modernbuddha
61 points
Hello Run It Once,
Long time member here, primarily lurking - but, I have made some posts here and there. I've played poker throughout my entire life starting from high school, through college, and now post-college. I was playing at a home game with my buddies the other day and after I had lost a big pot, I remember he (as a joke) pushed on a Staples' easy button. For those of you don't know, I looks like this...
When you push the button, the button has a pre-recorded sound byte that says "That was easy." Imagine the tilt at a home game, when you hear something like that! I was so tilted the hairs practically stood up on the back of my neck. But, that pot was NOT lost in vain. After the night was over, the 'Ship It!' Button was born!
Imagine the 'Ship It!' Button similar to the Staples' Easy Button. Win a pot, push the poker button 'SHIP IT!' Your friend win a big pot from your arch rival, push the button 'SHIP IT!' The button will have 12 animated voice-overs capturing the emotion, sadness, grief, jubilation, excitement, and laughter that comes with raking in that monster pot and struggling to stack your chips fast enough before the next hand!
Thoughts?
Sincerely,
Modern Buddha
July 14, 2016 | 6:45 p.m.
Focus on school. It is your number one priority. Poker is secondary. You cannot rely on it as it is highly affected by variance. If I were you, I'd discipline myself to get straight A's, on track for a great job, and prioritize poker after all of that. If you really love poker like you say, you'll make some time and be more efficient.
Good luck.
April 3, 2015 | 10:02 p.m.
This is quite possiblely the best post. Ever. Sit the best people and get into a heads up for rollz match. Duel to the death. Call GA afterwards.
Sept. 19, 2014 | 6:48 p.m.
Good advice, bdon22. I've been feeling like I had to make an effort to play some amount of poker everyday despite a busy day at work and it's really been tiring/burning me out. All day staring at computer screens and hardcore mental activity is really exhausting. Simply allowing myself to play when I'm up to it and pacing myself out improves my mental state greatly. Also, I like your point about keeping the larger picture in mind. Over the course of the year, I will have many, many hours to play and missing a day or two really won't do much harm from a volume perspective.
Sept. 17, 2014 | 6:56 p.m.
I'm still using a 100BI rule, plus 2-3BI stop loss :) A big bankroll is really good -- it protects you from feeling bad when you lose and on the off chance that you might tilt, it allows you to continue to play your game without going bankrupt. I used to have your mentality of taking greater risks, playing higher stakes and hopefully more profit, but keep in mind the higher stakes WILL come and MORE profit will come as long as you are winning. If you are reinvesting all your profits into your bankroll and saving to move up -- you'll be there before you know it.
My little tidbit -- used to play sporadically across all stakes as I felt like it: 50NL, 100NL were my bread and butter, but even dabbled into 200NL-600NL and played some 1kNL and 2kNL (and ran hot). I never played as well, didn't improve my game and it was extremely stressful. There was no RHYME or REASON to my poker and my winning was not systematic or methodological in any sense.
Since then (and lots of time zeroing out my bank accounts), I have adopted a 100BI rule and grinded it up slowly at 25NL. I doubted the pace and hourly winnings at the time, however, 6 months later and lots of hard work and study in the game -- I'm proud to say I'm rolled for 200NL and crushing. I don't play full time and have a FT job. Thankfully, my bankroll busting period of my life was when I was very young (in college) -- but, I think I truly understand risk management now. Remember, the bankroll will come provided you are a winning player -- it doesn't really matter what stakes you start with. Slow and steady wins the race and with poker growth is exponential due to the fact every stake increase is two-fold.
Good luck. Sorry to sound so harsh in the beginning, but your story is so similar to mind a little less than 6 months to a year ago. :P
Sept. 17, 2014 | 4:45 p.m.
This is the most degenerate post I have ever read. $5 in bank and $0.29 cents in poker account, binks a tournament, then calls that your bankroll for "100NL". No bankroll can support a losing player. Prove that you can win by playing the micros before doing anything else. Sorry to sound so harsh, but you'll bust yourself again if you are not sure you can actually win. I've done this many times and only will call myself a "winner" after a massive sample of "winning".
Also, I recommend 100BI at least and more if you are prone to tilt. You probably should play no higher than 10NL - 25NL given your propensity to jump up in stakes and play table games.
Sept. 16, 2014 | 10:38 p.m.
I'm in a similar situation as you. Graduated, got a job and now my work commitments take up a huge portion of my M-F and afterwards it leaves me mentally drained and tiring. Poker is yet another mental activity and if I play too much right after work, it feels like I never get a real break.
To combat this, I've been significantly reducing my poker play time and selecting my opponents more carefully. Although this does reduce my overall volume, I find fishy/spewy opponents easier to play when I'm not at my 100% mental capacity. Also, I think having a balance of exercise, good diet, meditation, and social interaction will help tremendously. I'm still working on these four, but I think once I can achieve the above even given the short few hours I have after work, I will feel much better.
