1k post: Story of a bad Poker Player

youregoodmate

youregoodmate

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After reaching 1k posts I felt I should write something. Unfortunately Im not experienced enough to write a whole load of shit about strategy, so I figured a bankground story will bore people just as well. If you cba to read this just skip past and post 'Nice post' or ':D', I wont be offended.

So, I'll start with a name... Ricky. Im 20 from the UK and started playing Poker about 2 years ago. The first time I played properly was in a casino in a freeroll (it wasnt free) tournament. Technically it was a rebuy and without any rebuys or addons I made it all the way to the bubble then busted. We'll say my aces got cracked but honestly I cant remember. I did struggle with a few of the rules at first, like this one time (at band camp) where I threw in a 5k chip to raise and the ridiculous poker world say its only a call. So after I walk out the casino second only to Phil Ivey, who I know everything about after seeing him on youtube once or twice. Im now a Poker maestro.

The start. I began playing these tournaments most weeks and start learning bits and pieces about the game, although I still loved jamming a flush draw.... and what of it? I start winning and make my biggest cash for £1200. By now I had decided I was so good live that I should start playing online, I mean I should be rich within a month realistically. Hello full tilt poker. I began with a small amount, $20 and from playing donkaments got it up to around $50. Well, yet again I was crushing the Poker world... how easy is this game? So much money to be made, I was a natural.

The next step was obvious.... hit the high stakes... here I come 100nl. $300 deposit completed. Then came the downswing, sick beat after sick beat. Within 200 hands I was down to $60. I played every hand perfectly and yet I was almost broke. Okay maybe I thought I was a little better than I was but who doesnt at the start.

The revolution hits home. I need to learn to play, its not okay to get 88 in pre everytime. So I begin to play DoN SNG's. Like a mug im still playing an agressive BR strategy, but thanks to Mr Ferguson its considerably better than my 3 BI's before. Anyway before long Im up to over $150, little did I know Im running like god and not playing like him. A career in Poker seems back on the cards. What should I buy first, an Audi? A Merc? A Veyron? I carry on running well and through more SNG's and tournaments my bankroll swells to around $300. To be honest I dont know how I was running so well for so long when I was so terrible.

Full Tilt closed for maintenance. So my income has been killed. It takes a few days for the news to filter through that its going to be closed for a long time, if not forever. My $300 gets locked up. I decided to deposit the same amount on pokerstars to continue my playing. I began playing cash tables... and multitabling.... a lot. So Im playing 10nl FR and about 15 tables. At this stage Im still a losing player and playing that kind of volume of hands whilst being shit is not advisable. However, I ran like Paula Radcliffe and in not too long my BR is over $700. I did post on one thread about running better when you were bad.. well I really did. Anway it didnt last long and soon after having a crack at 25nl I had run my BR down all the way through 10nl and 5nl to $60.

The revolution hits home again.
At this point I have a lot of work to do. This is around June 2012. I start reading, watching lots of videos and most importantly taking it in. I start accepting that Im not that good, that I can fold top pair and that I dont have to chase draws when Im not getting the price. So 2nl zoom begins. I start crushing it, playing tight solid Poker. I get to $100 and start shot taking 5nl. It takes a few attempts but I finally get there and finish around $130 before I play the big tournament. $2 buy in, 6000 players and a 3rd place finish for over $600. BR boost.

Tilt. It speaks for itself. Tilt is a ****er for inexperienced players. I couldnt take the downsings and would lose all confidence in myself. Yet again I played 25nl and swung up to $1100 and then back down to $360. Massive swings that dont do well for my mental or physical health. Obviously I still have big leaks, I mean who loses 30BI's in like 20-30k hands? Me...

The revolution hits home for the third time. At this point I've been signed up at CC for a while but never really posted anything of much use. I start reading through nearly every HH posted for cash games, I oviously still have a lot to learn, so I may as well get started immediately. By this point I know which players are the best and who to listen to. The thing you get from CC that you dont from most other sources, is the explanation as to why you would play a hand. Learning why is the most important part.

To finish off. This month I have been playing mostly 10nl and 25nl, Im up around $350 from 60k hands and have achieved Goldstar for the first time and will hopefully make Platinum. Maybe Im finally a winning player at these limits. I dont get loads of time to play when Im at Uni but hopefully this coming year I can run my BR over $1000 and maybe tackle 50nl. I wont post a graph because honestly it just looks horrible. Imagine a big mountain with a deep valley on the right hand side.

I would just like to say thanks to everyone whos helped me improved and everyone whos put up with my posts.

If anyone is dissappointed with this story and has wasted their time then tough tits.
 
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c9h13no3

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I think everyone starts out as either a risk affined maniac or a risk averse nit. And no matter how much you learn, and how much discipline you acquire, you still make those same mistakes once in a while. Good luck keeping the monster in the bag :).
 
Ducky7

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I bet your graph is better than mine! :D

and you seem like me in a lot of ways, best of luck and nice post :)
 
honeycrush

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Interesting read. :)

Wishing you lots of rungood!
 
domeburglar

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The classic "i am the best thing to happen to poker since the invention of the poker chip" feeling hahah i think we ALL felt that way after our first win... nothing more shocking than when i joined cardschat started reading HH and just feeling like holy **** i have soo much to learn im terrible haha

GL on your future in poker and congrats on 1K
 
Logan2

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Actually is a nice post Mate, pretty much describe a ton of poker players (including me), that overestimate his skill, and things only start to change when put the effort on it and do more than play, This forum has a ton of info and is up to us to try to listen, take the ego aside and realize that never gona be far unless take advice and really study the game. Is really hard on the bad times to continue and a lot even never gona make it, but Poker is not a magic formula to make money, and a lot of times we forget that, so like everything on life if want to succed need to put a ton of effort, some more than others but is the same on life.

Thanks for write this honestly because is easy to forget and ego comeback whitout warning. Cheers Ricky, gl on your journey.
 
youregoodmate

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Thanks for the comments guys, much appreciated. :D
 
Jblocher1

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We all thought we were better than we actually were when we first started. U were having one of those feel good untouchable runs. Congrats this is a pretty cool story good luck in the future friend.
 
Beanfacekilla

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I really like the OP as well. It really seems to hit home for me, as my poker journey began several years ago just like this.

It was a good read. Thanks for posting it.

I must say, in two years you have learned many many important poker lessons and truths.

Everyone at CC should probably read this. It brought a smile to my face a couple few times.

Anways, good luck to you mate on the neverending journey that is poker.
 
xdeucesx

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tl;dr


but for real, way more entertaining then a 1k strat post
 
WVHillbilly

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Nice post. Congrats on 1k and seemingly figuring out how to beat the game.
 
OMGITSOVER9K

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i'm dissapointed. :)
 
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nabmom

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Really nicely written 1K post. Thanks for telling us more about you.

I know we all have those points where we think we don't need to learn more. Then we get a rude shock and start to learn, and then realize how much we don't know!
 
Worak

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Enjoyed reading OP.

Seriously most if not all of the regs here have been there - overestimating their own capability.

I'm not too much into cash but donk around playing MTTs instead.

Nevertheless great read and keep the good posts coming.
 
fletchdad

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Where in the hell did that phrase "tough tits" come from anyway?

we always said tuff titties, same difference..........


oh yea, nice post:D
 
Cafeman

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I bet a lot of us can relate to that. Carry on working at it and I'm sure you'll do well.
 
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