Getting Better. Even if it means reading a book.
Bad Beats
Full Tilt Poker — I Banned Myself
Feb 12th
It used to be that I would put $100 in my FTP account and have a good time. Play a few sit-n-gos and win or lose, it was entertaining.
Wait, what the fuck am I saying? I NEVER and I mean NEVER have really felt that way. I am competitive to the bone and every fiber in my body always wants to win. $1, $5, $100, I don’t care. I want to be the best and I want to win. Ok, I got that off my chest.
So 2 days ago I put $100 into Full Tilt and got ready for some sit n go action. First 2 go well, a first place and a third place. Then, I hit the skids. In the course of 2 hours, I played 6 multi table tournaments. I play my usual game — tight early on, then open up as the blinds get higher in order to steal blinds, then when it gets to the bubble stage I either push or fold. It usually comes down to coin flips and as everyone knows, you gotta win the flips if you’re gonna win the tourney.
I have come to accept that I am going to bust out before the money this way fairly often. It’s a bitter pill to swallow when it happens, but when I win the flips it is sweet perfection. This is a winning style of poker.….unless.…..
You lose every fucking coin flip.
You see, on this particular night I was running really well pre-flop. I was catching good cards, making the right folds and pushing when I had the best of it. Only problem was none of my hands would hold up. Don’t get me wrong, I am not crying bad beat here. It just sucked to be kicked in the balls over and over. I was at worst a 60/40 winner in 7 coin flip situations and didn’t win one of them. I got 2 outed, 3 outed and 4 outed over and over.
I’ll admit it. I titled. I steamed off $20 in a sit n go by pushing on the flop with a queen high flush draw. Of course I got called by the Ace high flush draw. Just one of those nights.
In the end, I realize that on line poker just isn’t for me. Call me crazy, but I did the most extreme thing I could think of.
I BANNED MYSELF FROM FTP, permanently.
Instead of donating money to undeserving poker players, I have decided the next time I want to waste $100 playing online poker, I’ll just send a check to Haiti and then go play with my son. Better use of time. Better use of money.
I play ONLINE poker to remind myself to never again play online poker.
Why do you play? Let me know at stories@whydoiplaypoker.net
Free Online Poker — a safe way to be on full tilt
Jan 30th
I am not a fan of free poker. It’s an oxymoron. Poker by its very definition needs to be played for money. If it doesn’t hurt to lose, it’s not poker.
That said, I have come to realize there is a time and place for the free online game.
In order to win in poker, you have to be controlled, disciplined, smart and lucky. As we all know, you can be at the top of your game, do everything right, and still lose. That’s one of the most frustrating things about poker. Do everything right, but still lose.
After a week’s worth of losing, either due to bad playing (probably) or bad beats (unlikely) I really want to say “fuck it” to good play. This discipline, control and smart play hasn’t gotten me anywhere, so I think.
Enter FREE ONLINE POKER.
Talk about going all in with impunity. This is the place. 9–2 off UTG, sure. All in. Flop is A-A-K and I have pocket deuces. Fuck it. ALL IN!
This is where I go when I just can’t take it anymore. I can act like a jack ass. Push with junk. Call with junk. Act like a donkey. I get all of this out of my system. Welcome to the donkey farm.
Truthfully, I’m not happy until until at least six people are wishing cancer on me in the chat window. “What? You want to play real poker? Get two nickels to rub together, assholes!” I’m here for a purpose. This is free poker and I’m going all in every hand until I damn well feel and or play better.
Besides, I don’t feel as bad making a bunch of jerks hate me as I do after kicking the dog or punching a wall. Ouch. For the record, I never punched my dog. I did call him a douchebag once.
After 15 minutes of being this poker maniac, I feel better. The best part is I worked out some frustration and my bankroll is still intact.
I occasionally play free on-line poker to shake off the shit and stress from my real game.
Why do you play? Let me know at stories@whydoiplaypoker.net
Some things don’t go well together. Connectivity and sit-n-go bubble strategy come to mind.
Jan 24th
There have been all sorts of things that keep me from playing my best poker online. Mad at my boss. Looking at too much porn. You get the picture.
Well, the other night was the first time my computer got the best of me.
