Taking Shots

[cambridgealex]

pretty hard to answer OPs question Stu without talking about yourself! I felt my post might come across a little braggy but decided to post it anyway cos OP asked for our personal experiences (and its fun to brag )

[Skgv]

I wish I had taken more shots throughout my gambling career, because I would likely have learned a lot and be a stronger player than I am now. However, in my circumstances I have never been able to take regular shots since I have too many responsibilities with a wife and kids.

If it is any consolation, you don't need to have that 'pivotal moment' in order to build a roll and make a living from poker. It never happened to me. I have never binked a big tournament, or even a medium-sized one for that matter. And whenever I have taken shots in big games I have never had a good run that gave my roll a sudden boost. Yet despite this, I have still been able to build up a comfortable bankroll which allows me to play in fairly big games (usually £5/£10 blinds) in relative safety. It has taken many, many years to build this roll. And it has been very tough, frustrating and stressful at times - with many setbacks along the way. But there is at least a certain satisfaction and self-belief that comes from knowing that I have done so without 'getting lucky' in a tournament or booking a big score when having a shot in a cash game that I was not fully rolled for.

If I had won a £1k event five years ago I might be twice as good a player as I am now because I would have been able to expand my play, take more risky lines, experiment, and challenge myself more. I might also have a HUGE roll by now, through the compounding effect. But it didn't happen. Which is a pity of course... but it is not the end of the world. I have become a fairly decent player regardless, and I have built up a fairly comfortable bankroll regardless. And who knows, perhaps I have learned some important things from building up a bankroll 'the proper way' rather than binking something early on in my career.

I just read this back through and realise that it comes across as a combination of a thinly-veiled moan and a rather smug-sounding brag. I ended up just writing about myself, which was not the intention. But I am going to post it anyway, because the reason I wrote it was to reassure you that you don't need to have a big bink or a golden run at some stage in order to build a bankroll and make it in poker. It is no doubt easier if you bink a 1k event early on, or if you put 20% of your roll on the table in a high stakes game and run hot. But it is quite possible to do it without this, just through working hard and not giving up.

Stuart a lot of what you had posted is exactly how I feel about my poker career over the last 15 years an I have as you have in my opinion did it the hard way an to be honest to myself I am proud of the life I've achieved for myself an my wife an 2 kids. Although I might have had more live tournament cashes I feel we have a lot in common in grinding a steady income to build are bankrolls up over the years an in honesty if I didn't have the responsibilities of family life I would of taken more shots. Do I regret not taking more chances in my poker career well having 2 beautiful daughters surely answer that question.

[cambridgealex]

More respect needs to be given to guys like you two who GIQ for years and years and provide for families without being on telly or binking EPTs.

[Skgv]

More respect needs to be given to guys like you two who GIQ for years and years and provide for families without being on telly or binking EPTs.

who you talking about  matey as is really deep for this time of night ! X

[Honeybadger]

More respect needs to be given to guys like you two who GIQ for years and years and provide for families without being on telly or binking EPTs.

Thanks Alex... but lol at you, all loved up and basking in the afterglow, bestowing compliments

[Yeti]

when i first watched rounders (i knew nothing about poker), i thought knish was an idiot. now it's pretty hard to watch it without thinking how dumb mike is.

[cambridgealex]

yeh don't know what's come over me, especially being nice to charra!

[Skgv]

yeh don't know what's come over me, especially being nice to charra!

Sobered up now. Thanks Alex xxx

[Mordeca]

great replies, thanks..

to clarify..

I don't 100% rely on my poker winning for life expenses, however I am self employed so I haven't got a stable monthly income either.

My business is in the starting stages, so money is tight and more or less breaking even each month.

I play poker on a part time basis, mainly every sunday, and some evenings mid week.

I did play for a living around 2 years ago, but couldn't handle the swings etc, so thought I'd take a less stressful approach to life and go self employed and pay taxes instead.

Anyway..

@dino1980

I do take quite a few shots at the sats into the bigger events.
I've won seats into the sunday million in the past, but had no joy in the actual event..

binked a cheap feeder tonight, into the 55 euro sat for DTD 500 deep-stack, which plays tomorrow night, so hopefully win a seat for that!

@kinboshi

tried & failed lol

@suuPRlim

When ever I've had a decent bankroll (£1.5k) abi £5-7 - i've always been really good with it, and managed it well.. generally getting really close to doubling the roll if I had laddered a few more spot on final tables etc..

However sometimes the roll just flat lines, and eventually starts going south.
When it gets down to the £750 mark, I start to gamble it up a little and start taking shots, which is obviously a bad idea, and should be doing the opposite and start playing smaller.

So I do like your idea of using the extra amount on top of the initial BR to take shots.

But then @skolsuper makes a good point too!


@cambridgealex

I've been a regular reader of your diary, and your progress has been so sick! maybe one day I'll win a big live tounrey too... better get binking the seats first!

I really thought the last DTD 500 was my time like all of the other day two returning players, but only managed the min cash!


@honeybadger

great post, and great story.
Sounds like you have great work ethic and have solid discipline to get to where you are now, hats off.


Overall I need to think about what I want from poker...

and making a big score is always on my mind as I don't have the hours to grind any more, but can't really afford to take multiple shots all the time too..

I have a roll of around £1.5k, so could grind 200 tounreys, ABI £7.5 games
or take a few higher shots first, then start grinding if it doesn't work out.. humm