Im confused as to who I am as a poker player.....please send help!!!

Please help me figure out where Im at as a poker player.

I dont mangage my bankroll well at ALL!!

I consistently win the $4 rebuy good for $109 a pop. There's usually 25-55 people. I've won it 12 times. I have NOTHING to show for it.


My biggest cash was a $50 buy in into the 12k tournament. I took third place, good for $1100.

The following day I made it to the final table of the 10K $20 rebuy. I earned a modest $420 in that one.

I had over $1800 at that point. (won two $4 "begginer" tourneys prior to this for $150 and $120 respectively)

Within two weeks it was GONE!!!!!


How does that happen?

let me tell ya.....



CASH GAMES!!!!!


I felt invincible so I decieded to try my luck at the ring games. I started out playing my standard $1/$2 NLHE. This is the level I feel most comfortable at. I continued right where I'd left off with the MTT. Domination!


That's when it all went wrong....I moved up to the $3/$4 tables thinking I was untouchable...I endend up losing $600 in less than an hour. First the suckouts came. Then the tilt came. Soon, the self destruction.

I managed to hover around $1100 for a while but again I ran in to a bad run of cards. I tried forcing the action and played way too many hands. I felt like I was compelled to chase to make up for my bad play/unluckiness.

Soon as I knew it......Gone! All of it...... two weeks later


What can I do to focus my efforts on maintaing a solid bankroll?

BTW ~ My initial deposite was $40!!!!!!!!!!

Well it seems you realize that you don't practice proper bankroll management - the only thing to do now is to start

Not much we can tell you to help you there; it's a matter of self-discipline and you're most probably going to have to figure that out on your own like many others do.

Playing at the wrong site?
If you feel more comfy at 2/4 then stick to that, look at you poker winnings as if you were working for an hourly wage.
If after an hour you have 3x your buy-in then your making money and good money.
Always stick to what your comfy with, never try to increase your BR faster on a higher limit, as you have found out, it can't happen.

The fact that you have managed to make such an honest assesment is proof to me that this won't be a problem for you for long.

I have/had a similar problem with cash games. That being Tilt. I can play for days at SnG or Tournaments, do well - not tilt and build a good bankroll. Put me in a cash game, lose a big pot and that's it - mega-tilt!

For this reason, I've stopped playing Cash Games for now. I will wait until I have developed the self control and maturity to be able to play these games and not wipe out my bankroll on one tilt fuelled hour of stupidity!!

It doesn't work like that. To get off tilt, I personally have to get away from the table. If I do it just right I get out of the house. Take a walk, get some fur therapy from neighborhood dogs(that's funny sounding but it works, pets calm me right down but I can't have a dog right now), grab a cup of coffee and a bagel, maybe some fresh squeezed O.J. and then after I calm down, I can come back.

The funny thing about BR management is that you don't even have to practice it properly to keep from going broke. It's this nagging little Jimminy Cricket of a thing. So I find myself checking my account regularly while I'm at the table. If I were smarter I'd get out after 3 bad beats/"WHY THE HELL WAS HE HANGING ON TO THOSE!?" hands(in fact that's what I have to start doing, 3 strikes and I'm out).

That's all it is really, I keep an eye out and promise myself that when I hit x amount of dollars in my account I'll leave. That's why I'm not broke. But if I can reel myself in even more I won't slide nearly as badly during the bad runs(btw they don't actually negate the good runs in terms of play, they just suck a bunch of my money away).

BTW you don't get those major wins with properly managing your BR. I think the only way you'll win thousands is in a hella cheap satellite + moneying in the bigger event or hitting a bad beat jackpot. I mean short term of course. Long term the sky's the limit. That's what makes it so attractive. And while keeping an eye on your money you can work on your game too .