Why Do I Play Poker?

February 12, 2010

Full Tilt Poker – I Banned Myself

Filed under: Bad Beats, Full Tilt Poker, Poker — Tags: , , , , — WhyDoIPlayPoker @ 4:00 am

It used to be that I would put $100 in my FTP account and have a good time. Play a few sit-n-gos and win or lose, it was entertaining.

Wait, what the fuck am I saying? I NEVER and I mean NEVER have really felt that way. I am competitive to the bone and every fiber in my body always wants to win. $1, $5, $100, I don’t care. I want to be the best and I want to win. Ok, I got that off my chest.

So 2 days ago I put $100 into Full Tilt and got ready for some sit n go action.  First 2 go well, a first place and a third place. Then, I hit the skids. In the course of 2 hours, I played 6 multi table tournaments.  I play my usual game – tight early on, then open up as the blinds get higher in order to steal blinds, then when it gets to the bubble stage I either push or fold.  It usually comes down to coin flips and as everyone knows, you gotta win the flips if you’re gonna win the tourney.

I have come to accept that I am going to bust out before the money this way fairly often. It’s a bitter pill to swallow when it happens, but when I win the flips it is sweet perfection. This is a winning style of poker…..unless……

You lose every fucking coin flip.

You see, on this particular night I was running really well pre-flop. I was catching good cards, making the right folds and pushing when I had the best of it. Only problem was none of my hands would hold up. Don’t get me wrong, I am not crying bad beat here. It just sucked to be kicked in the balls over and over. I was at worst a 60/40 winner in 7 coin flip situations and didn’t win one of them. I got 2 outed, 3 outed and 4 outed over and over.

I’ll admit it. I titled. I steamed off $20 in a sit n go by pushing on the flop with a queen high flush draw. Of course I got called by the Ace high flush draw. Just one of those nights.

In the end, I realize that on line poker just isn’t for me. Call me crazy, but I did the most extreme thing I could think of.

I BANNED MYSELF FROM FTP, permanently.

Instead of donating money to undeserving poker players, I have decided the next time I want to waste $100 playing online poker, I’ll just send a check to Haiti and then go play with my son.  Better use of time. Better use of money.

I play ONLINE poker to remind myself to never again play online poker.

Why do you play? Let me know at stories@whydoiplaypoker.net

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February 3, 2010

At first I thought I was playing poker.

Filed under: Poker — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Why Do I Play Poker? @ 4:00 am

This post was going to start with me fuming on the car ride home after a dismal night at the casino.  But after a little reflection, I realized the bad night wasn’t the point, it was my bad thinking.

It started with me sitting at a $100 NLH game. There was this drunk guy, so drunk the dealer had to help him count his chips drunk. He was sitting in front of a pile of chips and raising every, and I mean every, hand.  It looked like easy money.  In a pronounced slur, he would tell anybody who listened that he had racked up over a $1000 in less than half an hour.

It was obvious this guy wasn’t walking out of the casino with one dime of this money.  I figured, why not be a pal and help him part with it.  Why wait for a great hand? This guy’s drunk, why not help myself?

I pick up a very marginal hand. It’s an insta-fold against anyone but this guy. He raises and I’m happy to get it all in.  He’s happy to call.

I have him dominated.  He catches.  Re-buy. No big deal.

Soon, I’m against him heads up again.  He puts in his auto-raise.   Once again, I figure I’m ahead and I call.  Turns out I’m right again, but moments later,  I’m out another buy-in.

This happens a few more times.

Getting the picture?  Of course you do. At first glance, I was outraged I wasn’t winning.  But then I started thinking about it.  I may have known where I was, but truthfully I was barely ahead. At best, no more than 70/30.

I never considered there was a good chance I could lose four times in a row.  In my excitement to take down the King of Coronas, I didn’t factor in the grim reality:  he had the chips to weather the storm and I didn’t.

Big mistake.

So now I realize that I didn’t even play poker that night.  I gambled on a few expensive coin flips.

And from now on, that’s not why I play poker.

Why do you play? Let me know at stories@whydoiplaypoker.net

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