A DOG'S LIFE

[snoopy1239]

Well if you're not tilting then fine and dandy.
but you gotta enjoy it right? otherwise you may as well be back at work....

Yeah, exactly.

I'm just wary of overdosing on poker and reaching the stage where I'm not enjoying it, but doing it anyway to give myself an income.

A few people have contacted me and warned me that it is a grind and not much fun. I've proved them wrong so far because I've had a whale of a time, but I don't want to do what I did last night too often, or it will quickly become an unenjoyable activity.

[snoopy1239]

BACK DOWN TO EARTH


I write 5 minutes off the back of a $1400 cash game loss. I’m having to really motivate myself to put pen to paper because I feel so deflated, but I thought it’d be interesting to discuss my thoughts so soon after being crushed by the world of online poker.

There’s a real sense of embarrassment in reporting losses. You’re happy to shout about any wins, but if a bad day arrives, you tend to keep it under your hat. However, if I am to be successful at poker, I can’t hide from my losses. I need to be realistic and face my bad days head on, otherwise I may never rectify any of the errors made.

(i) So how did I lose $1400?

A mixture of bad play and bad beats. The worst possible combination! Every time I hit top pair, I was reraised by trips. None of my pocket pairs made a set. My suited connectors failed to er… connect. If I bluffed a flop, I was called or reraised. If I hit 2 pair, four of the same suit arrived. Etc etc. It was just one of those nights where everything went wrong.

It all kicked off when AJ rivered my QQ, all-in preflop. Ouch! And so began the first of several beats. I won’t bore you with the stories, although I’m dying to go into great detail, but let’s just say that I was dealt a firm kick in the testicles on more than one occasion.

(ii) Did I play badly?

I’ve played worse, but that doesn’t say much. Speaking honestly, I’d have to say that I let the bad beats effect me. I didn’t do anything too ridiculous, but I called a few hands I would have normally folded. I carried on playing when I didn’t really fancy it, and I was reluctant to accept my loss. Although it’s part of my game, I’m pretty sure I raised preflop even more than I normally do. I was too eager to reduce my financial deficit, and this resulted in me trying to force through too many bluffs.

(iii) How do I feel?

Not too bad actually. I’ve had worse losses, and there’s no point in dwelling on what’s already happened. I won £300 at the Gala on Wednesday and I was previously $1200 up for the week online, so it’s hardly the end of the world. In fact, I’m still up for the last seven days. It’s just excruciatingly frustrating when you undo all that hard work. I’ll get it back, it’ll just take me slightly longer than it took to lose it. There are too many more important issues in the world and I’m not willing to worry about one bad night of poker.

(iv) What next?

I’ve decided to take a few days off. My last few sessions have been way too long, and I don’t want to reach the stage where I’m bored of playing. So, hopefully, I’ll return fresh and revitalised. I want my game to be in top form every time I log on, no excuses, and if this means taking time off, then so be it.

My first month of full-time poker finishes on Wednesday, so I’ll write up a progress report. I know I’m up, so I really can’t complain.


So, there you have it, I’ve been brought back to ground with a thud. Not a happy chappy, but as Eric said, ‘Always look on the bright side of life.’ Shame it's night time. 

snoops snoopy

[RED-DOG]

Snoop, Im sorry you had a bad day, I really am, and I commend you for your honesty

I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but that post made me laugh, it was like watching the custard pie whizz past  me and hit the other guy

[Wardonkey]

Life would get very dull without the bad days, we need them to make the good days feel that much better.

Enjoy the festive period Snoops.

[TightEnd]

This is getting to be compulsive reading.

Good stuff snoopy

[yt]

You gotta be honest as your livelihood depends on this venture.

try a week of sit n goes rather than cash? see how that goes??

[HarlemShuffle]

Hi,

This is an excellent thread. Probably one of the best I’ve read on an internet forum on any subject. It is honest and informative and it is very real. I pull my hat off to you for going ahead and trying something like this and also for being completely honest on how it’s going. It’s something I would be interested in doing in the future and this thread is great reading for people like me. I hope it all goes well for you and I also hope you are able to keep this journal going for us to read.

You’ve probably read a lot on the subject and you may well have already seen this book but in case you haven’t it might be worth you taking a look at this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0976595788/qid=1135085752/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/026-0583955-1022069
I’ve started reading and it seems OK so far. Some good chapters in there that you might find helpful.

I’ve only just stumbled upon the thread so I haven’t read every message so excuse me if you’ve already mentioned something about this. I wanted to ask you how your family and friends have taken to you becoming a pro poker player. I’m guessing your friends would be encouraging but was wondering if you’re family are the same?

Would also like to ask, if you don’t mind, even though it’s early days, have you been able to pay your expenses from your profit or are you using money you have saved up? It’s probably too early to assess this I guess.

Anyway, good luck and hope it all goes well.

