crash and burn...

[No_Limit_Pro 0]

So, it's been the roughest patch of my playing days this past 2 weeks. It's been a constant battle of being down between 2k to fighting back to even. Well, 2 days ago I dropped the 2k without recovering. And yesterday I dropped another 4k to make it 6k. And here's my dilemmna:After moping about it all of last night and just feeling sorry about all the bad beats, I've somewhat lost the confidence and felt resigned to choosing a set path from one of a few options...a. Take out a $10,000 loan and play 5/10nl (seems like the worst)b. Take out stock money that I just put in ($2000ish and commit to 1/2nl)c. Find some other path that doesn't involve these swings since 6k shows some lack of self-restraint.I kept telling myself after each beat that "you put in your money with top set, you put in your money with aces preflop" but if it keeps happening, maybe thats just how it is for me. Ultimately, I'm torn and not thinking rationally so any serious advice would be helpful. To those who are willing to give some thoughts, my situation is this:I am a recent graduate with a Managerial Economics degree B.A.I have $8500 cash on hand (stocks, bank) was $14,500 2 days ago.I had massive debt not long ago but cleared all that up except for one recurring monthly payment (car $460/mo.)Any serious advice is appreciated. The 6k loss stings so hard you couldn't begin to imagine.

[Ron_Mexico 4,219]

I guess you have limits.Get a job working for the man.Play part time.I work for the man.Oh ya, it's only money. It comes and it goes. That is life as we know it.People should realize it ain't all glory. Most every pro you see went broke one time or another.I don't buy that people just buy in for $20 and now have 30k rolls. I'm a cynic.Ride out the storm.

[No_Limit_Pro 0]

I worked retail management for 6months. Hated it. I love the flexibility poker gives you, but sometimes I wonder how good it is for health. I always thought I had it under control, but a 6k meltdown would definitely say otherwise. Bad beats or no bad beats, I should've quit after the first 1k lost.

[The Bwaves 0]

****DO NOT TAKE OUT A LOAN FOR POKER, I REPEAT DO NOT TAKE OUT A LOAN FOR POKER!!!****Take what money you have left, drop down in limits and re-establish you bankroll man. I know it hard but in the long run those sets and aces will win.I shouldn't be talking because I'm the worst about BR management, but I know what I've heard from others experiences.Just drop down in limits and grind it back man, you can do it. You did it once right?

[Fullhouse7 0]

Take a break from poker---smell the roses. You'll play better from a short break. Playing scared or steamed is best way to lose more.Fullhouse7

[The Bwaves 0]

Take a break from poker---smell the roses. You'll play better from a short break. Playing scared or steamed is best way to lose more.Fullhouse7

Whenever I "take a break" from poker I have an epithany. Like the famous quote from pulp fiction, "I've had what alcoholics like to call, a moment of clearity" - Samuel L. Jackson.

[Ron_Mexico 4,219]

I worked retail management for 6months. Hated it. I love the flexibility poker gives you, but sometimes I wonder how good it is for health. I always thought I had it under control, but a 6k meltdown would definitely say otherwise. Bad beats or no bad beats, I should've quit after the first 1k lost.

retail sucks. Get a nine to fiver.

[No_Limit_Pro 0]

I have grinded back some 3k losses before. This 6k loss is just so much more demeaning. One positive is that I won't be able to play for a while as I have to sell stock, wait for that to clear, put the money in the bank, wait for that to clear, then firepay it to bodog. The benefits from this time are that I have cash in the form of actual $ and not a loan, like I did last time. The downside is that my confidence is shot and I almost feel as though all pocket pairs and sets will go down in flames. Grinding out 6k in 1/2nl just to get back to where I was just seems like a reminder that I've failed to achieve much of what I wanted. That being said, from the advice so far it seems the loan idea is probably the worst for me now.

[GrinderMJ 0]

****DO NOT TAKE OUT A LOAN FOR POKER, I REPEAT DO NOT TAKE OUT A LOAN FOR POKER!!!****Take what money you have left, drop down in limits and re-establish you bankroll man. I know it hard but in the long run those sets and aces will win.I shouldn't be talking because I'm the worst about BR management, but I know what I've heard from others experiences.Just drop down in limits and grind it back man, you can do it. You did it once right?

:clap:

[The Bwaves 0]

Nine to fivers are nice, mines nine to five thirty so I rake in a half an hour of that time and half EVERYDAY!I love having +ev on the man everyday. Especially having a desk job at saturn! LOL!

[zedd2005 0]

seriously, ull make it back. just dont lose faith. but main thing, take a fucin break for a couple days or summat

[No_Limit_Pro 0]

A little extra information into my personal life:I have always been looking for the next big idea. After thinking long and hard, but unsuccessfully to find the next big thing, I called upon others to do so by posting on the school board in an effort to expand the limitations of one man's brainpower. I've also opened up several businesses that were small-scale and with very limited success. I would say poker is the same way for me. When I think I have it figured out I get slammed down with a horrible downswing and wondering where to go from here...I have a lot of ambitions that all require reasonable amounts of cash and I'm afraid I haven't figured out how to gather that cash yet.

