Well I’ve hardly played any SnGs since my last post, but the ones that I have played have been more valuable to me than the other 30 or so from my SnG challenge. I decided on tuesday that I would try a $30 6-seater, and ended up winning it. The competition was a little tougher than the $20s and had me a little worried, but just like any other tourney, there are still gamblers there just waiting to give you their chips.

I’ve played two more since, and my tight/aggressive early, loose/aggressive late style worked perfectly in both games. I realize this is a small sample to start getting excited about, but it’s given me enough confidence to feel that I can place, or at least be a serious contender, in every game. No more “uberdonks” calling my bluffs - the level of play is high enough that I don’t have to play just my cards, I can play poker. I won the first one I entered, placed 2nd in the second game entered, and just finished 1st in the most recent. The 2nd place was my own fault for getting to aggressive with my HU opponent, who was playing a little too tight. The chips were swinging from my end of the table then back to his as I would steal a bunch of blinds, only to have them sent right back over when a raise of mine would get called or reraised when I wasn’t holding a strong enough hand to push with. I ended up getting shorstacked after two failed bluff attempts in a row, and pushed with 3BBs left and a terrible looking J4. He had an ace, called my all in, and it held.

A little while back I found myself in a deadly slump of losing alot of the SnGs I entered, bubbling out of MTTs and losing money to badbeats in cash games because of my doubtful outlook on the games. Confidence, or lack thereof, can make you or break you. It was mentioned by a poster, JeeDub, that if you don’t believe you’re going to win then you’re not. I think confidence is an integral part of playing a sound poker game. If you’re constantly being too timid, or are afraid of putting money in the pot, or find yourself too scared to raise because you don’t want to have to make that continuation bet on the flop if you miss, then you are just about never going to win. You have to be comfortable to play your game, and in order to be comfortable you have to be confident.

One thing that I’ve not only learned, but have come closer to understanding the true meaning of in the recent past is that you have to focus on your play, and nothing else. Don’t keep checking that bankroll to see where it stands - this will only give you the sense of “being in the hole” when you suffer a loss. Don’t play a tournament with a buyin way exceeding your bankroll limits, eyeing that 1st place of $7500 and expecting to do well, because most likely you won’t. All you can do is play your best, at stakes that are within your range, and if the cards fall in the right spots and your quality of play is good enough, that’s when the success will come. I’ve heard so many times about people jumping up limits so they can recoup their day’s losses, or people tilting away a whole buyin at a ring game because they just suffered a bad beat. All you can do is play your best every hand. Results will follow according to how well you play, and of course how the poker gods feel like treating you that day. Play the best poker you can, and the success will come. If in the long run you are losing significantly, then either you’re playing at a level too high for you, have a serious leak in your game, or who knows - maybe poker isn’t for you.

I used to check my bankroll daily; always worrying when it would drop, and seriously stressing when it did. I started playing this SnG Challenge, and just today realized that aside from when I’m making the bankroll update in this blog, I haven’t checked it once. I used to be able to name off exactly what it was sitting at, but can’t even remember now unless I check! This challenge has helped me a whole lot; tracking it has given me a great perspective on my game and what needs to be improved, it has rejuvinated my confidence, and it is a very consistent bankroll builder.

So now for my update, after only playing two more sit ‘n’ gos since last post:

Number of games: 32
Total bought in: $ 473
Total cashed out: $ 698
Total profit: $ 225
ROI: % 47.57
ITM: % 46.9

Bankroll: $ 1,522.08