playing scared (long)

hi all,


This is my first post here but i feel that by the sheer quality of responses i have seen to other peoples queries that i will get an informed answer.


I am a uk based poker player whom plays poker mainly recreationally during vacations from my duties as a student!!!


I seem to be able to make a good profit on the local £10 and £20 pot limit holdem comps at blackpool, salford and walsall as i am able to play what i consider to be my A' game, tight but aggresive and not afraid to make moves. However when i step up to £100 and £250 buy in comps with rebuys something happens, i become a rock of granite like proportions. I can't seem able to get beyond the fear of having to buy in for another £250 so subsequently i end up being a push over to others at my table who clearly pick up on my weakness.


How can i overcome this fear, or is it just a case of taking a step to far to quickly and i should not bother with these sort of higher buy in comps yet.


p.s i dont have anything resembling a bankroll yet and so am playing with either winnings form the smaller comps, (infrequent and not substantial) or earnings from my part time job.


Any ideas on how to play against this pyschological barrier would be much appreciated

Don't play the larger comps. What's the point? I don't say that you have not got the ability, though the standard should be higher, but why give yourself the aggravation?


There is a quote by Roy West, who writes for Card Player: "Play the game you can beat, not the game you want to beat". That's why I am sat at home waiting to go out for a cash game rather than playing in the £1,500 competition in Luton right now.


David Young

> How can i overcome this fear


You cannot and you should not, as your fear is obviously well reasoned. If you don't have an adequate bankroll, it's a simple mathematical fact that you are doomed to go broke most of the time, even if you would be able to play your A game, esp. when playing such a high variance game as rebuy poker tourneys are.


cu


Ignatius

Come on David, live a little ! Very few players win immediately when they step up a level, whether it's from home games / Internet to £10-£20 or from the latter to £100+.


Billy, as you become more experienced and confident then you will learn how to deal with the problems you cite. Don't go mad but take a shot every now and then and make sure you learn the lessons and watch the good players carefully. In time it will come.


Andy.

You will only overcome the fear through 1 of 2 ways that I know of.


First is overcoming all fear of losing money. There are many gamblers like this. Some of them are great players, but are still broke all the time, because they have no fear and move into the biggest game available if they have the buyin. They don't care if that buyin is every penny they presently own.


Second is having the amount of money at stake not being very important to your life. If you have $10,000 in the bank, then the prospect of losing 100 or 200 probably doesn't bother you. Then, you can play your best game, at least as far as fear goes, because there is none.


You should stick to the $10 events until you've built up a bankroll big enough that you won't mind losing another couple hundred in the big tourney, and only then enter the big tourney.


Either that, or accept the fact that you won't be able to play your best, aggressive game at the higher stakes.


Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)