blonde poker forum

I'm not, in general, one to make my feelings public ; but having been a fascinated follower of these boards and their merry band of contributors over the months, feel compared to share with you this slightly woeful tale . While it may well be tedious for most, perhaps others can relate, and comment as to how they overcame a similar predicament. Either way, thanks in advance for taking the time to read the topic.

First, a slight bit of background. I began playing poker online in August of 2005, having enjoyed my summer break from University without employment and finding myself deep into my overdraft with only £50 of a possible £1250 remaining. I am a naturally lazy soul, but clearly, a job would be essential if I failed to acquire some dough. So with a "no win" scenario in mind (i.e. a job needed either way), I plunged my last few quid into an online account on VC (after they sponsored a large poker supplement in the Daily Telegraph!) and proceeded to lose the lot in one night playing ring games without a clue. Anyway, I lost £127 in total over three days, having appealed to my credit card for funds. The poker bug had bitten me but the financial tolls were impossible.

Fast forward a few days and I discovered STTs. $5, $3 entries, and I was enjoying success, at last. The tournament style suited my play, and the chips helped alleviate the financial concerns. Then I was able to cash in a £2 MTT having expanded operations onto William Hills... and I was spending practically all my time devouring online posting after online posting on poker strategy (I have yet, however, to read a book).

Anyway, September arrives and I'm back to University. I begin applying my knowledge in larger MTTs, and to my delight bring home the WH $3k ($840), a Tribeca $5 ($320) and then... a £1600 second place in the WH £10k within a seven day period.

This marked the first time that my bank account could be described as black in perhaps three years. And I was earning merrily from a game that I loved.

From there I was able to steadily build up to approximately £2k (this is relative to the large -£1k overdraft which I cleared), and indeed, was being extremely conservative with my bankroll, before the disgusting and vile emporium which is PartyPoker introduced its blackjack sidegame. Despite its obvious -EV, I was hooked, and high rollin' it drunk over a 72 hour period managed to blow £1500 on this ludicrous gamble. All my cards were maxed at this point and having sobered up I went to stay with my girlfriend for several days in an attempt to get over this addiction.

Up until this point Holdem had been my only online game. But entranced by the money flying on the blackjack tables, I moved into 7 Card Stud and PL Omaha, in the hope of higher returns, ever faster. Despite my extreme lack of knowledge in strategy for these games, the players seemed poor, and I was recovering my losses at an excellent rate. Then came a magnificent drunk Omaha session at $5/$10 where I turned $250 into $3.2k.

This was in early December and with £3500 now in the bank (Blackjack losses recovered) I figured the year ahead would be sweet indeed. Christ, I had been eating fine restaurant food and drinking the best ales every day of the week, and I was still way up. AND I'd got over blackjack in the interim.

Then came the dreaded variance. First dropping a grand at $20/$40 stud in 45 minutes before winning it back in three days. Then sitting with a $3k stack playing $5/$10 Omaha PL and losing it in a three-way all-in. Tilt and chasing followed (several rebuys), before I forced myself offline to assess the damage. I couldn't believe retrospectively that I had set my entire bankroll on the line in one game.

End result, its January 04th and I have roughly £100 left. £3k down from one week prior. I can no longer afford to play for even medium stakes. $0.50/$1 NL would cripple me with one poor session. I have dropped down to playing $5-$15 STTs and low buy-in MTTs, hoping to build enough again to set me back on track. The satisfaction is negligible though, and I have to wonder just how much the urge to gamble with large sums (relative to my bankroll) has ruined my ability.

On the other hand, I feel that I have the drive to come as close as humanely possible to Roy West's desirable manifesto of "taking the gamble out of one's game" . I have spent 24 hours on the trot at times reading online material on poker and its derivatives. With practically no money left though, and a lingering desire to play for more "interesting" stakes than I can currently afford, I really don't know how to proceed at this point in time.

If any of you fine people have similar tales, brutal criticisms, or even advice to offer... I will be truly glad to read what you have to say.

Regards,

trivial

What a FANTASTIC post!! Truely.

That is probably the best post i have read on here. A candidate for the best of blonde.

Sadly i can offer little advice than to take a week or 2 or a month away from the game. Right now nothing you do will feel good, you need to go away in order to rediscover your love of the game.

