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At a crossroads. * UPDATE *

OMahonyOOMahonyO Member Posts: 1,883
edited August 2010 in Poker Chat
During the last year, I pretty much had my tilt in check.  I was no longer blowing my br in one night, and could pretty much recognise when I was tilting and just stop playing.
I do have a few beers when I play, possibly more, but even so, I kept my tilt in check, and always seemed to do ok on the tables.....up to a certain level that is.
Last night I fired up 8 tables of 20nl, which is normal.  I regd for the open and also the vegas sat.  When the open started, I closed down 2 cash tables.  When the vegas sat started, I closed down another 2.

I started to go deep ( i think) in the open, so closed down all cash tables to focus on the tourneys.  Anyway, I busted out of both to badbeats i think ( srsly, i dont know how ppl can only play tourneys, they are so infuriating).

So now I`m staring at an empty screen and wanting some action.  I peruse the 50nl tables, and for some reason cant find any regs on any.  This is my chance.  I fire up 8 tables and go for it. 

I remember reading once that when moving up levels, you should play the exact same poker as you did on the previous level.  Cant say this works and have tried quite a few times.  It seems a completely different game.

I was stacking off left right and centre, bad beats, coolers, and just being outplayed. ( not been through hh yet, and I may not for a while).

When reloading at 1 point, the amount I could bring to the table was lower than £50 meaning I didnt have the funds.  I hadnt seen that for a long time and that was worrying.

Anyway, I started the night with around £760 in my acc, and finished up with £158.  It wouldve been more like 200 but I was so tilted, I threw myself on a plo10 table and announced to everyone that I would be going all in every hand without looking at my cards as I had hung a t shirt over my monitor so I couldnt see the cards, or I may have been tempted to fold.
A player called `beaujolais`  has been lucky, as I have only done this once before and she was at my table then as well to capitalise on my tiltedness gg wp.  I nearly sat at a nl500 hu table where `cowgomoo` was waiting but thought my edge would be bigger at plo10 flips.
I withdrew £150 to leave myself a whole £8 in acc, and I dont know what to do from here.

I told my missus I was never playing poker again this morning.  If she believed me she would be happy.  Just wondering if it is worth my while, being as I cant get past 20nl successfully.  The amount of time I play, ( which isnt much compared to some grinders, but it is when you consider my shift patterns and the fact I have a young family) and think about the game and different hands etc and daydreaming about being on a final table of some huge live tourney, and actually going through make believe hands and how I would play them, I mean w-t-f.

Wow this post has gotten long.  I dont want this post to sound like a whinge, or wanting sympathy etc, Im just saying how it is.

Do I enjoy the game??  Ive been questioning this lately.  I think for me the game is too frustrating to be enjoyable.  Addicted is maybe closer to the truth.  What real enjoyment is there 8-10 tabling, and without even making a living from it.  1-2 tables bore me and reckon I would quite quickly be spewing money doing this.

Maybe I should just play cheapy tourneys and have the banter.  Maybe just quit altogether.

The money I lost last night is all profit, so some may argue that I havent lost anything then, but believe me I feel it as a loss and dont think anything will change that feeling.

I dont even know why I am writing this thread.  Just thinking out loud I guess
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Comments

  • DOHHHHHHHDOHHHHHHH Member Posts: 17,929
    edited March 2010
    Just before I went to kip last night - I flicked thru the tables and say u sat at 4/5 NL50 tables with about 50 on each, so u were probs just getting going....

    But to go from NL20 to NL50 and do "eight" tables to me is just krazy !!!

    Rightly or wrongly, when I have played u at lower levels NL10-30 - whenever you entered a hand, or raised me on the flop - Unless Im holding a huge hand, I just folded.

    I have the sub-conscious idea that anyone playing that many tables at lower limits, MUST be sat there grinding ....

    I think 2 tables provides the right balance between entertainment and success, ie, u can play a range of hands, without being rash, or getting bored.....

    What would you do if you had TJs on the button on all 8 tables all at the same time with the pot unraised? How can you POSSIBLY play all 8 properly???

    To me you did the right thing moving up - you clearly have the beating of nl20 - I wouldnt jak it in, I'd move up and play less, if two tables is still too boring, try 3 or 4. But make sure you can give each table 100%, until you learn to beat the game, then build in more and more.

    I wouldn't jack it in tho.......
  • MrWh1teMrWh1te Member Posts: 963
    edited March 2010
    Take a break.  We all fall out of love with the game sometimes, usually after a bad run. 

