Lighting the litmus paper

[Pyso]

A while back I posted here to the effect that I was going to take a significant break from the game and begin to learn the guitar.

I’d been running so comically bad and along with it had lost much joy from being at the poker table, that I felt a break was the way forward, apart from anything, to see if I would miss the game.

(Well, the guitar is coming on nicely - last night I finally played that great intro lick and riff to Holy Diver by Dio without f###ing it up and that was a very nice feeling. I’m never going to be a rockstar but the sheer challenge of taking up a (very complex) instrument at the age of 39 is definitely keeping me alert).

Anyway, back to the poker. The other night I went to DTD after a friend offered to put me into the £30 rebuy tournament. Now, tourneys aren’t normally my thing but on this occasion I thought why not? I would have gone to watch Forest otherwise and I had an oddly unsettling feeling that they were going to lose (they won, which shows what I know about sports betting).

Now I don’t believe in luck per se, the idea that you can have lucky socks, lucky dealers, a full moon is a good sign etc. I don’t tend to believe that things go in cycles necessarily but I did find myself thinking that after a three month break, I must surely be owed some notion of running good for once…

Anyway, long story short, Kings lost to Ace-rag, all in with AKs against 88 and the first flop card is an eight. I get up immediately saying out loud, “this is exactly why I stopped - oh and I won’t be rebuying” or words to that effect, as politely and sarcastically as possible I might add.

I then spent the next four hours waiting for my friend who naturally goes on to win the tournament. This gives me a lot of time to think and observe.

I immediately realise I misplayed the Kings, so I’m already thinking strategy - is this a good or a bad thing? I realise that I’m bummed that I lost £30 on the one rebuy I took. So I decide not to play cash; partly because logically if I’m upset at losing a piffly £30 then how the hell will I feel when I get stacked for a full buy-in on the cash tables, and also because all I can see at the tables are the same old regulars. There are no aquatic looking poker players whatsoever, it’s just the crazed junkie card sharks on a drab Tuesday night, so to be honest, what’s the point?

I watch the football instead. I hate Manchester United with a passion but cheer when they go 2-1 up. What the hell is wrong with me? I can’t find out the Forest score but I am oddly not in the least bit bothered.

I start to wish I was at home with the wife, the dog and the cat, and I quite fancy a blast on the guitar at metal factor 11.

I guess I’m not quite ready just yet.

[brummieboy]

I'm sure you'll enjoy poker again eventually, just don't force it enjoy other hobbies and the hunger to play again will probably return.

[MC]

Anyway, long story short, Kings lost to Ace-rag, all in with AKs against 88 and the first flop card is an eight. I get up immediately saying out loud, “this is exactly why I stopped - oh and I won’t be rebuying” or words to that effect, as politely and sarcastically as possible I might add.

You're gonna lose both of these hands 1 in 6 times, you're going to lose one of them 3 in 6 times. Don't think you'll be able to enjoy poker if you can't deal with super-standard variance like this man. Perhaps you're in the wrong mindset. Perhaps read "The Poker Mindset" whilst on your break from poker, a worthwhile read for anyone who plays imo...

[StuartHopkin]

Just expect it. AK pwns KK.
MC has got his numbers wrong, holding KK against AK you should only expect to win 1 in 6.
I expect the A to hit, and ive been really lucky if it doesnt.
Thinking that way means Im never surprised if I take a beat.

Plus its just a big game of bingo, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

[Pyso]

Why would you light litmus paper?

Good point. Same reason I would cheer a Man U goal - no good reason for it at all.

Thanks for the other replies regarding the odds. I know the numbers as well as anyone and wasn't really posting so that someone could come on and tell me to embrace the variance - I was just trying to add a little ditty to describe my mindset at attempting to play again, hoping that someone out there may identify with it and possible even empathise.

Anyway, the guitar beckons and so does another indefinite break.

[nirvana]

The problem is 'Man plays poker - loses' happens quite a lot, in fact, when we win we pretty much revel in that fact so it'd only be pretendathy