I played a $24 + $2 Turbo 90 person tourney with a KO bonus of $4 per victim. What the hell? Seemed like fun.
Well, It was fun until I started getting disconnected every other hand.
Frustrated, I tried to dump my chips with A2 under the gun but I spiked an ace and knocked out my opponent. My first KO bonus. $4. Cool.
I get disconnected again. And again. And again.
I reconnect and to my surprise I have aces and action. Two guys are going all in. It’s my turn to act. My hand gets automatically folded.
Fuck.
Fuck you computer! They would have held up too. I would be the chip leader by a fucking mile.
I’m pissed. You have to take advantage of those spots.
We’re getting close to the bubble. The guy I would have knocked out pushes. He has me covered. I have KK. We’re really close to the bubble, what to do?
I don’t have to tell you what happened .
Okay, I will. Out on the bubble.
I could’ve of waited, but I thought I was owed one because of those aces. Where are my extra 40K in chips? I played like I had a rain check for a big winning hand.
It doesn’t work that way. I let my computer put me on tilt. Sure, it sucked that I was having connectivity issues. But I should have to reminded myself that my strategy for the end of the tournament had nothing to do with my connectivity issues. Irrationally, I thought I had one in the bank. And I didn’t. Even though it felt good to blame my computer, it had nothing to do with why I lost that tournament.
I play poker is for the big scores. It just eluded me last night.
Why do you play? Let me know at stories@whydoiplaypoker.net
P.S. I played another one the next night and pulled a 4th. I’ll take $200 in profit. Gotta love the KO Bounty paying your buy in. No connectivity issues either.
Poker is a dream maker
Jan 20th
At some point in your life, you have to let go of some of your childhood dreams. Still 5 foot 3? You can put your NBA dreams to rest. Still playing pony league in your 20s? Probably won’t go to the MLB. Fail your medical boards for the 5th time? Surgery career out the door. Don’t get me wrong. I am fan of “anything is possible”. I’m a poker player, right? But let’s get real, sometimes you can tell things will never happen.
For me, I had a pretty good run as an independent musical artist. I played for some pretty large crowds, basked in the glory of the standing ovation and heard my music on TV, film and radio. However, when I turned 30, I could see the writing on the wall. I was never going to be a rock star. 10 years later, the only thing I miss is having that dream of being a star. Enter poker.
Poker is the dream that never dies. It doesn’t even discriminate. There are sharks of all ages sizes and shapes. 90 year old rocks, wheel chair bound chip slingers, and even the occasional blind man with a seeing eye sweater. You try walking into the Super Bowl all suited up demanding your shot. It’s not going to happen. But if you have $10,000 or were lucky enough to suck out on me in one of the bajillion satellites I played to get into the WSOP, all the power to you. You’re in and get your chance to join the elite ranks of the poker greats. What’s even more enticing is that the vast majority of WSOP bracelets are won by unknown players. It’s like Rocky every summer in Vegas.
Most of us will never bat against C.C. Sabathia or catch a pass from Brette Favre. But for the rest of our lives, poker players will have a chance to feel like a pro. If you’re ballsy (and rich), I’m sure a variety of pros from Doyle to Durr would be happy to meet you at Bobby’s room. Probably at this very moment. Who knows, you might even beat them in a pot. If that’s bigger than your poker budget, you can go for the glory by chasing a bracelet. It’s a more affordable way to get the rush of playing with the pros. And if that isn’t enough, remember you always have a chance to be the “lucky bastard” to put Phil Hellmuth on tilt. Poker is truly a dream maker.
I play to keep the big dream alive.
Why do you play? Let me know at stories@whydoiplaypoker.net
For more about making it big in poker read the following article:
http://www.pokerdownloadlink.com/how-to-win-at-poker/
It’s a little uncomfortable, but I definitely like it.
Jan 15th
Yes. It’s a golden horsehoe up my ass joke. It was that good of a night. It was the night of nights. The kind of night that can make you forget bad beats happen to you. Ever.
This was the type of night that can make a poker junkie for life. I could chase this dragon for years and never even come close to the dumb luck I was experiencing.