Whatever you do, please keep us updated!

Ok i did think not replying to this as i fortunately have never suffered the variance you have or done my bankroll and did not want to appear condesending. Firstly can i say i geniunley did not enjoy reading your story as it is not a pleasent one but i applaud your honest which is the first step.

The advice i would give is to step away from the game and take a break. At least a week probably more. By the sounds of things this is money you can't afford to lose so please put yourself first. Secondly you seem to be playing poker for the thrill of the big win and not to make a steady profit, this is a boom or bust strategy and 99% of the time its bust. I really do feel you have a problem and you need to be honest with yourself before the problem affects your whole life.

I admit i don't know you but i felt i had to be honest with you. Also bear in mind poker is a game to be enjoyed and that enjoyment can be taken without blowing 1000's of pounds.

Good luck Mark

i was actually just about to post the same thing here, unfortunatley i have a very close friend that has the same 'gambling bug' he tried poker for a while but quit as it didnt give him the 'big win fix' that Trivial is also looking for.

Ive tried to speak to him about this but he wont listen.

I would defo give the poker a break, and step back and ask your self why you are playing the game?

to win big fast or/ cos of the love of out witting your opponent even if i only win £2 playing $0.05 / $0.10 stakes

yours in total honestly mate

Dave

Great post,
For someone to have done as well as you have, it shows you have some game, unfortunately your problem looks like you are a gambler, I think you might benefit from finding posts about bankroll management and about jumping up levels to fast, you didn’t jump you were flying.

Hold em  Omaha  blackjack. 

I agree with the guys here, take some time off and when you do come back, Pick a game. choose a level you can afford to play at and stay there until you have at least 8x your initial bankroll
This is not a get rich quick scheme, it is hours of learning, patience, and having fun.

I feel for ya, I done my bankroll 4-5 times in 05, and every time it was because I was moving levels to fast   

2009 EdIt - Don't do this... lol

Try pyramiding your bankroll up to interesting levels again playing STT.

Say you've a roll of $300 play $10 STTs.

Level 1 -$10 STT
1st place-play a $20 STT (Level 2)
Anything else - Try again Level 1

Level 2 - $20 STT
1st place - Move to Level 3
2nd,3rd place - Try again at Level 2
no cash - move back to level 1

Level 3 - $30/$40 STT
1st place - Move to Level 4 ($50-$100 buy in)
2nd,3rd place - Try again at Level 3
no cash - move back to level 2

etc

Once your roll is at $600 do the same but not going lower than Level 2. Once your rolls over $1k again start at Level 3 and don't go lower etc.

This way you get to play bigger stakes, but you're winning. A bad streak will not lose you as much as a good streak will gain you. I found myself short rolled early last year and built it back up sooner than I thought possible by using this method.

IMHO STT are the only option when short rolled if you're serious about building it back up. Cash games and MTT require too large a roll to make the same money. A good MTT result could get you back on track, but then again there's a greater % chance of ruin again playing them on a short roll.

I might try that see if I can start building some money back up, ta tank xx

Well Trivial this is something i can relate to many times over i can't preach to you about bankroll management skills because whilst i am well aware of them i don't put them into practice often enough. All i will say is that i've been down the gambling with your bankroll road too many times and whilst it has seen some magnificent highs such as $300 turned into $100k in just 4 days of cash games at one site. It has also seen some fantastic lows, losing 90k in 2 days and a 70k pot in the middle of that stick in the memory.
Now getting out of a mess from very little money is one of my specialities. My advice is to find a game and a stake that you are comfortable playing at and stick to it whatever it may be and don't think about moving up until you have recovered sufficient. I know just how much pain is involved in stepping down the levels but you have no choice if you want to get back in the game. It's not much fun to go from playing $5k heads up matches back to the $50 ones or $50/$100 NL back to $1/$2NL but due to similar traits to the ones you've shown i've had to do this. It is difficult when you know you are good enough to beat much bigger games to stick at the smaller level but its the only way to recover. I've moved back up gradually and it's worth the graft at the lower levels in the long run.
I hope you learn from this the first time round like i failed to because it will save you from a world of pain.

 :goodpost:

:respect:

Great post and some excellent replies. Hope you can build up again - and keep it!

