Abnormal Thread: dealing with winning beyond your expectation
 

I guess I would categorize myself as a marginally winning player. Prior to last weekend I was up about $1200 between Full Tilt and AP. I have around a 14% ROI in sit and gos (average $6 buyin) over 500 or so games at FTP and have had a few ~$1,000 scores in MTT at AP. Nothing spectactular. I have played maybe 20 small buyin (<$100) Vegas tournaments and am probably even or down a little. I've been playing poker almost every day for a couple of years, read all the books, and read/post on 2+2. I feel I am getting better but have a long way to go.

I decided to play in a $300 WSOP Circuit Event this week, and ended up taking 3rd for an $8800 payday. I did not feel like I was one of the better players in the tournament or at the final table. I had two well-timed suckouts (kqs > kk and 33 > 1010 obv) that allowed me to survive and place high.

When I got home, all I could think to tell my girlfriend is that I will never run like that again and that poker has peaked for me. I would like to think I could have another big score, but I really don't. I think it was a freak event that is not likely to repeat.

Winning should feel good, but this score makes me feel somewhat dirty, like I don't deserve it. Anyone had a similar experience?

Re: Abnormal Thread: dealing with winning beyond your expectation
 

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Winning should feel good, but this score makes me feel somewhat dirty, like I don't deserve it.

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We all deserve it! The issue is just what "it" is. Do I sound like a former president? Hmmm.... Why do you believe that winning should feel good? Why should losing feel bad? Why should either cause any feeling at all. They shouldn't but in fact for most if not all of us they do. One of "the tricks" to being a "professional" poker player and I stress professional is to some how leave your emotions out of poker. Well you can't really just toss your emotions aside, most of us, I mean, but you can mitigate the effect by thouroughly understanding the potential results of playing poker.

Read John Feeny "Inside the Poker Mind". Read Alan Schoonmaker, even Sklansky and you will gain a better understanding of what to expect from playing poker. If you don't like what you read. Don't play. Or just play for fun. If just playing isn't fun, then, really, don't play.

pokervintage

Re: Abnormal Thread: dealing with winning beyond your expectation
 

Don't feel bad about it. For every suckout you pull of there will be 10 suckouts other people pull of on you. gg

Re: Abnormal Thread: dealing with winning beyond your expectation
 

Certainly, you should not feel bad, you should enjoy it. Think about this though, since you have been grinding $6 sit and go's that amount of money seems like a lot. Project forward a year or two, you've been posting on 2+2 all that time, learning the game and from your mistakes and you may just find yourself at higher stakes, pulling that kind of money in a month.

Re: Abnormal Thread: dealing with winning beyond your expectation
 

Save this into your memory the next time when you will run bad. You won't feel bad anymore.

Re: Abnormal Thread: dealing with winning beyond your expectation
 

No one makes it deep in a tournament without a few well-timed suckouts.

Re: Abnormal Thread: dealing with winning beyond your expectation
 

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Don't feel bad about it. For every suckout you pull of there will be 1000 suckouts other people pull of on you. gg

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My guess is that you're better then you think and you're probably running like god. Be happy, it wasn't only because of those suck outs you're doing well. You put in all the work and practice, these are your rewards, enjoy!!!

Also remember the good times as you will have periods of times where nothing goes right.

Re: Abnormal Thread: dealing with winning beyond your expectation
 

You didn't win. You didn't even come in 2nd. That's not peaking.

Re: Abnormal Thread: dealing with winning beyond your expectation
 

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You didn't win. You didn't even come in 2nd. That's not peaking.

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Wow, you are hard to please.

14% ROI is a nice figure so you are obviously a competent player although 500 games is not huge and you may be on the good side of variance. Then again, you might be better than this and you are currently on the bad side of it. The point being you know how to play tourneys, you took a shot at a much higher buy in and were successful. Well done and enjoy the money. Treat yourself and retain some for your bankroll.

On the point of bankroll, it is vital. You took a shot way outside of the comfort zone. Be careful, you don’t repeat it too much. It is a sure fire way to go busto.

Everybody that wins a big tourney needs luck along the way (have you heard of Jamie Gold and Chris Moneymaker).

Just relax and enjoy poker. Unless you are a “pro” it should be pure enjoyment, otherwise why are you doing it?