running really good, so i'm moving down in limits?

[MBrady 0]

-long post-The number of posts I see here about people turning three silver buttons and a piece of gum into 3k are both astonishing and inspiring. It makes me think that I could be that guy, and within a week or two, I could have enough to buy a big plasma TV and a car. Yeah and an F-ing pony if I wanted too.But I can't deal with those swings. And frankly, I just haven't been nearly that lucky, until this week. So I sat down at the wrong table 3-6 at pacific by accident. Since it is pacific, and I only 1 table, and I play etremely tight, I usually play 1 1-2 or 2-4 table on Pac at a time, whilst trying to clear the bonus and PSO points. And after folding for a few orbits, I hit some hands, and after an hour or so was up 20 BB. Now 20 BB isn't much if you are playing at the right limits, but when you in a limit or two above your head, that's a ton. And I of course was addicted to the possibility of making so much more at a higher limit. So for the next few sessions I kept playing at 3-6, and with some moderate success (only one losing session, which wasn't too bad). I'm the first to admit that I had some amazing hands. I hit aces several times, and won with them each time, hit a few sets and monster draws in the process too. The problem was that while I was up almost 50 BB, I kept having this nagging feeling that I was going to lose it all. And the problem is, that my BR is not at the point where an average swing, say 25 BB, would be something negligible. So, I pulled 75% of the profit out of my account, and decided to move back down, probably to 2-4 on pacific at the most, but on any other site 1-2. See, $225 is still a reasonable amount of money to me. So I can admit that I got lucky, take the money out while it still exists, and shove it into an Ipod or PSP or some kind of tangible good to remind me why I play for real money. I do have more than an adequate roll for 1-2 and probably a little short for 2-4. My long term goal is not to be a low limit player, I think ideally I would like to play at the 5-10 level and turn a decent profit (casually, not professionally). But right now, I'm not good enough to be where I have been playing, and I won't be good enough until I put in the work. I am made aware of this fact by reading the responses to the hands I posted, and others posted in the strat forum, where other people have angles on relatively simple hands that I just hadn't even considered. And for me, it's not even strictly about the bankroll part, though that's a big concern. Instead, I know for a fact that I NEED to work on post flop play quite extensively before risking any amount of money in a higher limit game. It's just not worth the risk right now for me.I don't write this so that someone will give me a gold star and a cookie, though gold stars rock and cookies are the bomb. Instead I just thought that with all these crap to riches stories out there, people forget about grinding it up through the limits and try to take a shot at something way above their roll. See I did that, and even made money doing that. But instead of sticking around until variance taxed my feeble skills and bankroll down to zip, I decided to cut out and admit I got lucky. Alright, I have more to write I'm sure, but that's what's on my poker mind right now. -Matt

[mark33f 0]

I give you credit. Granted, you sat down in at a table which was way above your roll, you got lucky and got out. See a lot of people that have those huge up swings don't come back and post when variance spits in their face. But there are some people, like yourself, who didn't do the smartest thing, got lucky, cashed out and returned to their normal limits.Congrats on making a nice profit, but stay within your bankroll!

[KDawgCometh 2]

I like how you think. I do think that you should've just kept the profit from your little sojurn up a limit and just add it to your roll. This way you'll move up faster

[A_Bullets_A 0]

Nice job on those winnings. Be careful with your limits. You seem pretty smart about it though. Good luck!

[speedz99 145]

No offense, but I hate posts like this. It has nothing to do with you, your success, or your writing style. I has to do with the fact that the few times I have jumped up in limits it has been a disaster. You said you kept getting aces and having them hold up, hitting flushes, nailing your draws, etc. Well the opposite has happened to me. When I've tried the higher limits I get the evil side of variance. Pocket rockets hitting a set then losing to a rivered gutshot, missing all draws, etc. My friends used to joke that I was the unluckiest poker player they knew. Well that was because I was much better than them (not bragging...they weren't very good), so they usually only beat me on the river. Now I'm starting to believe them. None of this makes any sense. I'm just having a shitty day. I need some alcohol, weed, and good luck immediately or I might lose it.