Very good post.  Seems a case of poor bank roll management.  Something everybody goes through I reckon.

Don't panic about losing your bankroll. Just start again and build a new one. I have lost mine many times and expect to do so again. I put it down as an occupational hazzard (although fortunately I am employed and don't depend on it as an income).

The game of poker attracts many different personality types, as different people play for different reasons. What does a certain person get out of the game? Are they just looking for something to idle away some time, have a bit of fun? Do they view the game as a job, their main desire to make money? Or are they a gambler, seeking the adrenalin rush of the big pots and big wins?

Trivial, you are quite clearly a gambler ('I plunged my last few quid into an online account ', 'Despite its obvious -EV, I was hooked', 'in the hope of higher returns, ever faster') who suffers from a lack of discipline (all the playing whilst drunk). You do some of the right things (reading about strategy, thinking about your game) but can you develop the disassociation needed to survive the variance of the game? The bank management skills ('I had set my entire bankroll on the line in one game')?

Obviously I don't know you, all I have to go on is your post, but here's my advice.

Have a really good think about whether you can genuinely retain control over your gambling emotions. If you think you'll have a problem with this, walk away from the game.

With your 'lingering desire to play for more "interesting" stakes than I can currently afford' I fear you are doomed to forever be raped by the variance monster. You'll do well for good periods, you'll build up your winnings at the lower limits - things will go smoothly. Then will come the urge to move up in limits, but you won't have the bankroll to sustain the dips in the rollercoaster - you'll have too much of your money on the table.

One of the first things that good poker players have to learn is to not be scared of money - if you are you'll be intimidated by other players' big bets and can be bullied. However, whilst money is not to be feared, it is to be respected. Each pound has the same value; if you play whilst drunk, or if your judgement is clouded by thrill-chasing, you'll value money lost less than money won, which is not what you want.

Maybe you will be able to overcome your shortcomings - after all, that's what self-improvement is. Bear in mind though, that no number of books, articles, or forum posts will be able to curb your gambling desires. You're looking to regulate an addictive tendency - in exactly the same way that smokers who want to give up are. Ask any ex-smoker how easy it was for them to give up, and I'll think you'll get a measure of the challenge ahead of you. However, the fact that there are ex-smokers, should give you hope.

AS an aside, I do enjoy the irony of a person called Trivial posting one of the more serious messages on the forum.

An inspiring post. Self awareness, analyses and critisism is one of the many traits of a good player. Correct Bankroll management takes a huge amount of self discipline and I would say poor use of it is why most players go broke. I went through my online bankroll in December to the tune of £3000 and have taken a break from internet poker and am concentrating on playing live whenever I can. I really think that most players go through this at one time or another and the best thing to do is to treat is as a learning experiance . Oh and stay off the blackjack.

good luck

jezza

I've thrashed my bankroll countless times, but fortunately i don't rely on it for anything. Drives me nuts when i do it.

Dropping down levels is horribly boring and i sympathize with your plight. I've played 1k stt's and 100/200 nl one week and been on £2 mtts the next and it's very demoralizing.

I found the best way to keep my interest in these lower stakes is by winning sats to bigger events from the profits, this really brings back the excitement of a big mtt and you can look forward to it coming around. You also play better when it comes around as you are not flippant with the cash and you have had to work to get there.

Fantastic postings here guys...

I am in a position where I have a biggish amount as bankroll (for me anyway) on several sites.

This is the first time in a long time that I haven't had to reload anywhere. I play above my 'roll, but very carefully, make a small profit at cash and move out, and then back in. I play above my roll, because I get the play there. If I was to play at my bankroll level then the fish would jump and draw me out on the river etc. They still do sometiomes, but it's less apparent this end of the river..

It's a bit of a gamble, but that's part of the attraction, so I can understand where it is coming from.

We've all got into a pickle with bankroll before.

The more you have, the more of a poisoned chalice it can be.

Really enjoying this thread :)

Heid
xx

wow, this thread is turning into a real eye opener!

