AFTER THE FALL

I had been running so good that I was bound for a fall. It finally came two weekends ago. I got into some NL ring games, thinking myself impenatrable, and I wound up blowing a huge stack over the course of a few days. I was playing like an over-aggressive idiot, and refusing to take a break to right my game. I went through about $1700 or so. Of course, this was not real money, just profit, but it could have become real money, so it was no good all the same.

After Vegas, I was done with poker for awhile. Finally, I was lured back in, to find that I was playing my A game and making a bundle. My play the past couple of months has financed a paint job, a new garage door w/opener, and an Apple iBook, as well as a few nice nights out with the wife. It all came crashing down and I was left with no bankroll and a bad taste in my mouth. I took another break, and wondered if I was done with poker for awhile or if I was going to get straight and earn my money back.

Saturday night, I was ready to jump back in. I used the 1-900 number to put $100 in my account, knowing that this would incur a 10% hidden charge on my phone bill. I played only $3-6 limit that night and did very well. Once I had some cash, I played some $1-2 NL, which is a very profitable game over time due to the experience gap between me and the fish who are there transitioning to real money.

Tonight, I managed to finish 3 of 138 in the 10P tourney which brought in $345, upping my $100 buy in to $813. I was going strong in the tourney. When it got down to three-way, I played very aggressively, and found action at all the right times. I ended up dying when I went all in against a raise with AQ and lost to 88. I am a good aggressive player in the late stages of tournament play. My recent troubles began when I attempted a $10-20 ring table and found other experienced players who were trumping me on aggression. I was back to being the check-call, check-fold guy. I got frustrated and took my bad mojo to NL and it was soon to be bankruptcy for me. I have never had luck in $10-20. That is the place I go to die. At some point, I will need to make that jump, but for now, I'm going to maximize my profits the old-fashioned way, against players who have no business playing in $3-6 or NL games.