My two cents, and you aren't alone :(
ps. My ultimate goal: save enough money (work + poker), create a passive income source (investments, small business) and spend the rest of my days doing things that absolutely excite me.
Sept. 5, 2014 | 4:47 p.m.
Agree with mike. This sounds like symptoms of a problem gambler. I made a post about this before. Visit gamblers anonymous and take responsibility for your life before you end up dead broke and dead in a ditch.
Sept. 3, 2014 | 2:55 p.m.
I'll throw another +1 for runitonce. Moved up from 25NL HU to 100NL HU using 100BI bankroll management thru posting hands, reading forum posts, watching videos and talking with my buddy Mushmellow. It works. Follow the advice and have faith in your hard work and diciplone. I promise it will pay off.
June 29, 2014 | 9:51 p.m.
Well put, thanks for the response! I agree.
June 20, 2014 | 7:45 p.m.
I agree. Villain was a full stack, so chances are he is more reggy than not. A call is better to take advantage of SPR and getting it in versus a tight player with 99 is terrible. Thanks for your response!
June 7, 2014 | 9:41 p.m.
Haha, I said I was the bumhunter :P That makes sense. Thanks for the response!
June 7, 2014 | 9:39 p.m.
Hero is a bumhunter who waits on tables for fish to join. 100 stack joins, which Hero presumes to be a better player. Hero opens 99 3x, first hand in and Villain makes a small 3b to $7. Should I 4b for value here, or call the small 3b and play post flop? If we get 5b over our 4b can we commit? I feel that when Villian 5b over a small 3b, we see big pairs very frequently that crush 99. Thoughts?
June 5, 2014 | 4:38 p.m.
Are you talking about grinding a bankroll from the micros? Obviously it's possible.
April 25, 2014 | 12:21 a.m.
Best wishes!
April 3, 2014 | 7:05 p.m.
I completely agree with you. That's why I wrote this article and want to highlight the fact that we may be sacrificing our well-being too often for a good game.
For me, it's extremely hard to get up and stop playing when there's a massive fish sitting with me. Everything else in my life stops just so I can scoop up the guy's money.
Feb. 11, 2014 | 6:11 p.m.
Completely agree, it's all about balance.
But, realize where Negreanu is coming from. He is already successful and rich enough such that he doesn't have to work anymore and would still live a comfortable life. Imagine if luck wasn't on his side during his first few tournament wins and he wasn't able to build a large bankroll to play in the games he plays today or secure his Pokerstars sponsorship. Life might be completely different for him today.
Feb. 9, 2014 | 10:37 p.m.
I'm actually an Economics major and took quite a few classes in Corporate Finance and the like. Probably a discussion for a different thread, but I see your point... I'm addressing this article to and individual's self happiness, not poker players as a whole.
Feb. 9, 2014 | 10:34 p.m.
Completely know where you're coming from trondeez. If you're loving every moment of playing and it's been making your life great and you're happy, I'm extremely happy for you.
This article was written only to open a new point of view for the poker community.
Feb. 9, 2014 | 10:32 p.m.
Yes and I completely agree. You must put hard work and dedication into something if you ever want to be good. But, do you think those qualities that the 20 questions highlight are positive to your happiness and well-being?
I also answered yes to almost every question!
Feb. 9, 2014 | 10:27 p.m.
True, it will be a big problem if you are a loser. However, I was trying to highlight that even as a winner, there are intangibles that also measure the quality of life and happiness. If you play poker the wrong way, even as a winner, you may not be as happy as you think.
I guess I may be somewhat biased because I will be graduating from a top-tier university in the US and have a well paying job lined up. I have used poker as a means to support myself through high school and college though.
Me too! I'm not going to deny it. When I'm sitting with a fish, I find it extremely hard to get off my seat.
Feb. 9, 2014 | 8:03 p.m.
Thank you so much for taking the time to post your story, NoHubris! I had a great time reading it.
I just to say that even once you've mastered the game and become a winning playing making heaps of cash -- it may not be as fulfilling as you might think. By playing so much and investing so much time in a live or virtual casino, there is an opportunity cost to playing and studying the game. For example, you may miss being with your family and friends, working on a business idea, spending time with a girlfriend, walking your dog or simply just relaxing and enjoying a beautiful day. Furthermore, you'll justify poker by thinking yourself that you're making money, working hard, or I'll enjoy all of this later -- but you don't realize, your life is speeding you by.
Just something to think about and be aware of; I'm not trying to tell you to quit or anything. I think it's great that you're working really hard on your game.
Feb. 9, 2014 | 7:58 p.m.
I find this quite ironic because I'm an accountant. :D
Great post, ItsToothPasteISwear. I completely agree with you. I think it's quite interesting that even as a winner, it can still be bad if you are obsessive with winning more. Most people think money is everything, but clearly there is way more to life.
Feb. 9, 2014 | 7:49 p.m.
I'm not trying to convert everybody else to my beliefs. You can do whatever you please with your own life. I'm simply trying to throw an opinion and point of view for the poker community.