Good post by Riverdave and the tank.
Bankroll management is very important.I learnt my lesson playing 1/2 no limit on a 1 k bankroll and almost going broke.
I currently 4 table  50c/$1 nl (6 max) and i wont move up untill i have a 20 k bank roll. The usual guide for no limit i 20 buy ins. Although this is a little more , 20k would alow me to play my A game.This may seem consevative , but i really dont see a rush in moving up, as taking your time will give you more tme to learn, Also building a roll is a good guide as to if you are ready to move up.I am pretty sure i can beat the 1/2 nl  game...why risk going broke when i am currently crushing the 100nl and building a proper roll?

tom

http://chipandaprayer.blogspot.com (http://chipandaprayer.blogspot.com)

What a wonderful thread.

I am a compulsive addictive type and I used to have a big problem on the gee-gees. This was about 15 years ago, in my early twenties, no ties, in a high powered job and with a natural interest, but no aptitude, in racing I got through over £100,000. I would run massive overdrafts and then clear it once a year if I was fortunate enough to recieve a bonus.

I went to gamblers anonymous first. I was deeply embarrassed but met people in a far worse position than me. I have not had a bet on the horses for over a decade now. I simply cannot control myself if I do. I love the sport and it kills me to see all the tips on the betting tips section here, so I don't post on the horse threads.

Partly this abstinence started because I did not want to lie to my new wife and then kids came along...responsibilities changed

Then, after the marriage broke up I discovered poker. It is completely strange. I do not think I have once tilted and have infinite patience. I keep scrupulous records and control over a bankroll. I don't have the game of some I suppose but I study it a lot. What poker does for me though is feed my need for an analytical pursuit and provides new challenges

My advice to Trivial would be a) you've made a great first step in posting such a searingly honest post somewhere like here. b) if that isn't enough then somewhere like gamblers anonymous will help you identify some of the underlying issues behind your gambling mindset.

I suppose I better admit: i even went to psychotherapy with my addiction...discovered the root causes which will remain private to me and now it's not part of my life at all. Sure I lose, and sometimes I win, but it is CONTROLLED...seperate bankroll for poker and seperate bankroll for US sports betting only. If that cash goes, I wouldn't reload into the sports book. Can't say the same for poker though!

Great thread Trivial,

I, like others who have posted on this thread, have had my problems with gambling. Nearly all of us had an interest in gambling before we started playing poker and most people with an interest in gambling have had problems at one time or another.

It does us all good to remind ourselves of the dark side every so often. It is the stark truth that most people lose at this game and many of those people will, to some degree, have problems with controlling their gambling.

Have to admit to being a lurker rather than a poster, but........just wanted to applaud a searingly honest initial post that has led to some fascinating follow-ups. Particularly from Tightend and Riverdave.

Terrific advice from the Tank too. Keeps this forum up there as the best.

Good luck with your dilemma, Trivial.

Jim.

I seem to remember a thread a while back which concerned the ethics of poker - how did people feel about winning money from players who were down to the felt, reloading with the last of the housekeeping or mortgage money for instance - people who obviously had problems with controlling their urge to gamble.

It's got me thinking. We all aspire to be profitable players and, of course, to have some winning players means there must be very many losing players. When faced with a post of such searing honesty from Trivial, we have all given heartfelt advice on the best course of action for him - advice which will hopefully means he avoids going broke in the future.

However, what if we managed to convince everyone with gambling problems on how best to avoid losing money - where would our profits come from? By playing poker with people who lose lots of money, how complicit are we in their downfall? Are we akin to the, no doubt well-meaning, people who would buy George Best a drink in a pub, as that's what George wanted, even though it was killing him?

Is there an inherent hypocrisy in giving with our forum posts, but taking away when we're hidden in the anonymity of the online poker room?

I'm quite a hard-edged, unemotional kind of guy, who takes a very black-and-white view of people's ability to control their urges, simply because I don't have an addictive personality. I don't know how hard it is for gamblers to stay away from the bookies, or for smokers to resist the cancersticks. I remember trying to get my mum to stop smoking when I was a kid, and would say very naive things like 'Just don't buy any more, then you can't smoke them', and she would say 'Oh Andrew, it's not as easy as that', which would completely mystify me as, to me, it was as easy as that.

The posts from Tightend and Riverdave have been enlightening insights for me to understand what goes on in other people's heads. What if I understand and empathise too much though, and feel guilty about taking other people's money from them? That will negatively impact my game, which I obviously don't want to do.