    Then if/when you return, stay at the 20nl tables where you are successful.  Play for fun, and enjoy any winnings you may get. 

    I would ask, why are you so desperate to move up the limits?  Maybe you need to ask yourself this question?  Is it pride?  Pride always comes before a fall.  Is it for more profit?  Maybe not the game for it.  Only you can answer this question.

    One point I would like to make though is on bankroll management.  Sorry if I am teaching you to suck eggs, I dont know your background.   But with £760 the most you should be sat with at any one time is £38.  Your BR simply wont be able to handle the swings otherwise.  And the swings will come, to everyone, even the pros.

    I guess you have some soul searching to do.  Good luck with it and I hope you fall in love with the game once more.
  • scrumdownscrumdown Member Posts: 1,609
    edited March 2010
    i say just a bad day at the office  o mahony move  back down the stakes thers no shame in it build your bankroll up again i play  2 tables may be 3 at most  but 8 very hard to keep up to what going on every table ps  gl
  • Action_DanAction_Dan Member Posts: 341
    edited March 2010
    I've been in same situation as you're feeling this morning - the enjoyment became an "addiction" if you like and I couldn't stand the game! Poker's an emotional game and it's how you deal with it that sets us apart...there's those that shrug it off and those who end up in Area 51 looking for something or someone to blame!
    You're a good player - FACT! There's nothing wrong with sitting thinking about the game, wanting to improve and keep winning but remember this isn't your living - you don't have to play to put food on the table, it should be something you enjoy and want to do! I took a break and re-evaluated why I was playing, how I was playing and just enjoyed the time away from the tables - I think you should take this opportunity to treat your family to nice meal/day out/whatever with the money you withdrew and don't look at playing poker for a while! There's 10 days left in March - set yourself target of not logging onto Sky for that time and see how you feel at the start of April. If you think I'm ready to return, then do it but if not, there's no shame in taking another few weeks off and enjoying your life - you've got young family, focus on them and poker becomes somewhat pointless in comparison!
    When you do come back, start off at 10NL again and love the game again...don't think I should be playing x level and winning x amount, just enjoy competing and building bankroll up and when you get to level of being comfortably able to afford moving up stake, do it and continue the enjoyment process - eventually if you want to take shots at higher levels, do it but as DOHx7 says, don't play 8 and focus properly...but make sure you ENJOY!
    That's been the ultimate word in my post so apologies but it's basically how I turned round my feelings when I was in your situation - I took time out, did other things and then came back when I wanted to play...I entered freerolls to get my fix and the competitiveness returned, replacing the horrible feeling where I became obsessed with getting quick buzz of taking down big pots at levels I shouldn't be playing - thankfully I got out of that period with my bankroll intact but I withdrew it and had fun! Now I'm playing entirely from the money I won from my freerolls - it's in excess of £400 now and it's the best feeling...I've had loads of fun and been paid for the privilege! It's been like going on night out with mates, spending £30 and when I get home, someone going "here have £60 for your troubles"
    I know you're feeling horrible at the moment which is why you posted but I think in a few hours, now it's off your chest, you'll re-assess and think I don't want to give up all together! Sorry for rambling on when others have said similar in 2 sentences but hope it goes well for you mate...
  • lynx3ffectlynx3ffect Member Posts: 452
    edited March 2010
    ooooomahony, chill out.... u were beating nl20 and had built yourself a bankroll to go nl30 or nl40 so why not do that instead of going straight to nl50?

    you're never going to be a hero who lucks it with their whole roll spread across 8 tables, dreams are made of that and they rarely happen. 

    put back ur 150, get back on nl20 and get ur roll back up again :)
  • BooniconBoonicon Member Posts: 130
    edited March 2010
    Hi Mr Mahony,

    In my opinion playing 'the exact same poker as you did on the previous level' is not going to work.  Whenever I move up to the next level I find that I have to adapt my game, players are better, more aggro etc, so playing the same game is not going to cut it.  Because of this I allow for a small period of losses at first, while my game develops, and hopefully this leads to a longer time profitability. 

    Anyway, just an opinion.  Good luck at the tables mate, try to see it is a big learning experience!

