Well what a strange month last month was. And what a struggle!
I can't say that I have suffered particularly from bad beats or that the cards have dried up, it was just a major struggle to make a profit. So why?
Well it appears on reflection that I was getting my fair share of big starting hands in cash games. The problem was that I was getting them when no one else wanted to join in the fun. So whereas I would expect to extract a reasonable profit from the top 5 starting hands then I was merely taking the blinds down or pushing the limpers out. The other hands that I was getting (the ones that are nice to play but do not withstand much pressure) I was getting completely out of position or the table dynamics were not right to play them without much risk.
So it is now totally clear that there are many other factors at work here other than merely getting your fare share of the luck of the cards. You also need to get your cards in the right position and/or with the right types of players.
So the struggle was merely that of making a profit over the blinds, which you wouldn't have thought would be a problem in a cash game where the blinds are static. As well as making a profit above the one or two losses you are bound to make. Normally though these would be offset against the big wins you get.
So what did I change to grind out a profit for the month.
Firstly, I DIDN'T CHANGE MY GAME. Why should I? It is a formula that has been winning in the past!
Secondly, to relieve the pressure on my bankroll I jostled with the game levels. I dropped down when I was losing (even below my normal lowest at one point). Then returned to my normal levels when making a small winning. In essence performed very strict bank rolling methods.
Thirdly, I played where I would make a bonus. This is something I normally do anyway because the bonuses can add value to winning sessions and reduce the impact of losing ones.
Lastly, as I always do, I vowed not to make a loss. I had to do what it takes to make that balance above $0, even if it meant I was only going to make $1 profit that month. I made a bit more than that in the end - but not much more!!
So all in all it feels like February was a bit of a waste of pokering time and it leaves me with the following questions:
Was I right to drop down the levels in order to make a profit?
Did I inhibit my playing by putting so much pressure on myself to make the profit?
I've still yet to answer them but I do know that my goal is always to never lose!
Until later
Keep it Tight
10 years ago
