More Tech Issues--Poker Has Ground to a Halt

July 22, 2013

I wrote this yesterday, but it seems that I forgot to post it.  So here it is:

I'm not going to post another long list of instructions for things that I have to do to make things work.  What I'm going to do is give you a timeline.  That doesn't solve anything, and you probably won't even find it interesting.

That said, there are people that I've been telling, for a long time, that I was going to make a go of this no matter what.  So, what follows will be a timeline of some the technical fiasco that I seem to be in the middle of.  I'm stuck for now, and for those of you to which I consider myself accountable, here is a timeline of recent events:

7/15/2013--Holdem Manager support gave me a long list of instructions on how to install the PostgreSQL database separately from the database, since I was unable to install them as a unit.  (Postgre works together with Holdem Manager to provide statistics and information via heads-up display and other methods.)

 

7/20/2013--I posted the following on the Official Americas Cardroom Help Desk thread on 2-2.

 

I am currently unable to play on Americas Cardroom.

I downloaded the major update, and that worked fine for one day. The next day, nothing worked, so I uninstalled and reinstalled ACR, and that worked for one day. Now it's not working at all.

Today, I once again uninstalled ACR and then attempted to reinstall.

I should mention that when I did the two uninstalls, I didn't uninstall everything. I used Revo Uninstaller, and when I got to the list of additional files that I had to check before they could be unistalled, I left those files alone. Some of the files were hand histories, and I didn't want to lose those.

Now ACR is not installed on my computer it, I can't play, and I get error messages that ACR can not be downloaded. What do I do now?

 

7/20/2013--No response from Americas Cardroom.

 

7/21/2013--Still no response from Americas Cardroom.

 

7/21/2013--While working my way through a long list of instructions on how to get the PostgreSQL database (see 7/15) installed separately from Holdem Manager 2, I found a list of files.  I was supposed to enter all of the file names into Comodo Antivirus as execeptions to files that could be blocked.

 

I was scanning the list of files when I saw, "C:\program files\holdemmanger2,", as well as several other Holdem Manager files.  I had been told that I could install PostgreSQL first, then Holdem Manager 2 after that.  (See 7/15.)  Since Holdem Manager 2 isn't installed yet, I don't have that file or two other Holdem Manager files that are listed.

 

Now I'm completely stuck, and waiting for further instructions from both Americas Cardroom and Holdem Manager. 

 

7/21/2013, 1952--This is frustrating not only because I can't make anything work, but also because it's taking a huge chuck of my time.  I'm on MIL duty 4 days this week (Thursday through Sunday), so if I do manage to solve some of these problems early in the week, I won't have much time to play.  The week is gone as far as playing poker.

 

I will get my records up-to-date (I am a few days behind), do some flash card work and reading, and look around online for fee poker training videos.  But I have to admit that as much as I try to stay disciplined, it's hard to keep fighting when week after week I have very little time to play.  I was hoping that I would be sitting on four days in a row, today (Sunday), Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, when I would have no obligations and lots of time to play a lot of poker.

 

Robert Burns had it exactly right:

 

The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
(The best laid schemes of Mice and Men
oft go awry,
And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!)

 

Holdem Manager: The Fun Never Ends

Chris, see my comments below

 

In a message dated 7/10/2013 3:36:15 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, hm2support@holdemmanager.com writes:

Hi, my name is Chris.

- If your windows user name has any unique 'cyrillic characters' you may need to create a new windows user with a single EN-US name without any special characters.

- Uninstall HM2 (and HM1 if it is installed)

- Create a new windows user in the Control Panel > User Accounts.  Make sure it is an Administrator account and has no unique characters in the name (only characters from EN Alphabet)

- Reboot the PC

- Log in to the new windows user account

- Now Delete C:\ProgramData\XHEO INC\SharedLicenses\ Holdem Manager 2.lic (XP Users can find the file at C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\AppData\XHEO INC\SharedLicenses\ Holdem Manager 2.lic)*

- Reinstall HM2 - http://www.holdemmanager.com/downloads/Holdem_Manager_2_Setup.exe

- and try to register again.

