Short-term Stop Loss Program

Since I've been on a bit of a bad streak and I don't have a lot of time to recover for the three months $3000 challenge, I've decided to try a bit of a stop loss program on my cash games.  Usually I buy in for $200 and have 3 buy-ins for a potential total loss of $600 for a session.  Instead I'm going to try to buy in for $160, and have two extra bullets of $120, for a total of $400.  This should still give me a chance to take advantage of a good game, but also limit my losses if I'm not playing as well as I think I am.

I normally buy in for the maximum allowed because I tend to play better with a deeper stack.  But recently I've been running bad, so it seems like a good idea limit my losses at least until I have my confidence back

Largest Career Downswing

Recently I've had over a $1,600 downswing while attempting my 3 Months $3,000 challenge.  I looked over my records and it is the largest downswing I've ever had in my live poker career.  $1,600 is eight buy-ins to my average $2-60 spread-limit hold'em game.  I've had a 12 buy-in downswing in my online play (although that was for smaller stakes).  I don't have very many downswings more than 3 or 4 buy-ins, so this is a major downswing for me.  But I don't think 8 buy-ins is too far out of the norm.  I'm just going to make sure I'm focused and prepared next time I play.  I'm ready for a comeback!

CLARIFICATION: The downswing I'm referring to is consecutive downswings without booking a win.  If you include intermediate wins, then my largest downswing is closer to 10 buy-ins.

Crash and Burn Continued

The run bad continues.  In fact I've never had a downswing this large playing live poker.  I know a lot of it is just being on the bad side of variance.  I've been on the good side of variance before, so I can't complain when things even out.  Just suck to happen when I'm publicly tracking everything.  I think I'll take a few days off, make sure I'm in a good mental state and then play again.  I have a $1,300 hold to dig myself out of when I start back up.

Crash and Burn

Thursday night I went to the card room to try to schedule an interview with the tournament director.  After that was accomplished I thought I'd play for a little while.  It was one of those nights where nothing went right.  Chips were flowing freely around the table, but none seemed to head in my direction.

I honestly don't think I was playing that badly, not that I didn't make any mistakes.  I think it was largely just variance.  After losing 3 buy-ins ($600) I decided to call it a night.  After all one of the most insidious aspects of tilt is that you can't always tell when you aren't playing your best.  So even though I think I could have still beat the game, I left.  In retrospect I think that was a good idea.  Even if the game was beatable, I think there are softer games.  And I don't want to by trying to "chase" my losses.  It's better to start fresh with a clean slate.

Normally after a bad session I might take a couple of weeks off, to make sure I reset my mental state.  But with this challenge I don't have that luxury, so a couple of days will have to do.

Day 2

Today I won a little bit in a cash game while waiting for a tournament.  I busted out of the tournament just shy of the money.  I probably should have stayed in the cash game.  It was a good game and higher EV than the tournament.  Still had a fun night though.

That's two winning days in a row so far.  Not a bad start.

First Sessions

I played my first session today.  I started off playing a $5,000 free roll.  Well sort of.  You start with 2000 chips, and a $10 add on gives you an additional 5000 in chips.  I got a little carried away and ended up spending $133 on the "free roll".  (13 add on plus $3 in tips for drinks.)  In retrospect I think I spent too much on add on  I think 4-6 would have been reasonable.  There were over 600 players. It paid 60 places and I busted somewhere in the 90's.  First place payed over $4,000.

After I busted I switched over to cash games.  There I was able to re-coup my losses and  make a little profit after grinding for 4 hours.  Up $146 for the day.

January 2012 Ante Up Magazine Article

This month I interview Bryan Mileski of the Mid-States Poker Tour.

http://www.anteupmagazine.com/featured-column/surma-wins-record-setting-mspt-event.htm