached by someone reputable.

As far as stats go, it's conceivable (though not very likely, something like on the order of 1-5% of the time) that after 100K hands your actual winrate will still differ from your "true" winrate by 1 BB/100. So you could play 100K hands and finish at 1 BB/100 and it would not be completely out of the realm of realistic possibility that you are a breakeven player or a 2 BB/100 whiz player.

So winrate is basically worthless. The other stats can tell you some things about your game, but don't really tell you much about how well you are doing. A fair number of players have the right stats but do a lot of things wrongs.

[Robin Foolz]

imo making a video and having it reviewed by your peers/coach accomplishes a lot of what you want.

[QuietEarner]

Oh New Orleans, how I miss home.

[QuietEarner]

Is a coach worth the money if I'm playing recreationally at 1/2 (for now) and occasionally at the casino 3/6 usually runs there.

[ZOMG_RIGGED!]

Not for recreation play for your level