Profitability and empathy - how do people 'with hearts' reconcile these two facets of the game?

My next installment of my student loan comes through shortly, every single time I find myself with a student loan it gets blown on Poker and Gambling. Hopefully this time will be different!

fantastic. An all time great post.

Good question - which is one reason why i dont ever offer my opinions on people's own bankroll management. I dont mind giving my thoughts on certain aspects of play - or which game to choose - or what to do in any given situation but i'll never give my thoughts on bankroll management. as far as i'm concerned thats something the individual has to figure out for themselves.

Yes it may make me appear to be heartless but in my opinion emotions have no place at the poker table, when i'm there i'm playing to win at all costs (within the rules though of course). as far as i'm concerned if you can pay the entry fee into a tournament then i have the opportunity to take your money (just as you have the opportunity to take mine), whether its your last dollar or just a small piece of your million dollar bankroll.

I too was a gambler, started on fruit machines, then horses dogs and football but since i discovered poker i've never bother with any other form of gambling as i know i can make a profit playing poker and my destiny is in my own hands as much as possible. When i was younger i learned bankroll management the hard way (must admit working in a betting shop and seeing it from the "other side" helped) and when i started playing poker i knew that i had to be disciplined with my bankroll. My golden rule was "Dont gamble with money you cant afford to lose" and whilst it is hard to resist the temptation (i've been there myself many years ago) i have no sympathy for those who tell stories of going broke with money they couldnt afford to lose.

not even with those who are "ill" for whatever reason and unable to help themselves?

you would have to be a bit more specific than that but unless you are talking about someone with a genetic disorder of which they have no control over then yes i have no sympathy for them. As with any form of addiction, be it drugs, alcohol, cigarettes or gambling there are ways of controlling it - most of it is down to the willpower of the individual. but if outside help is required then it is always available.

I am a reformed alcoholic, i have been tee-total for just over 10 years. I am an ex-smoker, i have not had a cigarette since 6.00pm on the 27th of April 2001. I have stopped all forms of gambling - apart from poker. And while all were difficult, they were not impossible.

What a fantastic thread

Kudos to all the contributors, mention in despatches for Tighty  :respect:

Matt, I did much as you with my addictive gambling...I sought help, got it, controlled it, moved on

What I am talking about is those who have an addiction but some life event has caused it...so in effect it is a huge displacement activity. This is what happened to me. A very significant family controversy completely pushed me off the rails, though I didn't realise it at the time.

 Some people might over eat, some people might under eat, some people turn to drink, some gamble, some turn to drugs. Whatever it is if they are out of control or don't have a support mechanism around them to turn them towards help, then surely some sympathy is in order.

 A monkey has 96% of human genomes, maybe hes missing the sympathy gene  :D

not at the poker table

no, fair enough

but sympathy for their predicament in these circumstances, even if you will obviously try to beat them across the felt (otherwise you might as well not be playing) ?

( I WILL GET HIM TO SAY THIS, I WILL.... :D)

Absolutely brilliany thread, especially tightend, tank and andrewt.  :goodpost: :respect:

When i am sat at a poker table i am not interested in peoples predicaments away from the poker table. I am there to win their money. Alas you will not get me to change my views on this.

If they have a problem and they are gambling with money they cant afford to lose then they shouldnt be sat at a poker table with me.

OK, I will not beat a dead horse monkey. All I am saying is that some people are not in control. I have a moral problem, having been there, with watching them do their dough.

I understand that some people have a problem with gambling and i understand that it is difficult for them to control but i cant be hypocritical and say "oh yes, i would help them seek guidance on how to stop their problem" and at the same time be trying to win their money on the poker table.

I think the difference is i dont have a moral problem with it - and i have also been there myself.

They are consenting adults, they know what they are letting themselves in for when they sit down with me in the tournament arena. Once they pay the entry fee then their chips are up for grabs just like everyone elses

Quite an incredible array of responses thus far, which gives me an immense amount to think about . All your comments have been read and re-read, and I have made some notes of certain suggestions which particularly hit home here .

