Rough waters

I’ve had a really rough run lately.

I don’t think I’ve been playing badly. But, I’ve been forgetting to get up when I should.

On the one hand, when the deck goes cold and I lose my buy-in, I should get up and go… but instead, I’ve been rebuyong and trying to win my way back. Or, on the other hand, I’ve been trying to win too much when things go well, instead of adopting a double-up-and-go approach.

The result is sessions like last night, when I lost $200 then, with my third buy-in, won my way back to about $325. I should have left at that point but I stayed instead, staying much too late and losing every chip before getting up. Ugh.

As I write this, I’m waiting for a seat whichi plan to use for only 60-90 minutes. I will try to double up then get out with it. we will see.

Filed under: Poker

A fresh start

I’m back in Florida after a long summer vacation with my family and I am about to head out with a friend to my home room, the Hard Rock in Hollywood for what I am thinking of as the start of the 2009/2010 Poker Season. The World Series just ended (except for the Main Event Final Table, of course) and the school year is about to begin so, what the hell, let’s call it a new year on the Poker calendar, too.

My goals for this year are:

1) Serious bankroll management

I’ve heard lots of pros say that you should never have more than 10% of your bankroll on the table at any time. Chris Fergeson even councils getting up if your winnings are substantial enough to put your table stakes above 10%! I’ve seen too many of my big nights disappear too quickly and the memory of my “up 900 then down 200″ debacle is still fresh. So, this year is going to be about focusing on slow, steady progress on building the bankroll. That’s going to mean adopting a “double up and go” mentality instead of chasing the big wins.

2) Consistent play

I used to say that I wanted a card guard with the letters DPR on it, standing for “Don’t Play Rags.” That simple rule is the surest way to avoid losing big pots and I want to do a better job of mucking rags this year. No more A8s for me!

—

I’ve left the Hard Rock after about two and-a-half hours of the the most fun I’ve had playing poker in a long time. My buddy and I sat at the same table and we just had a blast… the banter and fun around the table was great… which almost makes it OK that I lost my entire buy-in, with a large chunk of it going to him.

I didn’t follow my own advice, of course, with most of my losses attributable to playing mediocre starting hands that I had no business playing at any price. It sure was fun, though. From now on, I play to straighten up and fly right.

Filed under: Poker