losing it all..... the pain

[Ucsbrat 0]

Now I think I've been playing poker I dunno, maybe, sicne a year ago... I definately got lucky and met some really tight players before I ever played at a house game and got some basics on how to not lose my money quick, anyway, I remember when winning 37 bucks was top money at those tables and I would be really happy that I had extra spending money for the week.... Since then I've gone to play at 1,000 NL and are definately a regular at those tables well until about January 20th. I think I had about 5 thousand of a poker bankroll... And in a spand of i dunno 3 weeks i was in debt to banks, sites, friends for all over 10 thousand... It's hard explain how it all happend, but I do remember crying losing my mind a bit, and definately feeling like my life was just over. I respectable college kid with set plans, and all of a sudden my parents refused to help me out, they warned me anyway, so I knew I had to get myself out of my mess...... Before I go on, Just wanted to ask everyone out there? Have they gone through similar situations??? and how have the managed?...Well anyway my half sister ended up spotting me 100 dollars when no one else believed in me, the long rest without poker, and the lower skill at the 100 NL provided enough return for me to have bounced back, infact I today offcially paid back all my debts, and are now with a modest, but very healthy bankroll, and I could'ent be happier, OH! and def playing at the WSOP (smaller event) this year now that im turning 21 in 11 days...... anyways guys, hope to get some good reply's as I find this topic as one of the most interesting and sadning of poker.

[DKE_XP120 0]

Glad you were able to make a comeback, and settle your debts... Congrats on it

[pokernoobie 0]

GJ man!

[jlgosse 0]

Pretty lucky. Pretty dumb to fall 10k in debt though, especially in college. No offense.

[mrdannyg 274]

really really great job on getting yourself out of it - must be a huge load off your back.but you were playing WAY WAY outside of your bankroll. perhaps someone can elaborate for NL, but even for limit, you should have at least 200 times the big blind- so to play 5-10 you should have 2000 dollars. sorry i don't know NL limits.but these limits are designed to avoid going broke due to variance. if you are a winning player and stick to this guidance, you should never go broke. even if you are a positive player, you could easily lose 15 buy-ins in no limit.sorry to hear about your struggles, but keep playing within your limits and you'll be able to move up.i play really low limits and fixed limits - maybe someone could describe NL playing limits and recommend some articles on bankroll management.good luck,daniel

[Petoria 0]

You won that 10k back playing 100 NL... wow :shock: If you can win that much at those limits, it might not be a bad idea to stay there.For NL, they say you should have 1500 BB. I know it seems like a lot, but it does keep you safe from variance.Good luck at the WSOP, FCP is rooting for ya.

[the_stein 0]

yes similar situations have happened to me, twice, I don't want to talk about it

[Ucsbrat 0]

No no I didnt make all the money back from 100NL it's just were i decided to get my foot back in the door... the moment I made 1000k moved immidiately to 200NL.. and so on, and im actually only playing at 400 nl right now because im just too fearfull of another bad run at 1000 tables....... By the way I never knew there were bankroll theories on how to stay safe, that would be really helpful, if someone could write out the guidelines, or send me a good website, shoot, that would be awesome, im always looking for a good advice, and thanks for the support at the wsop... ill sure be back to tell you guys how that went

[allinbluff35 0]

in NLHE you want a MINIMUM of 1500BB's so if you're playing 2/4NL you want a MINIMUM BR of $6k, did I stress MINIMUM enough?

[dms26 3]

in NLHE you want a MINIMUM of 1500BB's so if you're playing 2/4NL you want a MINIMUM BR of $6k, did I stress MINIMUM enough?

What exactly are you trying to say? lolAllin is right you want at least 15 buy ins for those tables incase of a bad run. Variance is a bitch, even to good players.

[akishore 0]

