For A Better Tomorrow

I’m closing in on the 2 year mark playing poker full time. I remember quitting work in summer of 2006 to attempt a rollercoaster lifestyle. Before that, I have been playing poker part time for 3 years and a year of just being a complete rookie. So that means that I have been involved with poker for almost 6 years now. How scary is that? And within this timeframe, I have never ever in my life seen so many bad beats in one month. I will now consider February 2008 the month that killed my poker momentum. I have not had a break even month since last year and currently I am in danger of breaking even or LOSING. At this point, I am in the negative for the month right now.

I have been using the poker ev software religiously to track this new “style” that I am playing (which is sorta LAG for full ring). I wanted to carefully access whether or not I am leaking with this new style or not. When changing styles, you’re basically opening yourself up to new leaks in the game and I wanted to make sure that I was losing because I was running bad, not playing bad.

One of the toughest things to do in poker is to experiment a new game. Why? Well, it’s because it takes a lot of work to have a decent sample size and you sacrafice your regular monthly earnings from your original style. In order to tell if the new style works, you need a clean sample size. And just my luck, I happen to run terribly according to poker ev on the month that I am experimenting. I know what you’re all thinking, maybe this new style doesn’t work? Maybe. But I will say that I am not leaking as my green line is above my blue line in Poker EV and that it also says I am unexpectant for 13 buyins in 9000 hands. Keep in mind, that this is different from being on a “13 buyin downswing”. Unexpectant for 13 buyins is when you are literally getting outdrawn when you have the best hand. So coolers such as AA vs KK preflop does not count (when it can count in a downswing)! Well, it counts a little bit, but barely to the point where it’s not even considered.

I can continue playing this lag style and see what happens but because of these coolers/bad beats, I am unable to focus correctly with it. Lag play relapses tilt a lot easier, so therefore I must go back to my old style for now. I will continue on with my experiment later when I am back on my feet.

But yeah, I am absolutely crushed right now. My heart for poker is currently crushed. But I’ll mature and get over it. It just hurts me so much right now though. But, I think back at the time when I quit the work to live the “rollercoaster” lifestyle. And here it is folks, the current drop in the rollercoaster that I signed on for, so don’t necessarily feel sorry for me now. I just need to vent that’s all.

I’m finally in the position to be able to attempt some high stakes play. I’ve been talking it over with some of my poker buddies and I am now really excited to jump into the new game. Due to my set back last year, I’ve been yearning to move on from the middle stakes level. It feels very similar to leaving my day job a couple years back. I was so hesitant but it worked out when I grew the balls to do it. I find myself in that situation a lot in life it seems, but I always go with the idea of being patient patient patient to really prep for the next level. It’s good and bad, good in that I am being patient which is always a good philosophy in poker but bad because I can possibly be deterring myself from reaching my greatest potential. Last year, I witnessed many players moving up incredibly fast and I was very jealous of not being able to do that myself. It’s been over 2 years now at the middlestakes ground, I think I am ready. Don’t get me wrong, you will still see me at the middle stakes for awhile, but you should see me at the 1k table as well:)

I remember being extremely excited when I was working my day job and reading the forums on poker on the potential earnings in poker in general (low stakes to midstakes). I have that feeling yet again about NL1k but everything needs to go well. I know the stakes are going to be rocky, and if I lose like a few buyins I’m going to have to move down and lose some of my profits for the month. But hey, great risks comes great rewards. Wish me luck guys because I’m going to attempt a new beginning. A path that leads to a game where people are playing beyond the rim.