The Well 3: Private Joker

[private joker]

I'll try to do as good a job as my predecessors, but everyone knows that the sequels are never as good as the originals.

Quick background: I've been playing seriously for almost 4 years; I started with play money in 2002, then hit up the Commerce in 2003 starting at 2/4 and at Hustler playing 3/6. In 2004 I started playing online and built a bankroll on Party starting at .5/1 and then 2/4.

By the beginning of 2005 I was in full swing, playing 6/12 and 8/16 live, and 3/6 on Party. Midway through the year, I moved up to 9/18 and eventually 15/30 and 20/40 live, and after about 50k hands of Party 5/10 full, I had the bankroll to move up to 10/20 full. I'd say I'm most comfortable there, but I'm also trying my hand at 6-max games now (I agree with most people that the games are softer, but I'm in the minority in that I find full ring more fun).

Live I've found a nice home at 20/40, though I've taken successful shots at 30/60 and 40/80 as well.

I've been a consistent winner at every level, which probably speaks more to the horrible incompetency of my opponents than it does about me. I've never claimed to be a great player, but for some reason I keep getting PMs from SS players who like my insight and my writing.

I have a knack for explaining things (I'm a professional writer in real life) and I like to speak about intangible elements of poker -- philosophy, psychology, humor, sociology, etc. -- as much as I do the strategic elements.

I've made a good deal of money playing limit holdem, but it's not something I wish to do as a career. I work in the entertainment industry and much prefer that as a real job, but poker to me is great because it's a hobby that I have used to pay off student loans and credit card bills. Feel free to ask me anything you want, but I won't be afraid to answer simply "I don't know" if that's the truth.

As much as I know about poker, there's plenty more that I don't. I've gotten a lot of help from posters here on 2+2 in the past, and only in the past few months have I really started giving back, and I'm happy to do so.

[Nate.]

Joker --

So you're a writer... name one living writer I probably haven't heard of but should read.

--Nate

[JDErickson]

I am seeing a curious situation lately.

I will win 30 BB, 20 BB, 40 BB and then have a -70 BB session.

I have studied the hands and can't see any obvious tilt on the losing sessions. It just seems like the - sessions end up bigger than the + sessions (individually). Overall longterm the bankroll keeps increasing I'm just trying to figure out a way to either avoid the big - sessions or soften them a bit.

Any ideas?

[private joker]

[ QUOTE ]
Joker --

So you're a writer... name one living writer I probably haven't heard of but should read.

--Nate

[/ QUOTE ]

Augusten Burroughs. I would start with his most amusing and entertaining book: "Dry." It's a hilarious satire about alcoholism and rehab. Remember the jokes about support groups in "Fight Club?" This book is that x 20.

[private joker]

[ QUOTE ]
I am seeing a curious situation lately.

I will win 30 BB, 20 BB, 40 BB and then have a -70 BB session.

I have studied the hands and can't see any obvious tilt on the losing sessions. It just seems like the - sessions end up bigger than the + sessions (individually). Overall longterm the bankroll keeps increasing I'm just trying to figure out a way to either avoid the big - sessions or soften them a bit.

Any ideas?

[/ QUOTE ]

One thing you can do is monitor the sessions during them a bit more closely. Sometimes if you're losing, opponents notice that and start taking shots at you. Even if the game is good, your bad luck can compound itself like a bleeding leg attracting sharks. When I dump 30BBs at one table or rebuy more than once, my opponents notice this and my image is shot and now I can't use all my weapons. So I just stop.

Unless a game is amazing, I think it's better to just quit a losing session early. The thing is, Party will always be spreading another game. They deal millions of hands a day. There will always be another hand; always be another fish to sit down next to; always be another great table tomorrow. If your image is shot now, if you're losing, even if you're subtly on tilt and can barely realize it, you shouldn't be playing. Get off the horse and get back on tomorrow. And if you're winning, keep playing -- the game is good, your image is good, and you have a good read on your opponents.

One caveat to this: make sure that you don't mistake running hot for playing well. If you're winning because of horrible play that "gets there," take note -- maybe the game isn't that great and you should change tables.

[CrazyIrishman]

Joker, What do you see as the most important aspect to your fairly quick(relatively) run up to 20/40? How rolled were you when you moved up?

[private joker]

[ QUOTE ]
Joker, What do you see as the most important aspect to your fairly quick(relatively) run up to 20/40? How rolled were you when you moved up?

[/ QUOTE ]

I started 6/12 with a roll of $3600. I just played a bunch of hands there (at the ridiculous Bike 6/12 game, which is one of the sofest, most loose/passive) and built up to a roll of about $6k, which got me to 9/18 at Commerce. That game is pretty easy too, and by the time I was up to about 8k (200 BBs for 20/40), I decided to move up to the 20 game. Why? Because 200 BBs is enough if you're not a full-time pro and if the games are as soft as they are at places like Hollywood Park and Hawaiian Gardens.

Another reason I moved up quickly was the rake. In casinos, rake can be brutal, and Commerce takes $4 from both the 9/18 and the 20/40 game. So why play 9/18? The 20 game is not that much harder -- and with such less proportional rake, it made sense to move up with only 8k in the roll. Luckily, I ran well to start off that limit, so I was able to have plenty to sustain a small downswing that happened later on.

Now to answer about what aspect of my actual poker game led me to move up that way, I would say it's patience. I'm tight, probably more tight that most 2+2ers. My VPIP is about 15, and I'm willing to throw away a lot of marginal hands in close situations. That allowed me to not play as high-variance a game, which means fewer bad downswings. Also, it made sure I didn't tilt as much. So I folded a lot, didn't make a lot of moves, and just waited until I had a hand and value bet it to death. I still got paid off, and was able to win about $25/hr at 6/12, $30/hr at 9/18, and $50/hr at 20/40.

[naMruM]

Re: <u>Dry</u>...
Major props on calling out that book. It's the only one I've read from the author, but I read it going back and forth to London one trip and the flight attendant had to tell me to STFU I was bugging the other pax with my laughter. Great read...

[Allday Everyday]

Hi Private Joker. Thanks a lot for doing this.

Here are some questions:

(1) What are the biggest BB downswings you have had at each limit?
(2) What poker games do you play besides hold 'em?
(3) How often do you play your 'A' game?
(4) Where are your favourite places to play poker?
(5) What do you think are the five best poker books on the market?
(6) Who is your favourite famous poker player?
(7) If you could play 10,000 hands of poker against any person from history - living or dead - who would you choose to play?
(8) Who is your favourite philosopher?
(9) What do you think is the greatest piece of music ever composed?
(10) Who do you think is the most physically attractive famous person in the world?
(11) If you could be any other person in the world, who would it be?

I hope 11 isn't too many questions. Thankyou for your time.

[Harv72b]

A good friend of mine who is an aspiring writer (she's actually fairly good) also suggested Augusten Burroughs. Now I'll definitely have to check him out. As for questions....

1) How much of a place do you feel "moves" hold in the mid-limit games? Not so much blind steal situations, but in general play?

2) Have you seen a noticeable change in the 10/20 &amp; 5/10 online games over the past year? I.E., tighter general game conditions? And since Party introduced the Monster promotion?

3) Was it you that I cracked aces with 72o against on that 2+2 table once?

4) How stupid was Anthony Michael Hall for turning down that role in Full Metal Jacket?

5) Wasn't Lethal Weapon 2 just as good, if not better, than the original?

6) Full ring table, 9 limpers to you in the BB with 72o. Do you raise just to say you did?

7) What poker pro do you think you could learn the most from in a 1 on 1 sit down?

8) How do you feel about people who ask more than 7 questions at a time?