I also think my opinion is quite unique coming from a winning player. I'm trying to highlight the other things you might've been giving up by playing. Although you may win money, perhaps consider the opportunity costs to playing?
Anyways, just my two cents. Again, this article, by any means is not a hope to "convert" everybody or "preach" Jesus -- it is only to bring awareness of what could be going on.
Feb. 9, 2014 | 7:44 p.m.
Answering questions about gambling might not make sense, however, don't you find it more than coincidental that even while playing a skill game, we find so many questions we answer yes to? Try to think of the questions not of a measure of a "compulsive gambler", but rather simply questions to identify unfavorable behaviors. By answering "yes" we exhibit those behaviors, hence may not be the best for us.
Bingo is a gambling game too! :)
Sure, if poker does not get into the way of the rest of your life, by all means you can play. I'm trying to bring awareness to the poker community to be mindful, honest, and completely open of what is out there.
I have never played any other game except poker as well. I've also never lost at any stake I've played at. However, even despite winning, poker may take away from other opportunities the world has to offer...
I'm glad I aroused some paranoid. I think it's healthy that we always keep re-evaluating our motivations and ultimately, ourselves to make sure we're doing what makes us happy.
Feb. 9, 2014 | 7:39 p.m.
Yesterday, I went to my first Gambler’s Anonymous meeting in my area and something quite remarkable and enlightening struck me. After a short car ride, but long adventure searching for the Gambler’s Anonymous room in the addictive substance wing at my local hospital, my friend and I were warmly greeted by a welcoming group of gambling addicts. We took two available seats and were handed two small yellow books filled with aphorisms and commandments a recovering gambler must obey to overcome their addiction. During the first half and hour, we all took turns reading passages from the book and vowing to follow the steps to recovery. The second half of the meeting consisted of sharing our personal stories and our encounter with compulsive gambling how it affected our lives today. As each person volunteered sharing a brief anecdote of their gambling career, I noticed one similarity between them all – they were all losers, stuck and in the red, through playing games of chance such as slots and various table games. As a poker player, I could not identify with them. Poker is a game of skill and the luck element is eradicated through playing more and more. Also, being part of a poker forum and constantly discussing strategy and skill, I justified to myself that poker was completely different and that in the long run it is skill and strategy that decides the winners from the losers.
But, is poker really any different from other forms of gambling? I’m a winning cash game player at the low stakes online and live arenas over a statistically significant sample; however, began to question whether or not my time was being used most effectively to deliver the greatest overall happiness in my life and for my family in the future. I think the major obstacle poker players face is the fact that they can justify their gambling in the name of statistics and chasing long-term expected values and thus, will be winners in the long run. Hell, winning poker players have the best excuse ever with beautiful graphs that go straight up over statistically significant samples. Is this crazy delusion? I argue that winning can delude you even more from the truth because quitting can be so hard when you’re a proven winner. After I told my story that I had played poker since high school and through college, a fellow GA member raised an extremely interesting argument that struck me really hard. I told the group that through poker I had made enough money to support myself in high school and through college; however, as I began to enter a new chapter in my life and graduate to work a real job, began to question that future sustainability of poker. That fellow GA said that although you may be a winner at poker and capable to beat the game and make a decent income -- the human existence, ultimately was not created to wake every morning and enter a live or online card room. We are born to exemplify love, compassion, loyalty, responsibility, care, and the like towards our loved ones and ourselves. We are born to work toward ambitious goals and to create value that will benefit not only ourselves, but also our friends, family and the rest of society. It is not to gamble. It does not matter whether if you’re a winner or loser. Losers may hurt more and lose everything they own, but I argue that even if you’re a winner at the game – you’re still losing out on life. Despite winning money, a winner still exemplifies many of the undesirable characteristics of a compulsive gambler. Please see the GA’s 20 questions compulsive gambler questionnaire below. By definition, if you answer yes to more than 7 of the 20, you’re a compulsive gambler.
20 Questions
1. Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling? Yes
2. Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy? Yes
3. Did gambling affect your reputation? Yes
4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling? Yes
5. Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties? Yes
6. Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency? Yes
7. After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses? Yes
8. After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more? Yes
9. Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone? No
10. Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling? Yes
11. Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling? Yes
12. Were you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures? Yes
13. Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family? Yes
14. Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned? Yes
15. Have you ever gambled to escape worry, trouble, boredom or loneliness? Yes
16. Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling? No
17. Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping? Yes
18. Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble? Yes
19. Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling? Yes
20. Have you ever considered self-destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling? No
Feb. 9, 2014 | 1:09 a.m.
"...most of his hands that weren't pure floats have no improved." Don't you mean that most of his hands that weren't pure floats have improved? Hence, we should fold?
Jan. 21, 2014 | 8:32 p.m.
Shoving turn or 4-betting to get it in on the flop isn't bad. Villain never has AK, TT, JJ, QQ because his range is capped and we get value from worse two pairs and draws.
IMO. Never give up, never surrender.
July 19, 2016 | 4:21 a.m.