Hi, my name is Chris.

- If your windows user name has any unique 'cyrillic characters' you may need to create a new windows user with a single EN-US name without any special characters.

- Uninstall HM2 (and HM1 if it is installed)

- Create a new windows user in the Control Panel > User Accounts.  Make sure it is an Administrator account and has no unique characters in the name (only characters from EN Alphabet)

- Reboot the PC

- Log in to the new windows user account

- Now Delete C:\ProgramData\XHEO INC\SharedLicenses\ Holdem Manager 2.lic (XP Users can find the file at C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\AppData\XHEO INC\SharedLicenses\ Holdem Manager 2.lic)*

- Reinstall HM2 - http://www.holdemmanager.com/downloads/Holdem_Manager_2_Setup.exe

- and try to register again.

 

I got through all of the above steps, and everything went fine until I tried to install Holdem Manager (I use HM2 Small Stakes).  I got to the window labeled Holdem Manager Setup, where I was asked to choose my components, but I didn't have a choice.  Holdem Manager was already checked, and PostgreSQL was unchecked, with the notation:

 

"PostgreSQL (already installed".)

 

Postgre is not already installed.  Prior to going through the steps listed above, I uninstalled both HM2 and PostgreSQL, using Revo Uninstaller.  Now I'm not sure if I should go ahead and install HM2 by itself.  I think there is a standalone version of Postgre that I could install separately.

 

How should I proceed?

 

Micro Approach To Time Management

I wish that I could get settled into some kind of routine.  I don't necessarily mean working the same amount of hours, starting at the same time, every single day. There are a few players that do that*, but it's not an option for me.  For better or worse (and there is some of both), I will always be Available Guy.

I'm really fighting to keep some control of my time and schedule, and a big part of the problem is where I play.  The online sites available after Black Friday all have their problems.  One might be very slow in getting players their money when they make a withdrawl (2 weeks or more.)  Another might have clueless service representatives, or buggy software, or poor tournament choices, or a small player pool (which makes it hard in general to get a tournament or cash game started.)

Americas Cardroom is good with cashouts, but they have every other problem listed above.  Many players consider Americas Cardroom the only real choice, because as bad as it is, "At least I know I can get my money."

What does this have to do with time managment?  MTT and SNG options are poor, and the few tournaments that are running are sometimes unplayable because of a poor blind structure or other issues.  So, for example, I might finish a SNG, open another one, and wait half an hour (or more) for it to start.  When I played on PokerStars, it was unusual for a SNG to take more than five minutes to fill up, and during peak times (nights, weekends and US holidays) it sometimes took less than a minute.

When I open a SNG on Americas Cardroom, I never know how long I'll be waiting for it to start.  So what should I do while I'm waiting?  I don't want to get involved in a book or study topic where I want to take some time, go slow and really try to understand the things being taught.  If the SNG fills up in a few minutes and I'm working on my records, it's a pain to save my work, change what I'm looking at on the computer, move my papers around, and start the tournament.

A few days ago I was alternating data entry with playing SNGs.  The time between my first and second SNG was 32 minutes, but between the second and third it was only five minutes.  The five minutes didn't even make it into my records, because I round my time to the nearest quarter hour.  And for someone like me who struggles with staying focused, switching tasks every five minutes is not a good plan.

Switching between administrative and playing time as much as I do helps fill the time between SNGs, and it helps me make the most of my available poker time.  It's not a great solution, but, like America's Cardroom, it's probably the best option available.

I sure miss PokerStars.

---------------

*Many of those players have school-age children, so they work while their kids are in school, or otherwise schedule their time so it does not conflict with family activies.  Most professional poker players prefer flexible hours, and the idea of "being my own boss" is very important to them.

