Texas Holdem Poker
My goal is to build a bankroll and keep moving up limits as I go. At this point, most of my winnings go back into my bankroll. I want to get to a point where I can still maintain a bankroll, but be able to take $100-$200 a week profit for a little extra spending money.
I started back in February at Paradise Poker playing .01/.02 $2 max buy in NL with a $60 bankroll. Those tables were easy to beat, and playing 3 tables at a time I was able to clear $20 on a good day. Well actually I really started playing .5/$1 limit with my $60 + the $15 deposit bonus I got from Paradise. They didn't yet have the micro NL when I started. I was a consistent home game winner, and I was doing good at Foxwoods $2/4 and $4/$8 limit, so I figured playing .5/$1 would be easy money. Within two days, I was up to $100. Within 2 weeks I was down to $4 after a losing session where I dropped $37. This was a few days after Paradise intorduced the .01/.02 NL games. I took $2 of my last $4 and played at one of those tables, making I think $14 in my first session ever. When those tables were new, it was the glory days of NL. Pre-flop action was weak and I would limp with almost any two cards. I would chase to the river too regardelss of odds because if I hit the nuts, half the table would call if I went all-in.
When I hit $200 or so I would take $10 and play the .05/.10 $10 max NL tables if I was having a good day at .01/.02 or if I had a good finish in a $5 SNG-which I actually started winning more at this point. I basically looked at my flirting with higher limit NL as a freeroll and a chance to experience playing for higher stakes (and getting used to throwing around more money). My main game was still .01/.02 NL but I was gradually trying to get used to beating the bigger game. When my bankroll hit $275 I switched to playing .05/.10 about 80% of the time. I had some rough swings at first but I stuck it out and worked my way up to $420 between .05/.10 NL and $5 SNG's. Now that I have 16 buy-ins for the .10/.25 $25 max games I have started playing at those tables every once in a while, and other than losing $25 getting my AA broke going all in pre-flop and being outdrawn, I have been doing well, including my biggest online win ever where I cleared $100 at one table at the .10/.25 NL.
My biggest goals have more to do with fixing leaks rather than improving my game. I have a very solid A-game, and when I'm good, I'm very good, but when things are not going so good, I tend to make things worse. I'm learning to deal with bad beats and tilt, and learning when to quit regardless of whether I'm winning or losing if I'm not on my A-game. A big part of my goal is to watch my opponents more and take notes on them. To that end, I have stopped playing more than two tables at a time, and often only playing one and watching the hands I'm not involved in.
I play almost only online, usually averaging anywhere from 200-400 raked hands a night, about 3-4 nights a week. I play a lot of the freerolls (ultimatebet, pokerroom, etc) and usually do very well, having won 4 with over 1200 entries in each. For some reason, I seem to have a much better grasp of the NL game than with regular holdem. I play mostly low entry single table tournies ($5-$30 buy ins) and consistantly finish in the money at least half the time. I had $50 in 3 days ago and its almost $500 now. I have done this many times. My problem is, for whatever reason, I get my bankroll up and decide to go and sit at the higher limit hold game (not tourney). This is where I get squashed. 10/20 or 15/30. I understand the game and play tight but aggressive, usually playing only premium hands, but there are always those who raise like crazy and then never go away. I can't remember the last time I had AA or KK hold em...always get drawn out no matter how much I raise. I took a $50 deposit up to $1500 a while back in 3 days and lost it all in a 15/30 room...f-a-s-t. I think I get bored playing the single table tournies over and over, but cannot figure out the ring game. I have played two live tournies (33 people each time) finished 2nd in one and lost with KK on the second hand of the tourney to A5. Went all in and he called, A fell on the turn. Moral to that story was to be patient and do what it takes to get to the final table. That was my first live tourney. I play much safer in the beginning now.
Should I just keep my a** out of the damn hold em rooms and accept the fact that I am no good there and focus on the tournies? The tournies just have so many weak players, that by playing position and being patient, you can get to the final five almost everytime. A few decent hands and you will get in the money. Not flashy, but $25 $15 or $10 is better than nothng I suppose.
Everyone has been the victim of a miracle draw at one time or another, but honestly it doesn't bother me nearly as much as it used to. Luck's a part of the game, so if you played great and lost..well sometimes there's just nothing you can do.
What really kills me is when I lose because of my own faulty play. When I know i had a good shot to take down a pot, or even worse to win a tourney, I go nuts thinking back on the big mistake hands. I know for sure that I dwell on it a lot longer than I do when I suffer a "bad beat".
Personally, the biggest hole in my game is missing bets. I want to be able to semi-consistently bet into pots that no one wants, especially late in tourneys when the blinds become a real issue. I finished 3rd in my last tourney because of a huge hand where I wasn't aggressive enough, and an Ace high took a large chunk out of my stack when a big bet would've surely taken the pot down. I win this hand, I'm confident I win the whole thing. Live and learn...
