Secrets of the Amateurs

So how's it going ? Well, it's not especially. I'm about $200 down on the games I have specified ($5-10 limit and $1-2 Big Bet). I have been spending quite a bit of time playing 6-handed, Hold-Em and Omaha 8, at lower levels, which is great when you're winning but rather tilt-tastic when you aren't. I was kicking ass on 6-handed 3-6 Hold-Em on Stars until this evening when I lost all my profits and some more in an horrendous series of hands. You really don't want to hear the details. Fortunately short-handed Hold-Em especially knocks bonuses off in no time, I finished off a $120 bonus on Saturday and am already half-way through another $120 in about 2 hours play today.

I am going to find the cash difficult until I can control my emotional reaction to losing. My worst habit right now is eyeing the door when I'm winning, by which I mean tightening up and tending to quit good games, and wanting to play on when I'm losing. The run of hands I lost this evening could have happened to anyone but I've probably lost 4 or 5 big bets I shouldn't have done, and quite possibly folded the best hand at least once because my judgement was off, although of course we'll never know. I need to stop as soon as I see the first signs of tilt. Here's a good article someone wrote on the subject - oh right, it was me. Well I should practise what I preach, or actually a better aphorism would be "physician heal thyself".

All the same I'm learning. Good job too because I am totally burned out with online tournaments. I played two this weekend because both sites had more than doubled the prize pool but it was really hard work, and mainly a relief to be knocked out (without having done anything wrong). I could do worse than find something else to keep me occupied for the summer at least.