[MBrady 0]

Speedz,Sorry for your bad luck at the higher limit efforts. I don't have anything profound to say about this kind of topic, but from my personal observations (with a very limited sample size), skill matters a whole lot more than luck. (Yeah I know thought of the year, bear with me though.) For me, I noticed exactly what mistakes I was making so much more clearly, because each lost bet was personally more painful than it otherwise would be at a lower limit. What I noticed was that the hands where I got lucky, like flopping a set, I won easily. The hands where a tactful raise to isolate, or reraise for full value, I made mistakes on. So I was more acutely aware of the skillful errors I was making after the fact. My point is that were it not for the luck, I wouldn't have been a winner at the higher limit. The way I see it now, there were three possibilities from an abstract perspective. First, I got a lucky rush of cards. Even when I make several errors, I'm still going to come out on top.Second, I get no luck, good or bad. If that had happened, I think I would have lost, because of poor postflop play.Third, I get bad luck. If that happened, I would have been busted in an hour or two. So for you, if you do have the skills, then when you take your shot at the higher limit with a proper roll, you should probably do just fine. At some point, when you take your shot, you will have at least neutral luck, and outplay the field. Best of luck to you.-Matt

[augmented 0]

its funny, in the last 2 weeks the exact same thing has happened to me. i'm up to like 400 dollars from nothing, i've been on the exact same rush as you. my aces always hold up, my tptks always hold up against 4-flushes. and i've never been more terrified in my life. so the way i solved this is by completely quitting cash games. i'm just gonna play multi table tourneys, $10 or $20 sitngos, just so that i'm not liable to lose it all in one day. its always scary when you're running good, cause you just know the other shoe is gonna drop any minute now. thats why i have kind of a unique philosophy about it all: i always hope for a bad beat when it won't hurt me that much. that way, my "karma" will be temporarily restored to normal. i don't mind getting outdrawn, cause it means i can outdraw someone later. i don't like sucking out so much, cause i know at some point, my aces are gonna get cracked when it matters most. kinda a twisted philosophy, but for me, i don't believe in luck, i just believe in getting what you deserve.anyway, good job getting all that money. don't blow it.

[speedz99 145]

First of all, my name is also Matt. Well done.Second, your post is somewhat ridiculous. Not completely, but somewhat. Did you even read what I wrote? I was basically bitching about some bad beats. Let me put it more clearly.I tried a few sessions at 3-6. I sat with a proper bankroll on the table, as always. I played tight-aggressive and felt that I made very good moves at the right times. Unfortunately I was extremely unlucky to get sucked out on and miss every draw. This would normally be fine, but since I was at a higher limit it hurt my bankroll.I dunno. Like I said I'm in a shitty mood.

[MBrady 0]

Speedz,First, I don't mean to tangle with you when you are in a lousy mood. But I did read what you wrote. And if you compare what I wrote it responds pretty directly to the complaints about bad beats. You said, 'i tried several times and got kicked by variance.' I said 'at some point when you take a shot you will have at least neutral luck and beat the game.' I find this responds dead on, because luck (for cards at least) is mostly a short term concept, and the phrase "taking a shot" is also a short term concept. So at some point, when you take your shot, you will have the requisite luck to succeed provided you have the skills. While what I wrote was more forward looking, and what you wrote was obviously backwards looking, I don't think it evidences any lack of attention I did or did not pay to your post. Perhaps I could have been more clear, and not mentioned the whole having a proper bankroll thing, because that implies moving up in limits permanently, and really that's a lot more rare than taking a shot and moving back down after getting shot down. Whatver. I was trying to be encouraging, but if you are in shi tty mood, then maybe you just need someone to stoke the flames. So quit whining about your bad beats you little whining beeyatch. (sw)

[speedz99 145]

So quit whining about your bad beats you little whining beeyatch. (sw)Thanks, man. That was my first laugh of the day.

[Meatwad 0]

I wish I had a piece of gum.

[speedz99 145]

I wish I had a piece of gum.

You know what I haven't had in a while?Big League Chew.

[TheMathProf 0]

MBrady,I wanted to thank you for your post, because I'd started to lose faith that there were other people who grind at their limits. It seems like everyone these days is the next Phil Ivey who turned bellybutton lint and a mood ring into $5,000.I, too, had a misclick onto a table above my limits as well (although, admittedly, mine was from the .05/.10 to the .25/.50 on Poker Stars). Like you, I started to wonder if it was too good to be true.After about five to ten sessions, I did eventually convince myself that I belonged at that new limit (although I didn't quite have the bankroll to support it). I hope that the results wouldn't have skewed my thinking too much in the event that I really wasn't ready.Anyway, slowly grinding my way up, but I guess I would encourage you to "misclick" again when you do feel you're ready. I know that I never would have found out that I was ready if I hadn't.-- Patrick

[Nostalgae 0]

Wait 'til you get to 10/20, one pot will buy you an iPod.. Seriously though, if you are trying to build a bankroll, why take the money out?

