Holiday Thoughts and Wishes

I know this is a blog about poker, but Christmas tends to be one of those reflective times of the year so I thought I would use this time to reflect back over the past couple of months and give thanks to those that have helped me out since my return to (semi) serious poker playing.

I started out August 1st with a small-ish deposit of $400 and thought I could make a go of it at $50plo. Man was I ever wrong. Found out quickly how bad an idea that was, but thankfully with the deposit bonus and the rakeback, I was kept afloat in those early days. I started posting a pile of hands and getting advice from the regulars on FCP. I redeposited another $200 and went back to work.

I dropped down to $25plo, where I had a much better concept of bankroll management and started putting in some hands. I don't think I won anything in September or October, with rakeback keeping me going, but the bankroll declining. Still tried to keep posting hands and reading and learning from those with more experience.

By the end of October, I'd had enough. I felt like I was playing my heart out, but just wasn't seeing the results and wasn't getting any better. I had $250 left with one day to go in the month. I was at my wits' end and ready to call it quits. I'd already promised that I would take whatever rakeback I got at the beginning of November and cash it out, hoping to recoup some of my original investment.

Out of boredom or stupidity, I decided to play a couple of tournaments on the 31st of October. I put a stake thread on the forum and bought four guys in to a plo tournament, then I entered the $10 rebuy. ($10 rebuy with $200 in my account...a bit out of my bankroll) The four horses in the plo tourney went nowhere -- another member of fcp piggybacked on to the idea, and staked ONE guy from the same thread I created -- That guy went on to win the tournament...That pretty much sums up how my month had gone.

While I was watching my stake players lose my money, I actually started building a stack in the $10r tourney. I was running well in the third hour when I got involved in a big hand. I flopped two pair and got a guy all in where I was 80% to 20% with one card to come. Of course, he hit the card he needed and I was crippled. I was so dejected, but still had a few chips left to work with. An hour later, I'd built back to a top 20 stack and had it going again, feeling good. Get dealt KK and push preflop when the blinds and antes were becoming a factor. The guy in the big blind calls with 99 (another 80% / 20% hand) and flops a 9 on me to take the pot and cripple me yet again. I was ready to break something. We were already in the money, and if I'd held on that hand, I would have had a huge stack and been among the top couple of guys - instead, I was back struggling for my tourney life again.

Thankfully, I got lucky soon thereafter and tripled up in one hand. I had I think AQ and beat out two underpairs, jacks and eights if I recall. From there I cruised to the final table - I just couldn't get anything much going on the final table, but I did end up finishing third. Who were the two ahead of me?? Oh - BOTH of the two clowns from the hands I mentioned above, who I had both of them all in as 4/1 underdogs and they sucked out on me. That was tough to swallow, but the $1,750 that I took home helped to ease the pain.

So in one day, my roll went from $250 to $1900 and I was no longer planning on quitting the game, but instead pondering moving up in limits to play $50 plo...It was almost too good to be true.

That score allowed me to play in the November version of the $4.40 challenge on the forum as well. I started out on fire, I think I had 4 final tables in my first 7 tournaments. I just couldn't win one for the life of me. The best chance I had I ended up going out in 7th place, losing with AA to KK all in preflop for what would have been a monster chiplead. The point scoring was so heavily weighted for the winners though that it was still a close race. I think I went in to the last tournament with a one point lead on the guy in second. Unfortunately, he decided to totally own the last tourney we played, taking 3rd place, and I went out somewhere in the 40's to end up in second place. It was ok though, I was still happy with my play throughout and the score added a bit to the bankroll.

I've been playing $50plo pretty much exclusively this month, but for a little stint at both $25 and $100. I started out the month just on fire. I was hitting everything in sight and thought I finally had the game figured out. Then.......it all fell apart. I went on a huge downswing. I couldn't win an 80/20 to save my life, and forget ever hitting a coinflip. When you're running like that, the grind of poker really can get to you. Thankfully this last week or so, I've turned it around and am grinding my way back close to even. I'll be ok by the end of the month, and rakeback and FTP's year end bonus will put me right back in line with where I should be. I might treat myself to an Ipod or something shiny with all my FTP points next month too - we'll have to see.

Last but not least, I just wanted to mention that I am eternally grateful to a few people who've worked with me through the past couple of months. BudBundy (Firat), Simo8Ball (Mark), and TheBigLebowski (Jim) have been the only thing that's kept me from quitting at times. I appreciate the help and support and advice that they've given me more than any of them know.

Thanks to them, and anyone that reads this, and I hope each and every one of you have a happy and safe holiday season.