    Boon
  • phil12ukphil12uk Member Posts: 2,856
    edited March 2010
    Mate take a few days off, focus ur energy into other constants in ur life (like the mrs) ;) and wait to get the poker urge again.  IMO u need to scale down the number of tables ur playing as ur br is gonna get battered with so much of it in play at once.  2 / 3 table .15/.30 and grind the profit back slowly.  If u feel ur tilting, u need to come off (much easier said than done). 

    Even if its for 10 minutes, step away and then come back - the poker tables will always be there but ur br won't if u play higher levels when tilting!

    I remember telling u before that ur a better player than the level ur playing, so perhaps 2 tabling .25/.50 or even 1 tabling .50/1 would be a better skillset challenge for u than 8 tabling .15/.30.


  • silentbobsilentbob Member Posts: 2,137
    edited March 2010
    Hey Mahony

    TBH, I can't really add much more than what others have said here. Taking a break seems the best option at the moment. 

    Fwiw, as I was reading your post I could relate to everything you were saying. There was a time when all I wanted to do was shift up in limits & it cost me a few hundred quid to realise that I couldn't do it for varying reasons. I started getting frustrated with the whole game & it wasn't until I'd taken some time out that I realised I wasn't enjoying the game anymore & the constant grinding was wearing me down. 

    Now I mainly play for the enjoyment and little else. Yes, I want to make a profit from playing but it's no longer the be all & end all if I don't. I tend to just stick to NL10 (& occasionally NL20) & low level buy in SnG/MTT. 

    Take a break. I've seen you play & it's very clear that you're a good player who knows what he's doing but I think you need to fall in love with the game again.
  • OMahonyOOMahonyO Member Posts: 1,883
    edited March 2010
    Thankyou all for your replys and suggestions so far.

    **** friendly forum this ;-)
  • elsadogelsadog Member Posts: 5,677
    edited March 2010
    This game can frazzle the brain ......... take a break.

    That is all.
  • tallboytallboy Member Posts: 375
    edited March 2010
    Great post and i love the honesty of it. Everyone  that has posted on this thread has given you sound advice, and a few who read this will be able to relate to it in some way.

    I became very bored with the game just before xmas so I cashed out and left myself £400 in my account ive started playing DYMS and have got the buzz back again. Try something different, DYMS are good fun and a little less pressure than grinding away on cash all night. Dohhhhhhhh is right 8 tables is a **** of a lot but if your comfortable with it fair enough 2 is more than enough for me.

    I played you maybe only once or twice on cash tables but i have to say my notes on you say " Very Good Player" which is enough for me to respect you at the tables.

    As Phil says take a short break and you will feel all the better for it come back refreshed and im sure you will be a better player having gone through this down swing.

    Good Luck.
  • stokefcstokefc Member Posts: 7,832
    edited March 2010
    hey m8 dont have a break be **** hard faced and get it all back and more with dogged determination cuz you know you can do it cuz your a good player,just my thoughts pal
  • HAL_9000HAL_9000 Member Posts: 216
    edited March 2010
    OmahoneyO
    Have you read Super System. If not then perhaps you could take a break and read that. it will be the most ROI you will ever make.
    The top and bottom of it is that you have broken the cardinal rule IE bank roll mismanagement there is no reason not to reload and continue playing having learned the lesson, we have all done it so dont feel too bad
    Keep Smiling
    HAL_9000

  • MP33MP33 Member Posts: 6,300
    edited March 2010
    Alright Maloney

    Can,t really add anytrhing to the above posts. Thats what stage i,m at now - After a good run the first couple of months of the year then had a bad cpl of weeks after that where i was playing far to much and going against all my own rules - taking regular breaks, playing at the right level, realise when you are tiliting etc and the worst part was - I wasn,t enjoying it anymore . I think this came from the knowledge that I was now chasing losses instead of building up a bankroll.

    I.ll be back on the tables in a few days but it certainly helps taking time out to re-avulate things ans spend a bit more time on other things away from gambling - like your family

    You will appreciate it a lot more when you come back to playing and if you don,t already have your own set of rules you stick by, then make some before you start playing again and stick to them.

    It looks like everyone on here knows where your coming from as we"ve all beeen there

    GL - paul 
  • blade900blade900 Member Posts: 83
    edited March 2010
    8 tables seems crazy to me!i often play 2 tables and find one table gets most of my effort to the detriment of the other lol,but different strokes and all that good luck to you!
  • goodylad21goodylad21 Member Posts: 693
    edited March 2010

    Really good thread and some brilliant posts which i have read, dont know what to add tbh, i always give myself a limit to lose in one night say £200 and when ive had numerous bad beats and feel myself tilting i just come off!!

