Day 1: Part Duex
I regularly post on the Talking Poker Forum, not a bad place. I have started a thread about my challenge and am getting some fun responses. The thing I like ALOT about the thread is it is bringing out alot of discussion on WHY we live with these restrictions. One Forum member asked if I would be so willing to throw away $300 in the trash if it was sitting in a bank. He equates his bankroll to real money all the time. Gordo stuck up for me (sort of), but I think it brings up a good point. I absolutly do not think you should see your bankroll as cash. I really think it leads to weak play and playing scared. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Gordon has it right. Let me ask you this. If you sit at a table of 5/10, and you put $250 down and you lose it. Do you think, "Man, I just lost a car payment?". No you think oh well, my bankroll dipped a little. If I thought of my money as "money" I would never want to play anything.
All having fun aside, I do not think it is healthy to see your bankroll as a mortgage payment or a car payment. (Even though $300 covers neither of those things in Boston). I think it leads to playing scared. Just my opinion. Now, I am not saying my way is totally right either, seeing it as nothing at all. I can compartmentalize things though. If I take $5 from my bankroll, run it up to $300, and try and run it up to $1K I can deal with that. It only effects my bankroll -5$ and possibly effects it +1K which allows me to play games that mean more to me on a consistant and more bankroll safe way.
The update for the night. Cash Games Good / MTTs Bad. I played in 3 of them tonight. The closest I came for the night was 45th place. I flopped 2 pair, J6 and pushed. A8 calls. Turns and ace for the trips. Ouch. Oh well. I played it the best way I could. The very next hand my pair of tens ran up against aces.
On the good side I made over $50 in cash games, so it paid for all the MTTs and then some. I got on a nice .25/.50 NL table and scored $30 quickly. I also scored another few bucks at another table. I then played a heads up match with a blogger and smoked him for a nice $20 profit. It is currently tied at 1 each in that particular matchup.
Will update you all tomorrow night on the Brian Experiment: Day 2. I also told the Real Deal I would mention his blog. It is a good one!
posted by SirFWALGMan at
9:33 PM
4 Comments:
Dude, you never need to worry about playing scared.
5:58 AM
For once, I actually agree with you.
However, it's probably the not thinking of it as money thing that has lead me to be a complete fish the last few times I've played NL ring.
8:27 AM
I'm on board as well.. You can't think of dips or gains in your bankroll as real... the only exception would possibly be for the pro who depends on the money for such monthly type stuff...
Even then.. you can't let it affect your play.
8:49 AM
Why in the world would you ever not view your bankroll or buy-in as real cash money? If anything you should treat it as carefully (or more so) as actual money in your pocket, as it's the tools that allows you to (hopefully) continue to profit from poker.
I understand what you're getting at, but many successful players are highly aware of the fact that their bankroll is comprised of real money. That's why they're successful, because they play close attention to bankroll management, understand the long term value of grinding out small edges, and have a very good idea of what their BB/100 should be in the game they primarily play.
Part of that awareness is what you're getting at, as far as not letting the temporary loss of chips get you down. If you think "Damn, I just lost a car payment" and then start playing scared, and less than optimally, yes, totally, that's bad. Really bad.
Good players can continue that statement, though, and say "Damn, I just lost a car payment, but I'm averaging 2BB/100 so this month I'm likely to get that car payment back, plus an additional 20 more." And they go out and do that. Over and over and over.
At the risk of you taking this the wrong way (and honestly, I mean no malice by this, as I've enjoyed reading your blog for quite awhile now), you're currently setting yourself up to flame out again. And that's fine, as long as you realize that.
People approach poker in different ways, and it's entirely possible that you'll get more pleasure and enjoyment out of it by constantly taking shots at levels your bankroll can't support, eventually going bust, building a roll again, going bust, etc. And the last thing I'd ever pretend to suggest is that you should do otherwise, if that's what you enjoy.
But you are going to go bust if you keep dabbling in 30/60 with the bankroll you have. Even 5/10 is too high, to be honest. As a fairly long-term reader, I feel pretty safe in predicting that you'll eventually win some cash at a MTT, take $300 of it to a 30/60 table, then lose to a 2 outer, go on tilt, and blow your whole bankroll in one night.
I honestly hope I'm wrong, and that you do just that, take a shot, and run it up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. But the story will almost never end that way, if you follow through with assorted current plans and keep tempting fate by taking shots.
10:16 AM
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