On a lighter note, tonight my brother Rod (Bullets in the Hole) is hosting a NLH home game. There will be six of us altogether from what I understand, including Don, also from Bullets in the Hole. Friends, family, poker and beer. What more could one ask for! Should make for some interesting blog material, anyways!
Speaking of beer, I am bringing along some Guinness, which we can conveniently disguise as an excuse to honor Iggy going pro. We will be toasting to you tonight, Iggy! (any excuse to drink beer works for me!)
We try to get together a couple of times a month for a home game, when our schedules allow. Living in the same city, there isn't too much of an excuse, but sometimes life gets in the way. It has recently become increasingly clear to me how important times like these are.
I got married almost six months ago in Las Vegas, to my boyfriend of three years. Since we got married, he, being a computer contractor, was on contract in Edmonton, about three hours North of where we live (Calgary). Two weeks ago, he was relocated to the Toronto area, (2500 km East of here) and my daughter and I will be moving out there within the next couple of months to join him. This is the first time in over 13 years that I will be moving away from my home city, and though I am looking very forward to the change, I will be leaving behind a lot of friends and family.
Thanks to the internet, this is not quite as daunting as it would have been in the past. We can email, instant message, video conference, etc etc. Plus, we can play poker together online. However, nothing beats the home game, and I am looking forward to tonight as it may be one of the last ones for quite some time that we are all (less my husband) able to play together.
Cheers to all, hope everyone has a great weekend, and if you are playing in a home game this weekend, or just hanging out with friends and family, appreciate the time you have with those people.
I am happy to report I have completed my journey back from the micro-limit tables.
For those who didn't (or don't care to) read my previous posts, I will sum it up quickly by saying that I was having some back-to-basics issues and forced myself to play at the low-to-micro level for a while.
While there, I learned a number of things which I think will be very beneficial to my game in the future. The most important was learning where I stand in terms of the levels I play. Specifically: Where I should not be playing. When the money doesn't "matter" I get careless. I use quotes because I believe that all money matters, but sometimes it seems insignificant. And, where I can make the most profit in playing (my comfort zone).
As an experiment, I dropped right down to the $0.02/$0.04 level on PokerStars, with just double the minimum amount allowed, $0.80. I considered that my entire bankroll. Within two weeks, I turned the $0.80 into $75.00. I did play tournaments and SNG's with my regular bankroll during this time, but any profit (or loss) from those stayed in my regular bankroll and didn't cross over into my experimental bankroll.
So, I am now playing two games. I am using that $75.00 and seeing how far I can take it. I am currently between the .25/.50 and .50/1 limit with it, and am hoping to increase the total to my next goal of $150.00. This has become my regular 'grinding' money now, and I have dedicated my regular bankroll to my tournament play and SNG's exclusively for the duration of this 'test'.
I am working to increase the experimental portion of my bankroll to the point where I can once again play the limits I prefer, but by taking it one level at a time I find that I am gaining valuable insight on many different types of players, styles of play, and the like. After all, it takes a much different mindset and strategy to win in a no-fold'em game than it does against selective-aggressive players.
Now as a bit of a disclaimer, which I feel compelled to add, I am going to say this:
I realize that we all know, at least in theory, how to play against different levels of players, and at different levels of play. I do know that nothing I am saying is earth-shattering news to the world of online poker players. I too play poker upwards of 44 hours a week, every week. I have seen all types of hands, I have taken (and given) all kinds of bad beats.
Through this blog I am voicing my opinions, revelations, insights, and the odd rant ;) about the different levels that I am working through. There may not be much in terms of content that others can take away from my site as new knowledge or ground-breaking discovery. This is not about how big (or not) my bankroll is compared to others. I play poker for a living, and am lucky enough to not have to work a normal job right now as my husband completely supports this endeavor, and for that I am eternally grateful. (Of course, if I can get to the point in this game where HE can play recreational golf for a living, it will pay off for him ;)
This blog is about the continuous learning process in my game of poker. I have, by my own choice, taken my game from high school back to kindergarten if you will, in terms of levels that I play. To learn, re-learn, grow, and continue being profitable, with the intention of one day "graduating".
