TexasHoldem-Poker.com Forum

Since my last post...

I tried moving up a limit to .10/.25 and had a horrible run. I played bad and ran bad! The $330 that I made dwindled down to about $150 from aug. till around the begining of Jan.

Im happy to say that I worked it all back plus some!!

I now sit just over $400

I dabble between .05/.10 and .10/.25
I play random $1.00-$6.00 MTTs cashing in them from time to time.
My best finish is 2nd or 3rd Ive yet to win one which is what I need to work on. I do well holding my own through the beginning of the tournament but as the later levels creep up I find myself more worried about coasting in to the money then aiming to win and it becomes a fight to find good cards.
Im off to bed

Well it finally happened. I finally lost my very first $20 investment at UB. Actually, I'm pretty proud of myself that it lasted so long. After I lost the last few cent of it playing .02 and .04 limit, I was initially a little distraught, but not as much as I thought I'd be. From what I read and heard from others, going bust when you first start playing is pretty common. In fact, I heard that most (95% I think) of players in general lose.

So while being out twenty bucks is a bummer, I think I'll have to look at it as a $20 poker lesson. For one, I was able to get a feel for how players act when they are playing with their own money. There is a definite difference in how someone plays when its actual money and after playing, I highly doubt I'll be playing "play money" games anytime soon.

I also got a chance to really see the dynamics of the game itself play out, which was eye opening. Even at super low steaks. I was able to use the "real" dynamic to test out different...

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When I decided to learn poker, I spent a lot of time haunting forums (this one in particular) searching for recommendations of books that would help me understand the game and make me a better player. I bought and read Holdem for dummiesand Poker Theory and read (and sort of understood) them. I liked them both and they definatley help me with strategy.

The next book on my list was one that a friend had given me. He (like me) is a big fan a of televised poker and as a poker player he is devoted fan and desiple of Phil Hellmuth. So when he handed me Hellmuth's Play Poker like the Pro's I was understanably skepitcal. I have always been suspicious of any book that claim to teach you the "secrets" of any sport. Often the skill required to master and pro's "system" is way beyond any beginner anyway, and you usually end up learning little and lining Mr. Pro's pocket with you hard earned cash.

So despite...

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As a journalist,it seems I am drawn to enterprises which are both high risk and fairly unprofitable (hence my career choice), so when I got hooked on Holdem by a close friend. It was only a matter of time before I decide to put down some of my hard earned dollars online.

First let me say I love the game. I am a recovering Chess player and was glad to find a game that offers a lot of the same challenges. Poker also has an exciting element of chance, and unlike Chess, poker has never prevented me from getting laid in High School...but I digress.

After playing some free games and some home games with friends I threw down $20 and started in with a Limit Holdem .05/.10 game and after about 15 mins of play won a WHOLE DOLLAR. It was a magical moment, I assure you.

Anyway I wanted to use my first blog to thank THP for all your help. All the information on this site (the forums in particular) were very helpful and I could not have won my hard earned $1 without you!

Note: Shortly...

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1) We tilt very easily - As beginners, we have the tendency to tilt ourselves at every opportunity. It often doesn't even matter if we're winning or losing. If things aren't going exactly how we want them to, our focus quickly decreases -- and our profit goes with it.

2) We hope for too much - Why do we hope to get lucky to win instead of playing profitably? Why do we make blind calls every round hoping that we'll spike a pair? And why do we beat ourselves up after we lose money to these foolish decisions? I can't hope to know the answers myself, but I do know that hoping too much tends to lower our profit.

3) We don't see what's profitable - We don't see what the best choices are when...

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