Confucius

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
When anger rises, think of the consequences.
To see what is right, and not do it, is want of courage or principle.
The cautious seldom err.
Things that are done, it is needless to speak about - things that are past, it is needless to blame.
To go beyond, is as wrong as to fall short.
Be not ashamed of mistakes, and thus make them crimes.
Men's natures are all alike, it is their habits that carry them far.
- Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC)

Confucius would have been a poker player in another life. I am convinced of it. That is the funny thing about quotes, you can always find one to suit you, wherever you are at in life.

My poker game is going through a process of alteration. Having been fairly successful in certain aspects of the game, yet not as successful in others, I have been trying to weed out my flaws/shortcomings/weaknesses, and give them the time and attention they deserve.
As I mentioned before, I am a tournament girl. If I had the bankroll to support nothing but tournaments and SNG's (single / double table tourneys known as sit-n-go's) I am very confident that I could bring in a steady income from those alone. However, without a strong bankroll, I am forced to play the lower limit tourneys, hence eliminating the possibilities of larger payouts. There is nothing more frustrating that playing a $1.00 entry tournament, and beating out 1700 players to end up in the top 10% (or better) and only earning $2.57 for 6-7 hours of work. I don't discount the learning experience, but I am sure my point is clear.

The easy solution would be to just deposit more money into the game, to get the bankroll to where I would be comfortable playing the games I want to play. But, for many reasons, I am not going to do that. Instead, I have decided to work my bankroll up by playing more ring games, and the odd tourney/SNG.

I said the dreaded phrase. Ring games. Sends shivers down my spine.

Now don't get me wrong. I enjoy ring games. I really enjoy ring games at higher stakes. I just really hate low-limit ring games, and the type of player that they seem to attract. So, instead of avoiding them like the plague, which was my first inclination, that is exactly where I am currently focusing my attention. I have devised a strategy (spreadsheet) for these games, beginning at micro-limit, and working back up through the lower-limits, until I once again reach the limits I like playing at. Why? Why would I do this to myself? Because it is not the pro's that I fear playing. It is not the experienced rounder that is taking my chips. It is the collection of lucky fish that play any hand that are getting the better of me, so I am now facing them head on in their own game. I feel that I need to break through this barrier if I am ever truly going to be playing the quality of poker that I feel I am capable of.

How long will this process take? Undecided at this point. Could be a couple of weeks, or I could crack and it could end tomorrow. Like I said, I have devised a spreadsheet to track where I am at, and if I follow this, I will only move up levels based on the results of play that I have achieved. It is tedious, boring work, that I am confident will only improve my game in the long run. As with anything else, studying and practicing in poker are the two most beneficial things you can do, and I decided for that reason also, it is better to stick with low limits while I am trying out new strategies.

I do encourage anyone who has recently gone through a series of bad beats / terrible runs of cards / uncertainty or unhappiness with their play, to knock your game back down to a micro limit, even just for an hour. I have learned more from losing $0.17 on these tables, than I have from winning $80.00 on a "better" table.

Humility is our greatest lesson.