[Marchione 0]

go down two limits and rebuild

[Rude Dog 0]

I feel for ya, I really do. You sound really down about it. The problem is, you are going to have swings like that when you play at those levels. You risked more than you could afford to lose, especially emotionally.You need to either learn from this and move on, or, play more inside your emotional/financial limits.

[pokerplayer24 0]

Bankroll management. Read about it.

[STYLINHAWYN 0]

Yeah, what everybody else said. Study BR management, take a long break, read some new poker books, drop down in limits and consistently beat those games before moving up, and learn some discipline ***I REPEAT, LEARN SOME DISCIPLINE***I just went through the same thing, lost 1800 of my 2,000 bankroll playing $1/$2 nl after "crushing" that game for quite some time. took a 2 week break, cleared my head, came back to play .05/.10 nl with my $200 roll, and in less than a month, I have turned that into just over $500. It's not the money I used to make playing poker, but its a start and I can honestly say that I am playing the best poker of my life. Ron Mexico, good job on the serious postings, you must have exceeded your quota by now. Your such an over achiever you

[No_Limit_Pro 0]

"You risked more than you could afford to lose, especially emotionally. ""You need to either learn from this and move on, or, play more inside your emotional/financial limits."I'm still searching for answers to what it is I really want to do. I'm not satisfied just living the simple life and just getting by. However, the fact remains that I have yet to figure out a way to make it big. I wish I had the answers but this is life. I made a human error for a sizeable sum.

[No_Limit_Pro 0]

now that I'm slightly calmer, I have to explain that the last 1.5k of the 6k was tilted off. 1.5k saved would have been like 1.5k earned. Live and learn.

[gobears 0]

a. Thumbs Down - you're basically out of debt now, that's great; don't get back into it.b. Re-allocation of funds; not a bad idea (depends on how well you pick stocks)c. You have a lot of options being a recent college grad - at least you stopped yourself before you went thru your last $8,500.Take a break; it sounds like your head is already clearing up; I'm sure that you can make the right decision once the sting starts to lessen.Bay area cost of living is high also - makes it harder to play poker for a living. Maybe find a day job to help with the bills and you can play poker at night and on the weekends.I wouldn't do retail management since you hate it but with your degree, maybe you could find something in the financial side since you have an econ degree. They have some boutique investment banks in SF plus Charles Schwab has a big presence. A guy I knew from college many years ago started as a gofer on the Pacific Stock Exchange - someone saw him working his ass off and he ended up helping to run a fund.

[bhaas 0]

Maybe this will make you feel better, since misery loves company, here goes.I was basically forced to quit my $40,000 a year job. Long story and I just made it real short. I have a house, 5 cars (4 now) I did find another job, but it sucked, and I quit after 2 weeks.I'm gonna max out my credit to play cause I hate the man and the system so much. Either I make it or I don't. I basically have $10,000 left in credit and if I fuck means nothing. Oh yeah, I've been out of work for about a year now, and so far I think I kinda suck, but I will not give up.I think I'll put another $500 on FullTilt. I feel like playing some fucking cards. Who's with me? Rolled up Aces over Kings always makes me feel better.Brad...

[No_Limit_Pro 0]

thanks for all the advice. I really do appreciate it....it's been a real tough pill to swallow, but I'm going to try to take the positives (I didn't lose it ALL, and I left myself room to calm down and focus on what I want to do for a living, what I need to accomplish to be happy). Ultimately, I can only blame myself and learn from this. I wish I could just forget it all...but i still regress and can't help thinking...I losta plasma tv+ a new laptop+ a new wardrobe+ extra spending cash LOL but not really...

[bhaas 0]

I can easily understand exactly how you feel. It sucks like nothing else. A couple of days and it gets better. I use to have a serious problem with this about 20 years ago. I said I'd never play this again. And of couse I would always think of all the crap I could have bought. So when I thought about playing I'd just go blow a $100 on something or whatever then it just faded away and I didn't play anymore. But then here comes the fucking here for the banks to deal with. I wonder how much trouble I'd get in for that? LOL.

a plasma tv + a new laptop + a new wardrobe + extra spending cash

I know, I know................................... You aint alone. Hang in there and good luck.Brad...

[swami 0]

learn how to play limit holdem than progress.

[jayboogie 0]

The money obviously matters to you. I really don't know if you can be successful at poker when you can't detach yourself to the money you're playing with. Maybe you should look into something else rather than playing for a living.

[Jdr999 0]

learn how to play limit holdem than progress.

Exactly what I was going to say. Very hard to lose $10 grand playing 5-10 limit, unless you have no idea how to play. Very easy to lose $10 grand playing 5-10 No Limit.