How to make a comeback

[wrongpond]

I have spent the last year learning to play poker well. I guess I learned somewhat quickly, but it took a $500 dollar chunk out of my pocketbook. It might have been less, but I refused to play in the small games where a bunch of jokers get together and just throw chips around. I learned how to do that when I was 8, but back to the point. I have won back my losses and am now up a couple hundred bucks, mostly at 1-2 no-limit, and small buy-in tournaments, but some at pot-limit and limit. I know I'm rambling a bit here, but I'm at work on the last hour of 16 straight so please try to forgive me. My reason for posting is this, I have to take a break from poker of about 3 months for reasons beyond my control, but I don't want to lose all the work I've put in. I especially don't want to lose my feel for reading people, which I think is making up for several leaks in my game, but card-sense and table-sense would definately be missed as well. So I was wondering if anybody has ideas on ways to stay sharp? That way I don't piss away the $200 I have won as soon as I get back in the swing of things.

[bisonbison]

If you can't beat a game where a bunch of jokers get together and just throw chips around, you're going to have a hard time coming back.

Swallow the pride. Learn to beat criminally loose games.

[wrongpond]

I think I wasn't clear, I can beat those games now and it wouldn't have taken much for me to learn to beat them right when I started, but my reason for not playing them was better then pride. I wanted to learn from playing against better players as well as the other resources I was using. I think that if it's within your means it can really be a jump start for your learning experience, but what I'm really asking here is if someone had an exercise or two to keep their skills at least semi-sharp while taking extended breaks from playing?

[wrongpond]

I'm gonna take the lack of responses as a no, so I guess I'll just have to be content to read my copy of TOP and scrutinize everybody elses posts

[Girazze]

I thought about this the other day but haven't done it yet. It may keep you sharp during your off times. I thought about taking a deck of cards and dealing poker hands. Take two cards that you are somewhat in doubt about as what to do with them at times and place them in front of you. these will be your dealt cards. Now deal the rest of the hands to 9 imaginary players, deal the flop, turn, and river. See how often your hand will come out on top. I know that just knowing the percentages would give you insight to this but maybe something will be triggered in your brain by this. Can't hurt and would definitely keep you occupied and thinking. Just a thought!

[wrongpond]

A good thought too, I remeber doing this with flops when I first started to take poker seriously. I would deal like 100 flops and try and pick out what the best possible hand was in an attempt to speed up my thought process during games. I like this idea and will try it, but let me just say that you are the only person who has offered anything of value on this subject, and I appreciate it very much.

[Girazze]

I'm a newbie so I try to give as much help as I'm receiving. Glad to be of assistance!

[Kenrick]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm gonna take the lack of responses as a no, so I guess I'll just have to be content to read my copy of TOP and scrutinize everybody elses posts

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know how many replies you expected when you first posted at 3 a.m. and then posted the above at 7 p.m. the same day.

If nothing else, look forward to those three months as being time to pretty much memorize your favorite poker books. Making a tough play is easier when you already know in your head word for word what your favorite experts say to do.

[Zele]

I don't play enough NL to say for sure, and you didn't say what buy-in/size tournments you play or what limits at limit ring games, but if they are comparable in size to $1-$2 NL I think the fact that you are even worried about that $200 is dangerous. Close your eyes, play your best for several hundred hours (minimum), and count your money then.

[wrongpond]

The tournaments I play all have a buy-in between $20 and $50 no rebuys and typically pay the top 10% of finishers, the sizes range from 20 to 100 players. They usually pay a headhunter prize and sometimes they pay a bad beat prize as well.