As a follow-up, it looks as though my main troubles are centering around the following issues:

(i) An Addiction to Gambling (I will include Poker here AT THIS POINT IN TIME)
(ii) Poor Bankroll Management (When I had one!)
(iii) A Lack of Discipline when at the tables. -- {Playing while DRUNK/TIRED/HUNGRY[!] aka less than optimum conditions}


However, I did not originally turn to poker to treat it as a "get rich quick" scheme . My desire initially was to derive enjoyment from beating the game, which, when I finally obtained some results back in the beginning, was an unparalleled feeling . Who remembers the adrenaline thrills which accompanied their first final table? In my experience, at least, despite the fact that I was practically too nervous to play a hand, I was awake for the rest of the night in a cold sweat, reliving every moment. This taught me a valuable lesson about retaining one's cool at the table, and it was evident that I would have to develop a nerve of steel if I were to progress.

Throughout my short playing days so far, my main concern has been with learning, every step of the way. When the blackjack debacle set in, and I recovered from it, I think I needed that harsh blast of reality to remind me of the value of the money. Unfortunately, it didn't quite bust me, and the lesson wasn't brutal enough; so when I had built up another nice stack, I was all too willing to toss it away, throwing bankroll management to the wind, and playing far above my roll in the most volatile games I could find.


This time... I am truly down to the felt. And judging by some of your stories, I am lucky that I am not in debt . I believe that I have now reconciled myself to the loss, and if I treat it as an educational expense (and for £3k, I expect a particularly useful lesson), then it may even bring some good to my poker game.

I have played several $5 and $10 STTs since awakening, and a combination of brutal beats and good results has left me roughly even for the day. On the other hand, I have tried to make a return to the original techniques which saw me enjoy success in the first place. In other words, attempting to play my optimum game, considering my opponents' holdings and the relative stage of the tournaments every step of the way. Ignoring the fact that I have money on the line. This may be second nature to most of you, but equally, if your concentration is lacking, this is the first skill to deteriorate.

Importantly, I think that the financial pressure is now OFF, as the big money has gone away. I don't have the cash any longer, nor do I have the means to chase it. End of. So I can concentrate on the task at hand -- the ultimate challenge -- to build a new 'roll from essentially nothing.


If any interesting developments turn up then I may take the liberty of updating you via this thread . Otherwise, I thank you all once more for the feedback, and hope that I can get a bit more involved with the forum via other postings in the future .

Vitrually all my income from my working life has come from gambling. Mostly from working in casinos and latterly from poker. I can't explain the power that gambling holds over people but we are all aware of it. Very few people are immune. It can be extremely destructive, driving apart families and ruining careers. Of course it's not usually so dramatic, but gambling has had serious negative effects on most people who gamble regularly.

I've never felt guilty about the money I've made, but I do sometimes think I should be serving a nobler purpose in life.

Tightend, sympathy is an emotion you feel when you see or hear about someone who has befallen some kind of misfortune. However, feeling sympathy towards someone, and then immediately partaking in actions which will exacerbate that misfortune seems hypocritical to me. Making allowances for someone because of an addiction seems to absolve them of responsibility for their actions.


Like rapists and serial killers? They can be considered 'ill' and unable to help themselves.

AS I said before, it's very easy for me to take the high ground and think that addicted gamblers should 'just pull themselves together' because I have little understanding of what they are going through. However, the poker table is a level playing field - there are no allowances made for circumstance. We can only play the cards that life has dealt us - some people just get dealt crappy cards.

a) I worry that I am a hypocrite, so point taken

b) Of course not. Perhaps I phrased it wrongly and "ill" is the wrong word. I mean otherwise decent people whose lives move out of kilter for some reasons and they turn to addictive displacement activity, not serious crimes like those you mention

Sorry Tighty, I deliberately made an overblown exaggeration to make a point. Either you are fully responsible for all your actions, or we are nothing but slaves to our genetic sensibilities.

At the risk of another reductio ad absurdum, if I had seriously considered rape in the past but managed not to act on those urges then I would have a greater understanding of the internal struggle that a rapist had faced, and failed to overcome. However, it would be wrong of me to feel or think anything which would lead me to absolve the rapist of the responsibility of his actions.

