Humble Pie

[DrPhysic]

This post is not one I think a lot of people would make, or enjoy making, but I think the
humble pie is worth the effort, because I don't think I'm the only one in similar circumstance, and because if anyone can help it’s the 2+2 guys (and girls). There are three recent posts that initiated this:

The thread on Zoo: Who here makes over $20/Hr?
The thread on TF: Winning % in Sit N Go's
And CrisBrown’s quote in "Suggestions" post by thomastem: "Yup. Figure your first $1000 is tuition for "poker school" and don't expect to make much profit from it. You may be the exception, having a lot of ring game experience. And of course reading here may help a lot. But you still have to pay your tuition money."

Now I know Poker players wouldn't lie, (Stretch the truth a little maybe). But 2+2 makes it sound like everybody on the site is making $30-$50 an hour, and winning 50%-70% of their sit&go's.

Well, I'm not. I have spent Cris's grand. Partly on books, partly on 1/2, 2/4 ring tables,
partly on SNG's and regular tournaments.

I got on line Sept 15 after reading some of DS's books while on vacation.

I have read TOP(twice), GTBOI(twice), HEP, HEPFAP, Hellmuth, 5th Street, finishing SS now. I have found several articles interesting especially "The Different Stages in a Player's Life" RZ, Skill, Luck, Tortoise, Hare DS, & On Tilt MM. I bought TPFAP DS today, and plan to read PL&NL Poker Reuben and Ciaffone next. (and 22 more books on the list after that.)

I play mostly on Stars, some 1/2 or 2/4 LHE ring, but mostly 10+1 SNGs, and 10&under buyin Tourns both LHE and NLHE. Still learning the differences between LHE & NLHE, either ring or tournament. I consider the low buyin tournaments as an investment more than a loss, because I get lots of hands of poker at a fixed price, and if I win, as I started out to do, that’s fine.

I won 2nd in the SNG two weeks ago, and that was the only one I had won this year. (Update: cashed 4 straight SNG’s on Party Sunday.) I have won $3+addons satellites to get in the Stars 200+15 or 500+30 NLHE four times but not cashed in the tourns. 133rd, 156th, 84th, 400th.

The situation I have found myself in recently is simple: I couldn't win a buck if I was
the only person at the table. And I am NOT on tilt. I'm not playing or betting crazy, If
anything I play too tight. I well know that I need more experience, especially on short
tables. Under my name it says enthusiast, and I am, but I am also a learner, and know I have a long way to go to be a good HE player much less a good poker player.

Now, the $900 plus books that I'm out at the moment isn't killing me. I’m not gambling with the grocery money. I spend 12K a year on Spurs season tickets and as much on fly fishing vacations. That probably makes me one of Cris's "Weak rich fish". (Which I feel like some of the time.)

I am also smart enough to know that when you sit down to learn a new card game at this level you pay your dues. I did it 15 years ago at Hollywood Gin, and 10 years ago at Blackjack. I bring home their money today most of the time at either game. Anyone wanna play gin? I could re-stake myself for poker pretty quickly. Before September I was a better than average kitchen table poker player. I decided to learn it well enough to play with you guys.

I am making this post for a couple of reasons.

One is to let the other learners out there know that all the poker players in the world are
not making $20 and hour or cashing 70% of their SNGs. You're not alone.

The other is to ask for some assistance in formulating a plan that will get me on a winning track. Moving down to micro limits and reading more books until I learn how to play poker is of course one option. Continuing to enter 1+0, 3+0, and 10 cash tourns, and entering 3+addons to the Sunday tourns until I win one and cover the stake is a possibility, and is the one I have largely been using for the last month. It also gives me lots of hands to look at for a reasonable price. So far I haven't covered the stake. I know I need short table practice. I can beat 80% of the people in any game I've been in recently, but that is not good enough to cash. That also tells me I’m playing too tight..

The long term plan is keep playing poker, gaining experience, reading books, and reading on 2+2. At two books a month, in a year I will have finished my reading list including reading the good ones more than once (and will, of course, have a new list). And by then I will either be a solid poker player, or have enough sense to go back to Blackjack and admit this is not my game. It took me more than 4 months and cost more than a grand to learn either of my other two games.

I could use some advice on the short term plan. It would be nice to stop the bleeding.

I would also be interested in hearing from some of our better players: How long did it take you to get to a level where you were winning consistently?

(Probable answers: 1)“About a week and a half!”, 2) “My mother taught me poker while she was breast feeding me”, 3) “I was a poker player in a previous life, and was born this way”).

Thx in advance.

Doc

Ps: After the SNG tonight I entered the $3+0 on Stars. Report follows. Further comment at end of report.
__________________________________________________ ___________
PokerStars Tournament #880579, No Limit Hold'em
Super Satellite
Buy-In: $3.00
1459 players
Total Prize Pool: $4377.00
Target Tournament #839639
9 tickets to the target tournament

Tournament started - 2004/01/28 - 22:30:00 (ET)

Dear DrPhysic,

You finished the tournament in 6th place.
You qualified to play in Tournament #839639 and are automatically registered for it.
See Tournament #839639 Lobby for further details.

In addition a $188.22 award has been credited to your Real Money account.

You earned 235.76 tournament leader points in this tournament.
For information about our tournament leader board, see our web site at
http://www.pokerstars.com/tlb_tournament_rankings.htm

Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.
__________________________________________________ ____________

The $188 helps both the budget and the confidence level. However, the questions in this post are still valid. I would appreciate thoughts from my friends at 2+2.

Doc