bankroll requirements:no limit - 20 buy-ins, which is 2000 big blinds (assuming you buy in for the max 100 big blinds). some say 1500 big blinds or 15 buy-ins, but at the level you're playing, i highly doubt that's enough. i might even bump it up to 25 buy-ins or 2500 big blinds. it seems like a lot and it seems pretty useless, but it'll give you a 99% chance of not going broke and having the same thing happen to you again.limit - 300 big bets. if you play mid-limit or high-limit, consider bumping it up to 400 big bets or even 500 big bets. again, it might seem like a lot, but it'll give you a 99% chance of withstanding the worst of downswings and preventing you from going bust.if you're suffering a downswing, move down a level after you lose anymore than 15%-25% of the minimum bankroll. so if you're playing $1000NL, your bankroll should be at least $20,000. if you suffer a downswing and lose $4000, drop down a level to $800NL. this way, you have the proper bankroll for the lower level and can safely rebuild your bankroll to play the higher level again.i understand that these requirements may seem tough, especially if you're not used to them at all and even more so if you depend on poker for your income.one plan to build your bankroll in this case is to take a percentage of your winnings and dedicate them specifically to building your bankroll.so right now, say you have only a $2000 bankroll and are playing $400NL (so your bankroll is only 5 buy-ins). if your goal is to get back to $1000NL with a proper bankroll, try something like this:1. drop down to $200NL. now you have a 10 buy-in bankroll.2. cash out only 50% of your winnings for income. of course you have to live a little tight for a while, but the end result will be well worth it.3. when you hit $6000, move up to $400NL. your bankroll drops down to 15 buy-ins now, which is enough. though it's not the ideal 20 buy-ins, it's a negligible risk considering that you are used to higher stakes and better skill and can probably beat this game easier. if you have the time to build your bankroll as safely as you can and don't care about moving up fast, there's no harm in waiting to hit $8000 before you move up to $400NL.4. again, cash out only 50% of your winnings for income.5. when you hit $9000, move up to $600NL. again, your roll drops down to 15 buy-ins. again, if you are okay with doing it as safely as you can and aren't concerned with getting to your goal timely, wait until you hit $12000 before you move up to $600NL.6. keep repeating until you are playing $800NL and have built your bankroll up to $20000 (or $25000 if that's your goal).if you rely on poker for income, cashing out only 50% of winnings at lower levels will be tough, but it's something that you have to deal with. think about it this way: you can either live a little tight now and guarantee strong and most importantly SAFE and STEADY income in the future, OR you can live recklessly now and risk busting and repeating your big debt experience.a big part of poker is discipline and patience, and a lot of people don't understand that bankroll management--in which discipline and patience is key--is something that seperates the most successful players from the rest.good luck, and let me know if you need any more help.aseem

[PrtyPSux 0]

No no I didnt make all the money back from 100NL it's just were i decided to get my foot back in the door... the moment I made 1000k moved immidiately to 200NL.. and so on, and im actually only playing at 400 nl right now because im just too fearfull of another bad run at 1000 tables....... By the way I never knew there were bankroll theories on how to stay safe, that would be really helpful, if someone could write out the guidelines, or send me a good website, shoot, that would be awesome, im always looking for a good advice, and thanks for the support at the wsop... ill sure be back to tell you guys how that went

hey man , judging by your post it doesnt seem like youve done a lot of studying pokerwise, like from books videos, internet and other sources ( not trying to insult I may be wrong).. but I was just curious to know if you got to the level of 1,000 NL by experience and advice only, or was there something else contributing to your skill?oh and also,, how long had you been winning at that level? PS. congrats on the comeback,,,

[Ucsbrat 0]

Yeah did a significant amount of studying actually, just incase any of you are curious phil's top 10 has def served me the best, I have my own variation of that, but its top 15 and I never ever play A,Qo but thats my deal.... other than that Supersystem, great deal of knowledge, and yeah def have pro friends and I get most of my lucrative knowledge from them, ive been lucky in that aspect, def feel my game is at a good level, although the game continues to amaze me as now im entering the loose agressive phase.... It's hard to say where ill go from here. but definately needed the advice of good money management, never even seen a good site on that, maybe just plain ignored it, but ive kept charts and with your guys's helpful advice maybe ill control my buy ins a bit more.. either way I really don't plan to go to 1000nl for awhile, and truth is 400nl where i'm at now is where I feel the most comfortable I have ever been.... and I think im gunna stick here until I can get those required buy ins so we'll see..... but like everything nothing beats good experience and just plain old natural ability to fold or hold em (or raise em) :twisted:

[Ucsbrat 0]

Oh and 1000NL i def winning at it for a week, then i crumbled, mostly because I just wanted to get my money back, but overall I think I broke because I was avoiding sleep and trying to grind it 15 hrs str everyday. Never play tired, ever!

[Swift_Psycho 1]

No no I didnt make all the money back from 100NL it's just were i decided to get my foot back in the door... the moment I made 1000k moved immidiately to 200NL.. and so on, and im actually only playing at 400 nl right now because im just too fearfull of another bad run at 1000 tables....... By the way I never knew there were bankroll theories on how to stay safe, that would be really helpful, if someone could write out the guidelines, or send me a good website, shoot, that would be awesome, im always looking for a good advice, and thanks for the support at the wsop... ill sure be back to tell you guys how that went

Giggle, I think you meant 1000 dollars, not 1000k.Anyway, congrats on getting yourself out of a hole. Just make sure it doesn't happen again. I'm sure your parents grew a few grey hairs (or lost a few) worrying about you, so make sure you don't give them another reason like this to do so. I know it must have been hard for you, but it has to be emotionally devastating for parents to have to watch their kids go through something like this. Siblings too. i know it would bother me to no end to watch my brother get himself into serious debt so young (I'm not a parent so I can't speak for them, though I'm sure it's the same). Make sure you stay in line from now on for them, if not for yourself. Good luck man.

[Dirtydutch 8]

A lot of people come on here every week, with a similar story. For whatever reason I believe you.Anywho good lucky with all that man. I too have lost a lot of money (in both poker and elsewhere)and know what it’s like. Get rich buddy.Dutch.