Poker Poisoned

I finally got a chance to better my record against the HU Queen, YoSoyVeneno. It was a fun first two matches, I was getting killed by the deck. My favorite hand was a flopped OESD with the hammer that hit on the turn. I potted and V called. Nice. I guess I should have stopped at two matches in a row because I pressed my luck in the third and she retains her winning percentage against me. Good stuff Veneno. Looking forward to being your antidote in HUC3….

I played a SNG on Stars after my matches with V and won. Nice $51.50 profit… it almost covered my buy in I lost earlier in the day on $1/$2 short handed limit. Do you ever feel like you will just not win on a certain site? For example, I am playing my same game on UB and Stars right now. I cannot lose on UB in ring play and cannot win in ring play on PS. Go figure. I am doing well on the Single and Multi SNGs on Stars, enough to finance the losing play on ring. I know it will come around so I just keep playing and trying to gut through it. I am not looking at the stats on the PokerStars ring games too closely (I should) but the numbers at the end of the session do not look out of wack. It is still fun and I am not chasing losses so I will press ahead. At least it is fun to watch the other players sometimes. Sometimes I am marveled, and I think that SirF summed it up when he said, “luckbox > skill”. In the short term, I am in complete agreement. My skills are weak and my luck weaker on PS right now. That won’t get you far….

So why am I doing well on SNGs and flailing in ring? I think it might have to be the larger “luck” factor in Limit. I theorize that I would be doing better in No Limit right now because I could potentially push the chasers out that catch the magic river card. This theory is consistent with the success I am seeing in the NL SNGs. So why mess with limit? Cause I am wimp. I don’t think I have the game/bankroll/fortitude for NL right now. I do well in the SNGs cause I can sit and wait for the blinds to escalate and then start to play some poker. Win one race (either from in front or back) and then get in the money. Fun and profitable. The dynamics of the steady blinds in NL are a much different animal and I am not sure I know the animal well enough to avoid getting bit (mauled).

That said, I think that ultimately that is where I need to take my game. My plan is to assess the bankroll and life demands at the end of March and take it to the mean streets of No Limit. I will have to make sure I play well within my bankroll as I cut my teeth, but I think I have gotten enough out of limit… there is not much more room to grow there and not much game to be played at the lower levels. Wait for good hands and push. Where is the progress as a player in that?