What went wrong?

Pud's Poker Progress / Matthew Pitt / 08 February 2009 / 1 Comments

I am Yorkshire Pudding and I am a small stakes poker player. They say the first step to recovering from anything is to admit there is a problem to begin with. My problem has been trying to run before I can actually walk.

When I first started to become a winning player, I lived, slept and breathed poker. It became my number one hobby and I loved everything connected to this crazy game. However, more recently, I have grown to take bad beats personally, enter games half-heartedly and if I am 100% honest, I have not enjoyed playing at all. So what has changed?

Going back to when I first started winning on a regular basis, I remember how I used to play a single table, sometimes two or three if I was feeling frisky, did not use a HUD and never worried about trying to play a style that was considered optimal by the majority of the 2+2 forums.

One of the reasons those around me thought I had a big future in this game was the fact I had, notice how I say had, an ability to put villains on a very specific range of hands and act accordingly. I didn't play tight or loose, instead I was great at adapting to the table dynamics and playing in my own, unique style to exploit those around me.

Fast forward to today and I seem to have lost track somewhat. When I play cash games I play at least 4 tables, sometimes more and never without my HUD running. I make plays based on the figures displayed over the names of my opponents, I cannot remember the last time I isolated a player so I could outplay him post-flop and I try to make sure I am playing a style that means my stats read a certain way.

So what went wrong? Well, I am a very impulsive person and when I want something I have to have it but at the same time I am also pretty lazy and like to take short cuts, my short cuts here being trying to play a ton of tables before I am ready to or even when I maybe not be programmed to do so. I look at some of the midstakes player's blogs and dream of being able to earn some of the money those guys do and the only reason I do not is the fact I have completely lost focus on my strong points and have been highlighting my weaknesses. God only knows what notes some of my opponents have on me recently, I must look like a total fish.

In my defence, I have been very stressed for the past couple of months. Not only is Mrs P due to give birth within five weeks, I have also had a bit of a health scare, which actually turned out to be absolutely nothing when I finally dragged myself to the doctors! Now I know there is no underlying health problem, it feels like a big weight has been lifted from my shoulders and I can concentrate on other things much better.

Over the next few weeks I am going to go back to basics and play just a single table and make sure that during my session, I have detailed notes on at least two players at my table. I will not be using any software either, instead I will be making plays based on reads and feel, rather than because they are playing a 50/1/3 style. By doing this I may take a hit to my hourly rate at first but over time I will be adding more tables but only when I know I am crushing my opponents. I have a dream of playing a ton of games live, as live suits me better, and sorting my game out at the foundations should give me a good base to build on for when I start to play live more.

Heads-up SnG will still take up most of my time as I believe, when I am playing solid, my edge in these is big in these and they are a good way to build a bankroll, however, I am going to start incorporating some MTTs into my schedule too and hope to hit a nice score! Details of my bankroll will follow when all my withdrawals etc have been completed.

I am Yorkshire Pudding, and for the time being, I am a small stakes poker player.

Thanks for reading and best of luck at the tables!

Comments (1)

1. Rossi | 09 February 2009

   Alright matt

   Lol you are doing exactly what i did a month ago mate and i think we both have the same problems poker wise that are holding us back.

   We both have played for a long time and both cant help changing things nearly every day, starting off with one style then just as quickly jumping to something else.

   I have seen this in your blog for a long time, just as all my mates have seen it in my blog over the years, and it is probably (definitely) the thing that has held us back all this time.

   All the successfull players, well those that we read about on the blogs all stick to the same style/type/ method of play and just grind it out every day...where as we have swapped and changed so many times that we have probably gone full circle....and got nowhere.

   Last month i was feeling shit about my game so went to one table, it was ok to start with but after a while it felt like i wasnt maximising the use of my time. Well i have dropped levels back to 10 tables of $0.10/$0.25 (fuck me, one extreme to the other), trying to grind it out and who knows what i will be doing next month or even next week. It would be so nice to be doing the same thing!!!

   All i know is that while i am swapping and changing games/my setup/my style then i am only going one way.....busto and back to full time work. Gonna do my best to stick with this and i think you should pick something and do the same.

   Aside from poker, not long for us now mate and we will be having loads of sleepless nights, at least you know what your doing....i will be a complete FISH to start with (1st child).

   laters m8