Macro Approach To Time Management

My macro approach to my work hours is still the same.  I want to weight my time toward playing, but with an emphasis on study as well.  When I was able to work 40 hours a week, I tried to play at least 25 hours, study for at least 15 hours, and work as many administrative hours as necessary to keep things going.

I sill would like to keep the same percentages, so cutting everything in half, I would be aiming for at least 12.75 hours of play per week, and 7.5 hours of study.  That hasn't changed, but I'll try to balance that over a month.  With such small numbers, weekly goals are hard to hit.  A few extra hours wrestling with an administrave problem could make it almost impossible to hit my weekly goals. 

Given those realities, and adding a little administrative time for all of the technology issues that I want to fix, solve, or learn, I'll be happy if by the end of the month I have a total of at least 100 hours, with at least 50 play hours and 30 study hours.  As with my financial results, from now on I'll be looking more at monthly numbers, and not worrying too much about what happens in one week.

So, new goal for time management:

100 total work hours per month
50 play hours per month
30 study hours per month.
Adminstrative hours as necessary

I will report on this periodically.

Report on the Previous Week

I don't like to detail results for a week, especially since I will only be able to play part time for at least a few more months.  But I said in my previous report that I would report back to my readers, so I'll do so in detail.

Profit or Loss
-$13.33  SNGs
      1.48  Rakeback
 --------
-$11.85

Work Hours 6/30-7/6
  9.00  SNGs
  1.25  Study
  8.75  Administrative
------
19.00

I'm not worried about the $12 loss.  I only played for 9 hours, so statistically those results mean nothing.    When I was too tired to play or to study, I mainly worked on administrative things, including solving the issues with Holdem Manager.

I'm still working on those issues.  I have to write to the sales department and ask them why I received an E-mail entitled "License Key Has Been Reset by Admin!"  After receiving that mail, I once again tried to do a clean install of Holdem Manager.  I got an error message stating that my license was invalid.

I want to average 25 hours a week (100 hours a month) and I only worked 19 hours during a week when we only had MIL duty for 3 days (we alternate every week between 3 days and 4 days.)  This week we're on duty for 4 days.  I hope that I can keep my sleep regulated well enough to be able to work at poker) at least 25 hours this week, but it won't be easy.  I am finallly caught up on my sleep, and I hope that it stays that way.

Part of my plan is to solve one technological issue each week.  That obviouly didn't happen, and the Holdem Manager saga continues.

It's Time to Have a Plan

I used to have a plan.  I was trying to work at least 40 hours a week, which included playing for 25 hours and 15 hours of study.  With all of the things that have happened recently (thunderstorms, sleep issues, virus problems and family committments, among other things) it's been difficult.  The hardest part was that I no longer had a plan.

One thing is certain.  No one who has Attention Disorder should "wing it." We can't.  Depending on our jobs, we might have to have a work envirnment with few distractions.  We definitely need to have goals and a plan to reach them.  I've been playing when I'm not too tired, which isn't a plan.

It's time to go back to having structure and goals.  Here is my plan.  It may need to be adjusted, but not much, I hope:

My goal, starting this month, is 100 work hours per month.  That's just under 25 hours a week, as there are 4.2 weeks in a month.  It's ambitious, but I let myself get lazy.  This is my job, and I can't make real money unless I put in the hours to learn to play better, and play enough to grow my bankroll more quickly.

Also, I am going to try to solve one technological issue each week.  This week's task is finally getting Holdem Manager installed and working.  It's ridiculous that other players might be tracking me, but I have no statistics on them.   I have communicated with a Holdem Manager tech who will correspond with me on a daily basis so that we can get the problem solved.

The current time is 2325.  I got a couple hours in this afternoon.  Then, except for a 45-minute dinner break, I've been in the office since 1616.  Of course I can't do that every day.  I have mother-in-law duty for the next three days, which means, since we have one car, I will be taking my wife to work at 0530.  But when I am able, I need to get those hours in.

I will report on how things go this week.