Upward and Onward
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
I went over my spreadsheet today. I am absolutely rocking poker this year, but the simple truth is that I don't play enough. I should try to play at Tuna Club's tournaments at every opportunity. Its been my bread and butter. Out of the 10 tourneys I played there this year, I've cashed in 5 and won 2. The size of these tourneys (around 20 people) seem to be my sweet spot, at least for now, and the prize money is big enough that my bankroll has grown steadily to something resembling an actual roll.
Sometimes I feel like I should be playing higher, particularly when I see these 21 year old kids playing the highest stake games. Then I remember that this game is a lifetime thing. It was only four years ago when I was playing .10 buy-in tournaments online and starting a roll with a couple of freeroll wins at Golden Palace. I've come a long way, and hopefully I will have a long "career" in poker, so I am where I am and I continue to grow.
On a related note, sometimes at the clubs or the poker rooms, I see these perennial losers. and I wonder how these guys get the money and the freedom to keep returning night after night. Of course, some of the players are old guys who have money behind them from some business they sold or still run. But there are more than a few players out there who seem to be constantly playing from their wallet, and I don't mean a poker wallet. I'm talking spending money.
Maybe my own sense of responsibility is holding me back. I identify myself as having an addictive personality at times, but those addictive urges are really kept in check by my natural sense of responsibility, particularly with money. I could potentially play bigger games, but I want to earn my way up the ladder and I don't want to risk wifey Kim and my spending money or home-buying money for a silly game of poker.
Of course, when I really compare myself with these guys who are playing higher than they should for longer hours than makes sense, I realize that my "shortcomings" are probably what keeps me so profitable. The fact that I am responsible means that I play less often, at more reasonable stakes, and I try to make sure that I have an edge. These nightly losers at the NYC underground poker scene have no such limits on themselves. They play too high or too loose. They are indiscriminate about game selection. They are action junkies in the truest sense of the word. The "fantasy" of playing poker 5 nights a week is great in my head, but the reality is actually a lot sadder.
I should admit that I am discussing some things that may not be universal, but more a reflection on the NYC underground scene. At a casino, you have casual players, grinders, action junkies, gamblers, wanna-be pros and the real deal. In the NYC underground scene, at least where I play, you don't have any casual players (from which the other players profit), and that changes the dynamics of the game and the poker food chain a lot.
I don't have any poker scheduled for the near future, but hopefully I can squeeze a game in here or there.
Until next time, make mine poker!
posted by Jordan @ 8:10 PM,
1 Comments:
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At 1:50 PM,
The Poker Meister said...
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"Maybe my own sense of responsibility is holding me back. I identify myself as having an addictive personality at times, but those addictive urges are really kept in check by my natural sense of responsibility, particularly with money. I could potentially play bigger games, but I want to earn my way up the ladder and I don't want to risk wifey Kim and my spending money or home-buying money for a silly game of poker."
Amen to that, brother! Add in 3 kids, and you nailed my thoughts as well! Good post.