4–6 under the gun? I think I can stand a raise. After all, I do have a golden horseshoe up my ass. Sure the initial raiser made a set of 8’s on the flop. I know. I get it. But can’t you see the horseshoe peeking from the waistband of my cargo shorts? I’m going to make a straight. I call your all in bet with a gut shot. Tonight, It’s not about the cards. It’s not about position. It’s not about good reads. It’s all about my lucky golden horseshoe.
What am I going to do? Fight it? Fold my Q6 because it’s weak. No way. I’m riding this out. I’ve certainly been on the receiving end no it’s my turn to enjoy.
It doesn’t take long for my opponents to become aware of the horseshoe. They soon become a bunch of checking, folding broken men. They can’t bet into me. Their only solace is they recognize they’re too weak to fight the horseshoe, but can live to fight another day.
Tomorrow I can go back to smart poker. Tonight I’ll just sit back and be happy to be lucky. I even offer a half-hearted apology once in a while to the endless barrage of bad beats I’m delivering. I like to think I have enough manners to pretend to be a nice guy. Although, I may come off as slightly insincere when I’m weeping with laughter as I choke through something lame like “Tough one, buddy!”
Needless to say, it was a pretty good night.
I play poker for the nights I am unstoppable.
Why do you play? Let me know at stories@whydoiplaypoker.net
Replay Hand — Curse and Blessing
Jan 14th
“Man, you should play online. If you don’t play like a dick, you can win some cash. I turned $50 into $1500.” This is my uncle talking. He’s a retired hippy from the 60s. Now he’s a tattooed poker player who tells everyone at the casino that his nephew, that’s me, likes to pack fudge. If I hear him say this, my retort is that I only do it with him when he begs for it. But I digress. I took his advice about online poker and haven’t looked back since.
He was kinda right. I turned $50 into $600 in losses. Then I made some changes to my game and now I am a winning (only by a bit!) online poker player. Here’s how it went down.
I put $50 into a Full Tilt account and played $1 sit n gos. They were ridiculous because no one cared about the money. So I decided to go big, to the tables where my bets would be respected. That’s right, the $5 sit n gos. I have to admit, even at those low stakes my heart would pump like mad. I play for higher stakes in live games, but this just felt different.
It’s so easy to press the all in button. If you win, you can jump up and down and celebrate. If you lose, you can curse the screen and throw your mouse across the room. Better than that, there is no walk of shame. No awkward moments when you avoid eye contact with the players after a miserable defeat. No insincere, “nice hand”. You can click yourself off that table with those fuckers and click right into another game.
Needless to say the $50 went fast. But I was really getting off. People say online poker is rigged. Sometimes the beats are so unreal, I want to place the blame on something out of my control. Shit, it couldn’t my sucky play! More often than not, I made some fundamental error that put me in a bad spot. I know this because I am a big fan of the replay hand button. Watching me be a donkey, over and over again, as I replay hands hurts me ego in a big way, but it sure doesn’t hurt my game.
I play poker because I love learning and studying. Other than my family, nothing teaches me more about myself than poker. It forces me to stare in the mirror and ask, “Who’s the bitch now?”
Why do you play? Let me know at stories@whydoiplaypoker.net
I just read a new poker book. I’m bracing myself for the inevitable losing streak.
Jan 11th
I know that’s it’s not supposed to work that way. I would prefer to be able to read a poker book, preferable just the back blurb, and go on some endless winning streak. All of the game’s mysteries unlocked in one key paragraph. For about an hour’s worth of leisurely reading I think its only fair that I become invincible. I would like to sit down at the poker table and announce, “I want you to know I’ve skimmed through some of the Harrington books, please give me the contents of your wallets.”
It definitely doesn’t work that way for me. Actually, it means the exact opposite. Finishing a poker book kicks off a three week losing streak.
Even with that knowledge, I still love a new poker book. Sure, most of them say pretty much the same stuff, but every once in a while someone really changes the way you look at the game. Or at least, one aspect of it. Like three-betting an under the gun raiser.
So what do I do? I work the price of the losing streak into the cost of the book. It’s an education I believe is worth paying for. The whole point is to get better, right? If I’m going to keep playing the same mediocre game I should just get out of my seat and stop playing now. You have to get better. And I do. Slowly.
I play poker to get better. To possibly someday rule the table regardless of stakes.
Why do you play? Let me know at stories@whydoiplaypoker.net
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