Explain this for me please

@ PokerStars... I started playing for real money at the beginning of this year @ 10NL. I worked my way up to 100NL by early April (3 months). Over the course of those three months, I profited $3000. Since early April I have been playing break even poker. What could be some reasons for this?

A few reasons I could come up with:
1) My game has changed. I have become cockey because of success and started making some (tricky moves) ie bluffing a lot more, playing more hands, trying to outplay opponent too much.

2) Opponents have gotten better.

3) Opponents have developed many notes on my play.

4) I've been on tilt ever since winning $1000 my first day @ 100NL in April just to loose it within 3 days.

Someone please help. I know these 'bad times' happen, but for three months? Can I get some suggestions?

Normal. Take a look at your game and if needed, go back to the basics/ABC poker. Tighten up. All the normal things when not doing well.

So you're flat since moving to 100NL...Y/N?

Originally Posted by BankItPayette

@ PokerStars... I started playing for real money at the beginning of this year @ 10NL. I worked my way up to 100NL by early April (3 months). Over the course of those three months, I profited $3000. Since early April I have been playing break even poker. What could be some reasons for this?

A few reasons I could come up with:
1) My game has changed. I have become cockey because of success and started making some (tricky moves) ie bluffing a lot more, playing more hands, trying to outplay opponent too much.

<voice of your car mechanic> "Well here's your problem..."

Same thing happened to me during my progression...made a lot of $, got cocky, got tricky and it worked for a while and then bam, couldn't win no matter what. Just go back to your basic game and SLOWLY add tricks and changes to your game. Don't be in a hurry to declare any new wrinkle in your game a sucess just because it worked for a few sessions.

Originally Posted by Warpe

So you're flat since moving to 100NL...Y/N?

Y

Since that 1k gain and loss in 4 days I've been tinkering anywhere between 10NL and 100NL.

Would it be a less than good idea to withdrawl 95% of my account and just go back to 10NL and pretend it was January again?

Just don't make plays like this and you'll be fine.


***** Hand History for Game 4758644183 *****
$200 NL Texas Hold'em - Tuesday, July 18, 23:04:55 ET 2006
Table My Chepita (Real Money)
Seat 1 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 2: NakedPictures ( $140.20 )
Seat 3: topnotch43 ( $215.15 )
Seat 4: STLs_FINEST ( $379.05 )
Seat 6: sukim500 ( $148.50 )
Seat 7: Gil_Bang111 ( $177.71 )
Seat 9: kamakazi1969 ( $271.10 )
Seat 10: Beelzeboz0 ( $200 )
Seat 1: o3gmoney ( $73.01 )
Seat 8: Rackemup ( $197 )
Seat 5: documento ( $193 )
NakedPictures posts small blind [$1].
topnotch43 posts big blind [$2].

** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Beelzeboz0 [ Tc Kc ]

STLs_FINEST calls [$2].
documento calls [$2].
sukim500 calls [$2].
Gil_Bang111 folds.
Rackemup folds.
kamakazi1969 folds.
Beelzeboz0 raises [$11].
o3gmoney calls [$11].
NakedPictures folds.
topnotch43 folds.
STLs_FINEST folds.
documento folds.
sukim500 calls [$9].

** Dealing Flop ** [ 4d, Qs, Qd ]

sukim500 checks.
Beelzeboz0 bets [$19].
o3gmoney calls [$19].
sukim500 folds.

** Dealing Turn ** [ 5c ]

Beelzeboz0 bets [$50].
o3gmoney is all-In.

** Dealing River ** [ 4c ]

Beelzeboz0 shows [ Tc, Kc ] two pairs, queens and fours.
o3gmoney shows [ 5d, 5h ] a full house, Fives full of queens.

o3gmoney wins $161.02 from the main pot with a full house, Fives full of queens.

Originally Posted by BankItPayette

Originally Posted by Warpe

So you're flat since moving to 100NL...Y/N?

Y

Since that 1k gain and loss in 4 days I've been tinkering anywhere between 10NL and 100NL.

Would it be a less than good idea to withdrawl 95% of my account and just go back to 10NL and pretend it was January again?

If you're rolled for 100NL, stay there. You obviously haven't adjusted completely to the stakes but you're not losing either if you're truthfully "breakeven"

^^^^
I understand where you're coming from.

It's just that I haven't yet adapted to the chip values in the 100NL level. A click here and a click there is 7.5hr shift at work. I find myself affected mentally by the sheer pot losses. When I win, it doesn't help to keep myself steady either.

Originally Posted by BankItPayette

^^^^
I understand where you're coming from.

It's just that I haven't yet adapted to the chip values in the 100NL level. A click here and a click there is 7.5hr shift at work. I find myself affected mentally by the sheer pot losses. When I win, it doesn't help to keep myself steady either.

You're playing with scared money.

