PLO Style

Feb. got off to the sickest start ever. I had been playing pretty decently. Just had a session with John (KasinoKrime) and went on a sick heater. Like 30BI’s in 3000 hands. Thing is it took me like 10-12 days to get those 3000 hands in. I was putting in very little volume, but running good and playing aggressive when I played.

Then I somehow got it in my head that I needed to put it some real volume…who’d a thunk it? Good thing is I did just that. Second half of the month I put it 20K plus hands of PLO100.

This had mixed results, by mixed I mean bad. By bad I mean I lost. By lost I mean I tilted off my entire heater and all the money I was able to grind back after my first run in with tilt this month.

It’s pretty disappointing. I had the heater, then played bad/tilted off a chunk of it. Put in the time and effort to grind it all back (something I’m more proud of than just running hot), have a few standard bad sessions, then in the span of 24hours on the very last day of the month, donk it all away.

Yes, I didn’t run good, although I also didn’t run bad in all-in ev. I did run bad in starting hands and the hands I ran into. Last like 5000 hands it seemed like every time I got it in I was dominated or the maniac hit his random gutter after calling 2 streets with bottom pair, my 17-23 outs don’t get there and some guy takes the pot with one pair…etc. I also bubble 3/4 tournaments I played, by bubbled I mean 2-6 from the money in the $10PLO rebuy and the $75 PLO on FTP and the $50 PLO rebuy on Stars. PLO tourneys are super +EV, imo, I might play a few more regularly.

This all leads to playing bad, chasing losses, playing too long and otherwise spewing. I was a bit dejected last night after my back-to-back -10BI+ sessions. Didn’t even want to look at my db. Ready to give up and quit poker for good this time.

I stewed for a bit. Talked it out with my roommate/ex/baby’s momma who’s actually been really cool and supportive about my poker lately. I think I was able to put it in perspective. Then I played a bunch of MW2 to blow off some steam. Nothing like shooting people in head, stabbing them as they hide in dark corners and firing high caliber rounds from a helicopter to make you feel better.

So, here I am, my bankroll right back where I started at the beginning of last month. I gotta say though I’m not as upset as I thought I’d be. I told myself I’m not going to give up. I know I can be a solid winner at this game and I’ll move up in due time.

I’m going to recommit to studying the game a lot more. Reading, watching vids, going over hands and opponents, do some more coaching sessions. I’m finally in a place, I think, where I can take the most advantage of the resources out there and really apply what I learn and incorporate it into my game. I think for a long time things have been over my head but they are really starting to click.

It’s funny because I think I’m in a much better place to do well now that I went through that month. I mean I’ve run bad before over larger samples, it’s nothing new, but there’s something about how I feel about it and how I view poker and the games I play that make me more confident I can win even after really bad losing sessions.

I was able to sit back down tonight and book a decent win, though I only played a couple hundred hands. I’m going to do my best to not force myself to play a ton of hands, but to merely play as much as I can while feeling comfortable and not always quit so early. I can can put in 15-20k hands a month I’ll be happy. More than that will be gravy.