Varkonyi Island
08-15-2007, 12:40 PM
I was told to post this in this forum.
I am going to be as honest and open as possible. I love poker. No matter how bad things go at one point or another, I always can come back wanting to play. I always watch the 2003 WSOP when Chris Moneymaker bluffs off Farha--I mean, I've watched that hand like 500 times. But to be honest things are bad. Very bad. Thousands of dollars thrown away. Some cases of over playing bankroll. Some cases of bad play. What is most definitly many cases of bad beats that are just nonstop at the worst times, when I am all in with the best of it, whether tournament or cash. Like the other day in a Poker Stars $2.20 100 Grand Qualifier tournament, I got it all in with A-K and a guy called me with A-9 and wouldn't you know it, but the 9 came on the river.
My problem is I do not want to blame most of my loses on bad beats. I do not consider myself a bad player. I feel I understand the game well and did very well for myself for the first year and a half of me playing, and I have read all of Phil Hellmuth and Phil Gordon's strategy books.
I am posting this because my emotions are really hurt. I have a love for the game that is stronger than anyone I know, yet I am still stuck online in the microstakes games, never getting my money up high enough to move up. The only site I have done well is pokerstars and thats mainly because I got 3rd in my first MTT 5 card draw tournament. That took my $50 deposit and made it like $150. I got it up to $270 with some more five card draw tournaments recently, however yesterday I got myself down to $205 with losing tournaments and limit and no limit cash games. I also used to do pretty well on Party because they had that "Sidebetting" feature and I did really well betting on all red flops.
The casino was a mixed bag for a while with no limit, and I was doing ok for a while with limit. Then there was a time where I was going through a rough patch in life but went to AC anyway and played when my emotions made it that I shouldn't. Once I was playing 1-2 no limit. 2nd hand is AA. I usually slow play pocket aces, but this time I raise it up to 10 in late position, and even say "All you can eat, baby," to try to induce callers. Early opponent raises to 20. One caller, so I smack them both with the min-raise and make it 40. Opponent thinks for second and calls. Other guy folds. Flop is A-10-10. I will admit my heart raced a bit but I kept my cool. He bets 50. I call. Turn is 6. He goes all in. I instacall and flip my aces full. I am sure you know what he flipped. Yes, 10-10. I was off the table in two hands down another $300. Felt all too familar to me that I didn't even tilt when I went back to limit.
I wish I had someone to watch over my game and find what I need to change or improve to turn myself from an average player, according to donkeytest.com, into a high stakes shark. I want so so badly to be a top skilled high stakes poker player like Antonio Esfandiari or Phil Laak and I am really hurting right now for what to do before I really lose it. Poker is my biggest passion. It's my only passion. Life really sucks without it right now. However poker has been sucking for a while and I need to start winning consistantly. Please help me!
PS - For the record, in the time it has taken me to finish this post, I have suffered 4 suckouts in a nl cash game where I had over a 80% chance to win the hand at the point which I got sucked out.
I am going to be as honest and open as possible. I love poker. No matter how bad things go at one point or another, I always can come back wanting to play. I always watch the 2003 WSOP when Chris Moneymaker bluffs off Farha--I mean, I've watched that hand like 500 times. But to be honest things are bad. Very bad. Thousands of dollars thrown away. Some cases of over playing bankroll. Some cases of bad play. What is most definitly many cases of bad beats that are just nonstop at the worst times, when I am all in with the best of it, whether tournament or cash. Like the other day in a Poker Stars $2.20 100 Grand Qualifier tournament, I got it all in with A-K and a guy called me with A-9 and wouldn't you know it, but the 9 came on the river.
My problem is I do not want to blame most of my loses on bad beats. I do not consider myself a bad player. I feel I understand the game well and did very well for myself for the first year and a half of me playing, and I have read all of Phil Hellmuth and Phil Gordon's strategy books.
I am posting this because my emotions are really hurt. I have a love for the game that is stronger than anyone I know, yet I am still stuck online in the microstakes games, never getting my money up high enough to move up. The only site I have done well is pokerstars and thats mainly because I got 3rd in my first MTT 5 card draw tournament. That took my $50 deposit and made it like $150. I got it up to $270 with some more five card draw tournaments recently, however yesterday I got myself down to $205 with losing tournaments and limit and no limit cash games. I also used to do pretty well on Party because they had that "Sidebetting" feature and I did really well betting on all red flops.
The casino was a mixed bag for a while with no limit, and I was doing ok for a while with limit. Then there was a time where I was going through a rough patch in life but went to AC anyway and played when my emotions made it that I shouldn't. Once I was playing 1-2 no limit. 2nd hand is AA. I usually slow play pocket aces, but this time I raise it up to 10 in late position, and even say "All you can eat, baby," to try to induce callers. Early opponent raises to 20. One caller, so I smack them both with the min-raise and make it 40. Opponent thinks for second and calls. Other guy folds. Flop is A-10-10. I will admit my heart raced a bit but I kept my cool. He bets 50. I call. Turn is 6. He goes all in. I instacall and flip my aces full. I am sure you know what he flipped. Yes, 10-10. I was off the table in two hands down another $300. Felt all too familar to me that I didn't even tilt when I went back to limit.
I wish I had someone to watch over my game and find what I need to change or improve to turn myself from an average player, according to donkeytest.com, into a high stakes shark. I want so so badly to be a top skilled high stakes poker player like Antonio Esfandiari or Phil Laak and I am really hurting right now for what to do before I really lose it. Poker is my biggest passion. It's my only passion. Life really sucks without it right now. However poker has been sucking for a while and I need to start winning consistantly. Please help me!
PS - For the record, in the time it has taken me to finish this post, I have suffered 4 suckouts in a nl cash game where I had over a 80% chance to win the hand at the point which I got sucked out.