As I started this race to 250, my goal was to improve my playing and courage others to do the same. I had almost 3 years brake in poker and I sure lost the touch during that time. I have never played high limits, but I got to quite high for me before and I sure would like to get back there. Though, online poker is much much more tougher now, than it was few years ago. Of course micro limits are still home for calling stations and river hunters, but if you hop into .25/.50 NLHE game, you find that people can play the game pretty well.
What did this race give me? For sure it got me focused on the bankroll management (which was one of the goals), but even more it got me to focus when to quit. I had many 10-15 min sessions, where I doubled or tripled the buyin and I ran away. I thought, ok I got 200% win, time to quit. Maybe I could of won more, or lost everything if I continued, but that was one of my goals. When you are up, know when to quit, don’t reach for the moon and the sun, but take what you have and be happy with that.
Sure I had a lot of luck, other wise I wouldn’t be able to do this so quickly. But I think my strongest point was (which I doubt, no one else did in the race) I always followed 2-3 tables before joining in and chose the best one for me. I think that was crusial for the success.
Why? Then you don’t need to pay to learn your opponents. You know at least some of their moves before hand, you know which kind of players they are and they have absolutely no idea who you are and what you do. I think that gives me the edge in 1st 10 to 15 mins, where I always made my biggest wins. And before they even notised who I was and how I play, I was gone with their money.
Other reason to do the race was to gather the Twitter buddies together. I really love each one of the poker guys there and I truly think they are great bunch of people. I love the #TPT idea and I want to continue support that too. I hope we can have another race after we finnish this one. Maybe focusing to some other areas of the game. I think that these kinds of gatherings helps every one’s plays a lot and little competition makes it even more fun. What I would like to see more is some hands that people have played as I really enjoy seeing how other people play. I tried to email some of my hands to the other race guys, which I thought were some what good.
In last 4 weeks I have learned so much of poker, that I think I might have a chance not to destroy my bankroll in any time soon (knock knock). I know that my biggest strengths are reading opponents, but I still want to learn so much more. I really want to be up there, on a level that I might fight with the best. They are only humas too…
Thanks to every one who has been playing and supporting my journey so far. It has been truly a good fun…
Tags: poker race 250 thoughts
May 27, 2009 at 8:57 pm |
When you first mentioned the “race to 250″ I really did not want to do it. I knew it would be hard work and it is and that it would place me in the position of having to evaluate my poker playing ability.
You really have a way of encourage the best out of us. The process is still ongoing for me, but I will try to accomplish what I have set out to do even if there is no reward for me to do so even though the attainment of the goal would be reward enough.
Even though our only contact has been through online poker, twitter and email, I would like to think of you as a friend. I certainly have appreciated your thoughts and encouragement – even when I donked out at a couple of tourneys that you “railed” me on.
This entire process has been a growing opportunity for me.
Thank you,
Steve