    I did something similar to you one night, used to play nl50  on 4 tables, lost about 8 buy ins, next thing i know im sat at nl200 trying to win it back,(playing my worst poker, against the better players, i mean where's the logic !) that was about 6 months ago, but it taught me a very valuable lesson and imo a better player now !

    Just put it down to experience, have a few days off and come back stronger.

    Good Luck

  • OMahonyOOMahonyO Member Posts: 1,883
    edited March 2010
    Well, I`m feeling slightly better this morning (slightly lol). Mainly because of all these replys, thanks to all once again.  It is good to know others can relate to this and see a bit of themselves in the thread.

    So my plan?  I chucked my last 8 quid on the slots over at sky vegas, so may acc now is exactly £0.00 lol.

    I cant really afford to reload to anything like the amount I lost,  but I am due £50 cash for points at the end of the month.

    Tail between legs I`m going to hobble over to nl4 and start again.  I started my Sky account with a fiver, so I know I can do it.  As long as I can run to at least EV until I get to £100ish, I should be fine.  I have no issues with pride and all that.  I just feel like Ive wasted so much time is the annoying thing.  Its like taking a step back in time.

    I will be ~8 tabling nl4, moving up using the 5% rule until I get to 20nl where I will stay until I have £2k(lol dont want much do i), then re-evaluate and take some shots maybe.

    I might even start one of those bankroll building update threads, mainly for self motivation, or is that a bit sad, do people actually read those.  I can read it i spose.

    Getting time to play is a bit of an issue with shift patterns, children, time with other half etc.  I have 2 days where I could play all day at work on my dongle, so it might be wise to deposit £50 now, then withdrawing it when CFP comes through.
    I just have to explain to my workmates now, as they will come over and watch from time to time, why I am now 6 tabling nl4 instead of nl20.  If I told them I did over £600 in 1 night, they would think I was a total degen loser, as they do not know the difference between poker and roulette.  It is all gambling to them and thats it.


    Anyway, thanks again
  • MADMOOMADMOO Member Posts: 1,687
    edited March 2010
    In Response to Re: At a crossroads.:
    Well, I`m feeling slightly better this morning (slightly lol). Mainly because of all these replys, thanks to all once again.  It is good to know others can relate to this and see a bit of themselves in the thread. So my plan?  I chucked my last 8 quid on the slots over at sky vegas, so may acc now is exactly £0.00 lol. I cant really afford to reload to anything like the amount I lost,  but I am due £50 cash for points at the end of the month. Tail between legs I`m going to hobble over to nl4 and start again.  I started my Sky account with a fiver, so I know I can do it.  As long as I can run to at least EV until I get to £100ish, I should be fine.  I have no issues with pride and all that.  I just feel like Ive wasted so much time is the annoying thing.  Its like taking a step back in time. I will be ~8 tabling nl4, moving up using the 5% rule until I get to 20nl where I will stay until I have £2k(lol dont want much do i), then re-evaluate and take some shots maybe. I might even start one of those bankroll building update threads, mainly for self motivation, or is that a bit sad, do people actually read those.  I can read it i spose. Getting time to play is a bit of an issue with shift patterns, children, time with other half etc.  I have 2 days where I could play all day at work on my dongle, so it might be wise to deposit £50 now, then withdrawing it when CFP comes through. I just have to explain to my workmates now, as they will come over and watch from time to time, why I am now 6 tabling nl4 instead of nl20.  If I told them I did over £600 in 1 night, they would think I was a total degen loser, as they do not know the difference between poker and roulette.  It is all gambling to them and thats it. Anyway, thanks again
    Posted by OMahonyO
    Good luck with your bankroll challenge, you can do it you are a very good player. I for one would be interested in reading your updates.
  • DOHHHHHHHDOHHHHHHH Member Posts: 17,929
    edited March 2010

    I'll be honest with ya OMAHOOOOOO - GET OFF NL4!!!!!!

    Theres no need for that sort of drastic action!! Jeeez Dont do it to yourself !!!!!
  • MADMOOMADMOO Member Posts: 1,687
    edited March 2010
    In Response to Re: At a crossroads.:
    I'll be honest with ya OMAHOOOOOO - GET OFF NL4!!!!!! Theres no need for that sort of drastic action!! Jeeez Dont do it to yourself !!!!!
    Posted by DOHHHHHHH
    True, that will put you off playing for life.
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