Game Selection

When I started playing on line I loved the SnGs. They only took about an hour, and I knew exactly how much I was risking, namely the buy in. If you haven’t noticed, I don’t like to risk my money, so the SnGs fit the bill and made me comfortable. I played like crazy the first week and found I was up a little. The only problem was that I was not clearing my new account bonus. This was not good, that was free money! This means I had to drop my comfortable game and go play a ring game. The question became which game, limit, pot limit, or no limit?

This is a decision you will have to make as a new player too, so think about it. For me, the limit and pot limit game at the levels I (and probably you) was willing to play was in my comfort level for my stack. The problem I found was that donks would stay in the hand hoping to suck out on you. Now one donk looking to suck out is great for me, cause he will only get it one hand out of several, but what happens when four donks are in chasing crap and you hold pocket rockets? They get cracked is what happens, ‘cause one of ‘em catches something. It did not take me long to hate the chasers more than I hated risking a chunk of my stack on one hand. So I started playing no limit. Low level no limit mind you, the risk thing again.

And I started winning, I won and moved up, and won some more and moved up again. Next thing you know, I am playing NL 200 and winning. I must be good! So I took money out for Christmas and kept playing. Of course reality hit, and this great run I was on came to an end, so I lost just about everything. So I spent time in my database, and saw how great the cards favored me for a while, and when they turned cold. Most importantly, I saw flaws in my game. Playing too many hands, limping in pre-flop on hands I should be pushing, and others.

I have now moved down to mini No limit again, and no matter what, I am staying there until I am happy with my game before moving up again. For me the lesson learned on this is to focus on playing good poker, not on leaping up the ladder. Find a level you are comfortable with, and stay there until you have played a least a couple of thousand hands. If you are happy with your game at that point, and dominating the level, then it might be time to move up. Not before, and not just because the poker gods seem to love you this week.

Happy New Year