[Pokerghost2 0]

-long post-The number of posts I see here about people turning three silver buttons and a piece of gum into 3k are both astonishing and inspiring. It makes me think that I could be that guy, and within a week or two, I could have enough to buy a big plasma TV and a car. Yeah and an F-ing pony if I wanted too.But I can't deal with those swings. And frankly, I just haven't been nearly that lucky, until this week. So I sat down at the wrong table 3-6 at pacific by accident. Since it is pacific, and I only 1 table, and I play etremely tight, I usually play 1 1-2 or 2-4 table on Pac at a time, whilst trying to clear the bonus and PSO points. And after folding for a few orbits, I hit some hands, and after an hour or so was up 20 BB. Now 20 BB isn't much if you are playing at the right limits, but when you in a limit or two above your head, that's a ton. And I of course was addicted to the possibility of making so much more at a higher limit. So for the next few sessions I kept playing at 3-6, and with some moderate success (only one losing session, which wasn't too bad). I'm the first to admit that I had some amazing hands. I hit aces several times, and won with them each time, hit a few sets and monster draws in the process too. The problem was that while I was up almost 50 BB, I kept having this nagging feeling that I was going to lose it all. And the problem is, that my BR is not at the point where an average swing, say 25 BB, would be something negligible. So, I pulled 75% of the profit out of my account, and decided to move back down, probably to 2-4 on pacific at the most, but on any other site 1-2. See, $225 is still a reasonable amount of money to me. So I can admit that I got lucky, take the money out while it still exists, and shove it into an Ipod or PSP or some kind of tangible good to remind me why I play for real money. I do have more than an adequate roll for 1-2 and probably a little short for 2-4. My long term goal is not to be a low limit player, I think ideally I would like to play at the 5-10 level and turn a decent profit (casually, not professionally). But right now, I'm not good enough to be where I have been playing, and I won't be good enough until I put in the work. I am made aware of this fact by reading the responses to the hands I posted, and others posted in the strat forum, where other people have angles on relatively simple hands that I just hadn't even considered. And for me, it's not even strictly about the bankroll part, though that's a big concern. Instead, I know for a fact that I NEED to work on post flop play quite extensively before risking any amount of money in a higher limit game. It's just not worth the risk right now for me.I don't write this so that someone will give me a gold star and a cookie, though gold stars rock and cookies are the bomb. Instead I just thought that with all these crap to riches stories out there, people forget about grinding it up through the limits and try to take a shot at something way above their roll. See I did that, and even made money doing that. But instead of sticking around until variance taxed my feeble skills and bankroll down to zip, I decided to cut out and admit I got lucky. Alright, I have more to write I'm sure, but that's what's on my poker mind right now. -Matt

matt ur going to have these rocks jerking off all over their keyboards over the thought of a guy moving down instead of up. u seem like a levelheaded guy, good luck with ur poker endeavors.

[Sea Wasp 0]

You have the right idea buddy. You ackonowledge that you were playing at a level too high for your bank roll. It is not about whether you are good enought o play at that level, it is all about whether or not your bank roll can sustain the varience that the game brings.You have avoided one of the major pitfalls that most players face. I congratulate you and wish you luck in the future!

[DiverDown4 0]

Wait 'til you get to 10/20, one pot will buy you an iPod.. Seriously though, if you are trying to build a bankroll, why take the money out?

Never understood that myself. Every post like this say something like that. And its always some dude wanting the money for an Ipod, concert tickets, a guitar! That to me says, "I'm like 18, in state college and have no expenses whatsoever!" I pray for the day that I can go back in time, be 18 years old with no expenses, put 50 bucks into Pstars and work my way up through the micro limits, cashing out only when im dominating the 15-30 game on Party."

[Meatwad 0]

I wish I had a piece of gum.

You know what I haven't had in a while?Big League Chew.

I only have chiclets, I won't move up to Big League Chew without the proper bankroll.