You should either:

1.) Make a mental shift and consider your poker bankroll as exactly that, a poker bankroll, not another bank account, emergency fund or whatever, and play at the stakes you're rolled for, or...

2.) Move down to $50NL or whatever stakes you feel you can play at comfortably where you won't worry about losses.

Scared money plays badly.

As a side note, I bounced between 25 and 50NL quite a few times before finally staying at 50NL, and I did the same thing moving between 50NL and 100NL. I'm now doing the same thing trying to move to 200NL. Each step is an adjustment, and when I realize I'm not ready for it mentally I just move down to a stake where I can play my "A" game until I feel I'm ready again.

Never think of this as money. You can't go around relating this bet to a tank of gas or this one as groceries or this one as a decent escort. Gotta get that out of your head. You play scared you play to lose. When I'm rolled for 100NL I love to take advantage of this because I notice at this level people are afraid to lose money now. It's a nice change from people thinking "Ah well, it's just a couple bucks to call." If you don't adjust, guys that aren't scared will pick you apart.

And sorry to hijack but Renton what inspired that bluff??

"The guy who invented poker was bright, but the guy who invented the chip was a genius. ~Author Unknown"

DUCY?

Originally Posted by Warpe

"The guy who invented poker was bright, but the guy who invented the chip was a genius. ~Author Unknown"

DUCY?

Because he could sell them for $0.85/chip?

http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...oker-39122.htm

Originally Posted by Galapogos

And sorry to hijack but Renton what inspired that bluff??

I knew he had the hand he had and I just figured he hadn't hit a set with it.

guess not

Originally Posted by Renton

Originally Posted by Galapogos

And sorry to hijack but Renton what inspired that bluff??

I knew he had the hand he had and I just figured he hadn't hit a set with it.

guess not

So.. about getting back to playing "honest poker"... =)

What I don't understand is how you can go through 3 months of sucking without catching it and adjusting. I'm not saying this to offend.. just that, after a week tops you can see that there's a problem no? I go through stuff you describe here, but it's a matter of days, not months..

Btw I'd definately move down, to 50NL or maybe even 25NL and calmly find your focus again. It's not good when you're scared..

you are not counting on your poker money to pay for the
beautiful new house you just purchased , are you?
this could cause problems

last night i clicked away the brand new digital camera i was going to buy my wife
she'll have have to wait another week
a wise man once told me "Don't worry about losing, it is only e-money, not the real stuff."

Originally Posted by flomo

you are not counting on your poker money to pay for the
beautiful new house you just purchased , are you?
this could cause problems

last night i clicked away the brand new digital camera i was going to buy my wife
she'll have have to wait another week
a wise man once told me "Don't worry about losing, it is only e-money, not the real stuff."

I am actually. BTW, the deal didn't go through due to structural problems with the building and thus not able to get insurance on the mortgage. So I decided to keep the 3k in the account and play with it. Now I'm playing with house money and playing scared. I know I am so I have decided to move back down to 25NL and play the basics again. I'll give you all updates when I reach 4k by mid August

Originally Posted by Warpe

"The guy who invented poker was bright, but the guy who invented the chip was a genius. ~Author Unknown"

DUCY?

Because to a player, chips are meaningless. Let the table sit down and use real notes instead of chips and see how different everyone plays.

Lookie...my first post!!!

A.

Originally Posted by BankItPayette

I have decided to move back down to 25NL and play the basics again. I'll give you all updates when I reach 4k by mid August

smart move, i like it

good luck
flomo

Originally Posted by Renton

Originally Posted by Galapogos

And sorry to hijack but Renton what inspired that bluff??

I knew he had the hand he had and I just figured he hadn't hit a set with it.

guess not

Standard to second barrel there.

@Bankit: Forget about money value of chips; make a rational BR decision to play limit x with y buy-ins and just play. Choosing y=40 will probably work well for you.

Originally Posted by johnny_fish

Originally Posted by Renton

Originally Posted by Galapogos

And sorry to hijack but Renton what inspired that bluff??

I knew he had the hand he had and I just figured he hadn't hit a set with it.

guess not

Standard to second barrel there.

@Bankit: Forget about money value of chips; make a rational BR decision to play limit x with y buy-ins and just play. Choosing y=40 will probably work well for you.

I've tried and I keep going back to the ol' 'fuck I lost $200 today'.... Right now if y=40 then my buy-in is $74.1 (3k bankroll). I just don't want to drop to $2,500 because that's $500!. I think I just need to take a week off and come back playing tighter than I have been recently.

Thou shalt not play a loose game outside of your 'A' game
Thou shalt not play past Midnight
Thou shalt not drink any alchohol during play
Thou shalt not play with distractions in the background
Thou shalt not play outside of bankroll
Thou shalt not check bankroll after every hand
Thou shalt not ignore tilt, but rather take a break
Thou shalt not view chips as money but rather as units
Thou shalt not not have fun