Andrew, I get you

Let me tell you as someone who knew what they were doing was "wrong" and damaging to myself both at that point in time and potentially in the future but literally did not possess the means to stop myself, for whatever complicated pyschological reasons, that it is the strangest feeling in the world and not one I possess the intelligence to adequately put into words

This is the inherent problem with our discussion - I have no way of relating to what you, Trivial, or anyone else in similar situations went through. You may as well try and describe the colour green to a blind man. This may well devalue my input somewhat. You fell into a deep pit, but managed to climb back out again, despite the effort this took - you're going to know more about struggle than someone who's known nothing but flat ground, like me.

Am I now making allowances...?

we have reached an understanding  :D

Just to be clear, if I keep on re-raising you on Saturday night, I'm not just doing it to make a point - I will have premium hands...

Just to be equally clear, when I re-raise you I will never have preimum hands and will always be tilting. So call.

Andrew, you are a ruthlessly logical machine  ;applause;

I wonder which one of us is going to end up in the bar at 7:02pm on Saturday :)

That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me.

For anyone interested, here is that thread.

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=3204.0

Most of us I hope, that's when tikay his giving the leader's address in the other room.

Tikay looks out across the Broadway poker room as he gives his speech.

'Fellow blondites...'

(http://www.slengpung.com/pics/Chaos%20Constructions%202004/12936_640.jpg)

 rotflmfao rotflmfao rotflmfao rotflmfao rotflmfao

LOL, the only other rooms  are toilets!!

All I can say is whilst you feel you are playing stakes "beneath you" you aren't in the frame of mind to play to your full potential.

Take a longish break, study the game some more, learn about bankroll sizes and the limits you should be putting on them (due to swings) and finally only come back when you take that lowly .50 - $1 game seriously!

If you come back before then because you cant stay away then without sounding too depressing, seeking help aint the worst idea. Poker is highly addictive.

All the best for the future - great post.

great post great replies and this why we are having a little get together

like most i have been playing and lost the lot and start again and lose the lot.

and it is just 2 things

a bankroll management and

b playing the right game

what are really the same things.

with me its the same old prob at 1st you know how it is win a £10mtt u get a bankroll you play a £100mtt u lose so u chase and play again you lose again you now only got £300 left so u play £50mtt a few times and you only have £100 left what you started but u dont play £10 you play £50 still bang its all gone u only won 2 days ago. now i only go up a level when i triple my current bankroll so got £100 i play £10 i get £300 i play £20 i get £900 i play £50 and so on and i am now showing a little profit each month on the net.

see you all sat and i dont care what probs you got i want to win no matter what.......LOL


4dam

Someone once said that degenerate gamblers 'subconciously want to lose' and that the need to lose is directly related to thier upbringing and life experiences etc.

I guess that hidden in all this chummy wow what a great post stuff and arnt we a lovley community bit is the fact that this is a gamblers forum.  A number of people that post here have gambling problems, the unusual thing about the original post is that the guy realises that fact.  I would suggest that the fact you are aware of your problem means that you are a long way to solving it.

You shouldnt be gambling Sir, so stop.............easy for me to say !

good luck

Bump because its a brilliant thread ... and also I want to see if I can find out what the OP is doing these days.

Yep, good read. Im busto and im having to get a job. No decent stakes plo for me for a while.  :(

thought he was in brighton as part of flushy's stable

Wow i don't even remember this thread even though I appear to have replied to it, so have re read and it was indeed a very good thread.

hahaha

OP is 20 BUCK SPIN on stars/FTP, Trivial on 2p2

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/54/poker-beats-brags-variance/one-year-alcoholic-lagtarded-pro-very-long-215819/

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/54/poker-beats-brags-variance/drunk-poker-redux-321863/

hes one of the last remaining true LAG's in poker

Wow bluescouse eat your heart out, both those op's are well worth a read.

LOL I have so much in common with OP!

Nurse!

haha yes, im sure you both have a lot in common

 ;)

lol awesome

well in the beginning

lost mine flipping with leknave with rookie railing.

Pretty happy in a way

Were you sleep-posting again?

wow, just read the 2+2 thread, brilliant.

Wow what a brilliant read. Thanks for the bump Kev.

I read this with great interest as I am currently sat at home after pissing away £2k last night at DC which is way more than my poker roll allows. This means that I have decided to punish myself by not playing tonight. I also know that I wouldn't be playing properly as I would still be chasing.