HarlemShuffle

[julian]

a great read snoops,
the swings are inevitable & i should imagine, easier to handle once shared & mulled over

[RED-DOG]

Got my comeuppence today Snoop, cant win a hand, serves me right 

[snoopy1239]

FIRST MONTH REVIEW


For those of you still following my progress, here are the results of my first month in the game:


-- Live --

Comps = 5
Comp Types  = 3 freezouts, 1 unlimited rebuy, 1 single rebuy
Total Buy-In Cost = £600
Total Registration Fee Cost = £66
Total Prize Winnings = £2900

Net Live Profit = £2134


-- Online --

Multi Comps = 2
Multi Profit = -£6
(including 1x $550+30 Cruise Weekly Final – fee accrued from Ladder Comps)

Cash Game Sessions = 16
Hours Played = 1204 mins (~20 hrs)
Average Session Length = 75 mins (1hr 15mins)
Longest Session = 207 mins (3hrs 45mins)
Shortest Session = 12 mins
Biggest Pot Won = $721.30
Biggest Pot Lost = $1004.40

Cash Game Profit = £718
Hourly Income = £35.78/hr

Net Online Profit = £712


--------------

Total Profit = £2846


Although I dumped $1400 yesterday, I’m still delighted with the outcome. I really can’t complain with earning just less than 3 grand in under a month. I do feel an added pressure from the folks to reach prosperous targets, but I think that they would be quietly impressed by those figures.


(i)   Live Performance

Absolutely chuffed to bits with my live form. This month I reached two festival finals, 8th in Walsall and 5th at Luton. These were only £200 events, but with fields of 163 and 90 respectively, I’m happy just to know I’m performing well. It makes me think that I should play more big freezouts as I seem to have a decent success rate. I doubt many folk can claim to have cashed in their first three ranking events.

During the festivals, I managed to resist the temptation to play the more expensive events. At the moment, I’m not sure my bankroll can cope with the fluctuations. Fortunately, the live updates have kept me busy and enabled me to resist the temptation of investing some of my winnings on these bigger events.

I was also pleased to have hit 3rd at the Gala’s £20 single rebuy event. I loved this comp and it was reassuring to learn that cheap freezouts with reasonable starting stacks actually existed. If only these had been available to me a few years ago.

So, I’m in good form and reaching finals. No massive victories, but hopefully a big win is just around the corner…


(ii)    Online Performance

as mentioned on a previous post, I have adopted a rating system by which I allocate myself a score out of 5 based on individual performances. Looking back, it appears that I started off well, but eventually finished the month playing poor poker.

When you encounter a streak of winning sessions, the inevitable losing day becomes that much harder to accept. Although to no dramatic extent, I have to confess to tilting on this occasion. Also, I didn’t quit when I should have. I was lethargic and clearly fatigued, but continued to play in an attempt to recuperate my loss. I was still playing relatively well, but this decision undoubtedly accounted for some of my deficit on that day.

I’m maintaining a solid aggressive game, and, on the whole, it seems to be paying off. There were times when I failed to let go of a hand, even when I knew I was behind. In addition, I have been raising preflop too frequently. In reflection, my profitable sessions have been when I’ve selected my opportunities more prudently.

Up until one particular day, my discipline had been pretty sound. Short carefully chosen sessions with plenty of breaks. Rarely have I played when tired or steaming. I’m yet to play drunk, but that does involve consumption of alcohol at some point. Suppose Christmas will be the true test.


(iii)   Changes For Month 2

Not too many.  I guess you don’t need to change a winning formula, just the odd tweak here and there. I will, however, make sure that I rectify the errors made on my losing day of online cash play. To achieve this I’ll need to:

(1)   Be more selective in my preflop raising
(2)   Refrain from titling whatsoever
(3)   Don’t play too long and quit when I’m tired
(4)   Assure plenty of breaks are taken
(5)   Not chase losses or unattainable targets.

I intend to carry on playing online cash games and the odd live freezout. These are probably my strong points, so it makes sense for them to be my main focus of attention. Once my bankroll expands, I shall branch out to online multis and live cash games, but for the time being, I’m happy to chug along with what I’m already playing.

I definitely want to get myself fit and healthy again. I’m down to 9.5 stone, which is pretty light for me considering I was 11.5 at one stage. Suppose it’s all those late nights, a meal missed now and then, who knows? Anyhow, with Christmas dinner fast approaching, I’m sure I’ll pile those pounds back on in record time. I recall preaching in an earlier post, ‘Healthy body means healthy mind.’ Well, I still stand by that cliché and I fully intend to put it into practice over the next 4 weeks. Before you know it, I’ll be an Olympic athlete!


(iv)    Targets For Month 2

I dislike setting financial targets in case I fall short. I don’t want to find myself trying to force bluffs or playing when I shouldn’t, just to reach a specific figure. Therefore, I’ll simply set my target to ‘profit’. At the moment, while I find my feet, I’m just happy making a bit of money playing the game I love. If I can keep things ticking over while I adjust to the lifestyle, I’ll remain a happy chappy.


Phew. Apologies for the long post. Hope it was of some interest. Guess it’s worth it though. It’s good to get things down into written form so I can maintain a realistic perspective on my progress. Before I finish, I really should just state that I have had an absolute blast over the past 4 weeks. I’m working when I want, sleeping when I want, eating when I want. I feel as though I’m in control of my own life and that the future is bright. Well, let’s hope so anyway…


I’m off to get some ice-cream. Any1 want some?


Snoops

[The_nun]

Thanks for that Snoop..great read please keeps these coming.

[ACE2M]

Love it snopp.

Keep it comin, a fine month in my opinion.

More than your wages before you quit i bet.

[Dewi_cool]

Great Read sloopy hope all goes well for you 

[Longy]

Nice one snoopy, i think you are right to be proud of your first months achievements.

[Chili]

Super congrats Snoopy.  I think you were very brave in the begining but i think you more than proved you can hack it.  Long may your posts continue.