That's right, I'm still relatively new to poker and I'm still learning. But get this... I actually do ... Lose! I know, unbelievable. I talk to a lot of folks online, at the tables, on the PokerRoom.com message boards and on the message boards of my favorite poker podcast, All-in, and the one thing I notice, is that EVERY is a great poker player and they win all the time! And when I lose, it's not just bad beats. It is me playing poorly and making wrong decisions.
Just an example of how bad I can sometimes play, allow me to show you a recent pattern. I deposited $55 into PR. After a few cash games (micro stakes) and a bunch of Sit N Gos, I managed to get my stack to $6.00. No that's not a typo, a loss of $49. But then I hit my stride. I used my last $6 to enter another SNG and BAM, I won, $25. Follow that up with 5 more wins and I'm now up to $140. I'm playing fantastic poker and getting good cards. Now a couple of weeks later, I'm trying to find ways to scrounge up another $50 since I'm out of cash.
Now it wasn't that I was card dead, though at times it felt like I was. I just lost patience. I played hands I shouldn't and I overvalued weaker hands. Figuring what's the chances they have top pair when I have middle pair, and I'm usually wrong. And the biggest mistake I made, often, was the bluff. Now it wasn't so much the bluff, but it was playing aggressive after I missed a flop. And then when people call, instead of raise, BET again, thinking their call was a sign of weakness. Stupid and I know it's stupid playing, but had a hard time backing off at times. Towards the end of my run, I started to play smarter, playing aggressive pre-flop and folding if I miss. But at that point it was too much too late.
So now I wait. Luckily I have a home game coming up next weekend. Maybe I can change my losing ways.
Play Smart.
I Play Poker... and I Lose!
Welcome to the Table.
Greetings everyone. I'm going to start this off with a quick introduction.
My name is Joe and I currently live in Connecticut, about an hour from Foxwoods Casino which has a great poker room. I've always enjoyed poker, but got bit with the bug about a year ago. I'm ashamed to admit it, but it was from watching... *gulp* Celebrity Poker on Bravo. I still enjoy the show for it's entertainment value alone, not the stars' "poker skills." My game has changed drastically over the course of the year and it continues to grow leaps and bounds (in my opinion anyway). I don't play all that often, and when I do it's on Pokerroom.com and for low stakes, either cash games ($.25-$.50 or $.50-$1.00 limit/no-limit) or low buy-in SitnGos. I've had a string of good luck recently, turning basically $6.00 into $140 (again, not playing a lot, but usually once every other day or so). Unfortunately, I have since turned that to $5.51, and then last night, I won a $5.50 Sit n Go and now back to $25. Hopefully I've turned around my streak of bad luck and bad play.
See you at the tables.