The first £500 was fairly standard so no problems. At £750 I said to the table "last buy in" before my £250 top up.

At £2k I was out of money so had to go home. Why did I not go home at £1k when I knew I should? My problem is without a doubt chasing. There were a few people running good at the table and I was running bad so it was definitely not a good table to be playing at.

Why then did I stay? I guess this is where poker becomes a problem for me. It is no different to roulette if you get involved in every pot just to see what you hit. You then chase every half decent draw and don't play solid poker. It becomes a game of pure chance and the skill is removed completely.

Anyway, fortunately I will recover financially from this loss but I doubt I will learn a lesson. I will still turn up with £2k knowing that I don't have the ability to walk away even if I know it's just not my night. Even now at 10pm I am still considering jumping in the shower and setting off for another session to see if I can spin it back up. It's difficult not to but I will manage.

I can't play online because I have said a definite no to that and am determined to stick to it. I know that I am capable of being a long term winner but unfortunately I will never be able to stop myself from playing above my roll and blowing everything so I have just quit for a while and concentrate on the live game which I thoroughly enjoy for the poker and the social aspects.

Anyway just wanted to get that off my chest. I need to get back to my night in front of the TV. (Any ladyboy watching gags not appreciated btw)

Good luck to all the gamblers out there. Keep it under control.

great thread...his 2+2 post is an amazing read as well.

seems to be doing ok for himself now... sitting with 115k across 8 25/50 tables on stars. mbn

Wow i've played a bunch of 5/10 NL with 20 Buck Spin in the last couple of years always heads up. To be honest i thought he was really spewy bad perhaps i caught a few of the drunken sessions. Can remember frequently running 1/2 or a full buyin up to 10k against him, mostly used to leave if he got more than 200BB's deep but do recall a couple of times getting stubborn and coming out on the wrong side of his sickness in 800BB+ deep pots.

Excellent bump Kev! Sick drunken spin ups FTW!

Three years on, and you'll be pleased to know I still haven't seriously considered rape.

I'm so lazy.

Maybe you just haven't met the right girl yet.

Lazy and over-picky.

FML.

Haha, at the risk of appearing narcissistic, I can't resist responding at this point (thanks for the concern Kev!) after a recent bump of my twoplustwo threads which 'totalise' so intriguingly linked here (btw if you could PM me there I am curious as to your identity).

For those who were wondering (and to follow-on from the linked threads), I stuck with short-handed $5/10 NL and some $10/$20 until the close of 2008, whence I decided to take a month-long shot at the $25/$50 NL games on Pokerstars and Full  (http://blondepoker.com/index.php?q=node/12206)Tilt (http://blondepoker.com/index.php?q=node/12206).
Results were very satisfactory and since then I have been playing these games full time and plan on doing so for the foreseeable future, although I would like to get bankrolls on some European sites again at this stage.

To be honest I haven't really read Blonde in the past few years, but I am nonetheless very grateful for some of the early advice I received. Hope all is well.
If you guys have any particular questions then I'll do my best to answer in recompense for the initial encouragement. Ask away.

On an aside, I am now living in London if there are any poker-related events of interest on the horizon or if anyone wants to grab a pint.

Hi Riverdave, re-reading your posts in this thread was a pleasure.

I have fond memories (moreso for myself than for you, no doubt) of a $5/$10 HU session on Stars where you span your initial $500 buyin up to well into the five figures, before dribbling it back and ultimately dropping a 1200bb+ pot to busto. That remains one of the most entertaining headsup matches of my life and I would love to play you again if you fancy 4-tabling 10/20+ anytime soon.

Incidentally I will play anyone in the world at four tables of 25/50 NL HU. Challengers welcome.

Welcome back, please post more often. Got any more comedy degen stories for us?

I live in London too. Can you be nipped?



Where on earth did you get this idea from ?!

Hey, do you play/ have moved over to playing much PLO?

Who do you find toughest at the games you play?

What about all the 'bumhunting on stars/tilt? Anonymous HU tables only way?

How do you find playing such an aggro style profitable esp with all the training sites etc nowadays?

Cheers

very good read! i've done that before and can relate, very best of luck!

Interesting post.

20 Buck is an animal.

Post an update if you can mate.

Is this 20 buck?