Do I have a problem ?

Anadrol 50 · #1 12-15-2003, 10:47 PM

I diligently built up my Party account to over 1500 in 7 weeks playing 1-2, 2-4 and 3-6. Tonite, for some reason I entered a 10-20 and 15-30 and lost all but $300 in 1 hour. When I was done, I didn't even realize what I did. I was not under the influence of any mind altering substances.

morgant · #2 12-15-2003, 11:45 PM

i hope you dont have a problem as i have done the same thing. consider it a harsh way of learning. have gone on major rushes and pushed myself too hard in limits way too high, and i have repeated that silly mistake a couple of times. at this point i have learned my lesson and found some levels that i am comfortable with, but whos to say what happens on my next rush.....hopefully i can stick to my guns and slowly move into higher limits when the time is right. just take from it what you can and start rebuilding again and next time you will think twice about throwing several months of persistance and hard work down the drain.

CrisBrown · #3 12-15-2003, 11:57 PM

Hi Anadrol,

I guess the question is: why did you move up to the higher stakes? The good news is that you left yourself enough of a bankroll that you can rebuild with careful play. If you take from that a lesson -- that it's a lot easier to lose the money than to win it -- consider this a good learning exercise and move on. If you find yourself doing it again, though, you might want to ask yourself why you want to work so hard to build a bankroll, then blow it at stakes you're not ready to handle....

Cris

Al Schoonmaker · #4 12-16-2003, 01:37 AM

Anadrol,
Yes, you do have a problem, and it is a common one. You moved up MUCH too fast, and you put FAR too large a percentage of your bankroll at risk.
Moving up is not something you should do on an impulse. It should be part of a carefully developed plan. For example, Barry Tanenbaum, who writes for Card Player, has said that you should have 1,000 hours of winning one BB per hour at 1/2 before moving to 2/4, 1,000 at that limit before moving to the next one, and so on. You should never move up more than one level at a time. You jumped from 3/6 to 15/30.
If you (or anyone else) email me at BOTH alannschoonmaker@hotmail.com and alannschoonmaker@cs.com, I will send you a series of articles on Moving Up. It says why and how you should do it. Or whether you should NOT do it.
Regards,
Al

bernie · #5 12-16-2003, 02:13 AM

i think we've all done something like that at one time or another. Al has it dead on. bankroll fluctuation and requirements can be very tough to really believe in until you do this once or a few times. then once you really understand the possibility of the swings and the risk of ruin pertaining to BR size, youll realize why you need that cushion.

it's something many know about, but have yet to really learn it. and it can take awhile to really hit home. you actually didnt really have a sustaining BR for 3-6. though you were very close.

you did this once. it's not a pattern. (yet) you havent said you were chasing your losses. and there's nothing wrong with taking a shot at a higher limit. just dont put a great portion of your roll at risk when you do it. it may take you longer than 7 weeks to recoup that loss. which may also add value to your thoughts on taking a shot at a higher limit.

it's a problem if you dont learn from it eventually and keep doing it.

b

PlanoPoker · #6 12-17-2003, 02:12 PM

Something broke you and you decided to take a shot. I can think of any number of things that make a person do this. I did it once as well. What interests me more is the fact that you can't give a reason for why you did it. If you really don't know, then you are not very mindful. You have to really study what caused you to do it this first time, or it will keep happening over and over.

lil' · #7 12-17-2003, 07:03 PM

I've done that. Sucks, doesn't it? You feel like a complete idiot afterward. It's an expensive lesson that a lot of players learn at one time or another. You think, "I can run over this cheesey 2-4 game, so I can beat the 15-30! It's the same game, right?" The game's the same, but the players are different, and the steep price to play messes with your mind.

Next time you are tempted to do it, remember how you feel today. You'll play in that game someday with a proper bankroll, but there aren't really any shortcuts in the meantime. When you build that bankroll back up, you'll feel like a real poker player again.

Girchuck · #8 12-18-2003, 12:21 AM

I have build up my bankrol to 700BB playing $2-$4 and below, but I can't make myself even take a shot at $3-$6 game, because I'm afaid of losing to all the good players who must be playing $3-$6. It is completely irrational since I couldn't possibly lose it all in a single session.
What kind of mental excersize should I perform to climb to the next level.

LJH · #9 12-18-2003, 12:41 AM

YOU HAVE A BIG PROBLEM. YOU WERE NOT READY FOR THE BIG LEAGUE. GET SOOME GOOD BOOKS----KILLER POKER FOR EXAMPLE LJH

Cyndie · #10 12-18-2003, 01:25 AM

The only disagreement I have with the suggestions you make about moving up...my own favorite when I move up a limit is to move up two limits with a hit and run bankroll...small buy in to play very tight, just so the "lower limit" which is one step up, will not feel so daunting.

The other is your time frame of 1,000 hours...if you are talking about 1,000 hours of 40 hands per hour, or 40,000 hands...that can easily be done in 40 days online. Surely there is some factor you would consider to modify the 1,000 hours to compensate for the possibility of multiple tables, and faster deals.