baggins
03-28-2004, 03:19 AM
And I don't mean - first time you played, or some cocky answer... seriously, when was the first time you analyzed your game and knew that you had what it takes to win (at whatever level...)?
For me, it was about 3 years ago. I was playing 5-10 (i know it's not a hard game to beat, but considering the $5 rake + $1 jackpot drop, it takes skill...) at Harrah's in Indiana. I had really only been a mediocre flounder at best for the first couple years I played. I really only started seriously learning and playing holdem when I lived in L.A. briefly. anybody who's played out there in the LL games knows that it doesn't take much to win at those games. the average opponent would do better to spend half their bankroll on the lottery and just give you the other half as opposed to playing poker.
but when I moved back to Chicago, the games here are waaaay tighter, even at the LL level. I had to relearn what I had worked on in LA. I had to learn to play tighter, push harder, and read better. my biggest weakness was playing too many starting hands (as is common for a new player). I was so used to being able to play weaker hands like offsuit connectors and sooted cards like 9 /images/graemlins/heart.gif3 /images/graemlins/heart.gif because if I had a strong draw on the flop, there'd still be plenty of players to pay me off on to the river.
anyway, I remember a losing session I had about 6 months after moving back here. I was playing 5-10 and had been getting better with the stuff i needed to work on. my play was tighter, I was more aggressive, and I was paying more attention to my opponents and getting better reads on them. I went through 2 $200 buy-ins before I hit the felt, and decided it wasn't my night. but I also analyzed my play, and realized that I mostly got blinded to death, as I threw away garbage hand after garbage hand. I watched every hand I threw away, and saw that, even if I HAD played, I would not have won the hand. and the few hands I invested in and lost, I folded at the right time or simply got outdrawn and usually knew it. I think I won 2 small pots that entire session.
I left, feeling a little down about my loss, but really happy that I played a good game and played tight for as long as it took, no matter what. I was confident that I had what it took as far as discipline to play a good solid game and not play trash when i get bored of folding. I was also confident in my increased accuracy in reading my opponents. and, thirdly, I was confident because the few pots I did enter I raised every time, and pushed with adequate agression when I was involved.
I walked to my car, and I had a huge smile on my face because it just... clicked... in my head that I knew I could play this game right.
any other moments of epiphany in your poker careers?
For me, it was about 3 years ago. I was playing 5-10 (i know it's not a hard game to beat, but considering the $5 rake + $1 jackpot drop, it takes skill...) at Harrah's in Indiana. I had really only been a mediocre flounder at best for the first couple years I played. I really only started seriously learning and playing holdem when I lived in L.A. briefly. anybody who's played out there in the LL games knows that it doesn't take much to win at those games. the average opponent would do better to spend half their bankroll on the lottery and just give you the other half as opposed to playing poker.
but when I moved back to Chicago, the games here are waaaay tighter, even at the LL level. I had to relearn what I had worked on in LA. I had to learn to play tighter, push harder, and read better. my biggest weakness was playing too many starting hands (as is common for a new player). I was so used to being able to play weaker hands like offsuit connectors and sooted cards like 9 /images/graemlins/heart.gif3 /images/graemlins/heart.gif because if I had a strong draw on the flop, there'd still be plenty of players to pay me off on to the river.
anyway, I remember a losing session I had about 6 months after moving back here. I was playing 5-10 and had been getting better with the stuff i needed to work on. my play was tighter, I was more aggressive, and I was paying more attention to my opponents and getting better reads on them. I went through 2 $200 buy-ins before I hit the felt, and decided it wasn't my night. but I also analyzed my play, and realized that I mostly got blinded to death, as I threw away garbage hand after garbage hand. I watched every hand I threw away, and saw that, even if I HAD played, I would not have won the hand. and the few hands I invested in and lost, I folded at the right time or simply got outdrawn and usually knew it. I think I won 2 small pots that entire session.
I left, feeling a little down about my loss, but really happy that I played a good game and played tight for as long as it took, no matter what. I was confident that I had what it took as far as discipline to play a good solid game and not play trash when i get bored of folding. I was also confident in my increased accuracy in reading my opponents. and, thirdly, I was confident because the few pots I did enter I raised every time, and pushed with adequate agression when I was involved.
I walked to my car, and I had a huge smile on my face because it just... clicked... in my head that I knew I could play this game right.
any other moments of epiphany in your poker careers?