Post An Honest Assessment Of Your Game

[rgold79 0]

Too many people, mostly people who don't stay around very long, are horrible at objectively assessing where they stand as a poker player. A long string of losses is "an epic run of bad variance." Maybe. But the key to improving is to be honest with oneself. So, I thought I would share with you (none of whom I have ever met in real life, incidentally) as honest an assessment of my own game as I can. If you feel like sharing, go ahead and post your own below. I have been serious about poker, although nowhere near a full-timer since 2002. 2006 was my first winning year, and that was the result of two sizable MTT cashes. I'm smart with my bankroll, though, so I always have money with which to play, and my life expenses are well taken care of.Live cash games I have established to myself that I am profitable in 1-2NL deepstack games. I struggle at levels 2-5 and higher, though recently I have felt much more comfortable in these games. Considering I think it took me several hundred hours of live 1-2 just to gain a level of comfort I think I'm heading in the right direction.Online cash games I play winning poker when I feel like it, but I'm very good at eliminating five winning sessions' progress with a single losing session. At best, online cash I'm a break even player. Probably over the long term I am a loser. The cure for this is extreme discipline. I may develop that right now but I do not have the will to succeed at the moment. If you see me sitting at an online cash table, watch me play for a couple of orbits. Odds are, you'll be able to tell which incarnation of me has sat that day, and whether or not you'll be able to sit and take all money in short order.In tournaments my game has improved by leaps and bounds over the past 24 months, and it's here that I think my greatest potential for growth exists. I used to be terminally incapable of cashing in tournaments and horrible at going deep. Late last year, however, I won my first live event, final tabled a big online event for my largest cash ever, and went deep in several other events. Moreover I think my grasp of tournament theory has improved immensely. I still have a long, long way to go, but I'm steadily gaining confidence.I think that's pretty much as honest an assessment I can give of myself. Basically, I feel like I'm at a crossroads, on the verge of becoming a true winning player but still in the vast mush of break-even, losing players that probably make up a sizable part of the poker universe. Anyway, just writing this out has been highly cathartic and worthwhile. I hope none of you mind my posting this.

[BudBundy 0]

I am better than the average.

[aucu 3]

I am better than the average.

Considering that more than half of the better than average players are still losing players that does't say much.

[donk4life 34]

My honest assessment of my game is this:I rule at MTT, and suck at cash gamesOver the past six months, I've turned 50 dollars on AP into 1500, mainly by cashing in large MTT nearly 2/3 of the time.... Plus I play SnG's most of the time and come in first or second almost every game... After winning a couple large tourneys, I decided to take a shot at cash games.. I started small at .5/.10 NL, and the first few days I murdered these games, little did I know it was because I getting lucky and making donkey calls that will come back to haunt me, well it did. I try to bluff way to much, I hate giving up a pot that I've been betting into, and I tilt very easily. I've been doing my best to read stuff on here to improve my game, and it's worked (sort of)... I guess I have a better grasp of tournament play than cash game play.Basically I'm in the hole in cash games but up greatly in tourneys...

[aucu 3]

I am happy with my game, could prolly do better if I stuck with Hold'em and worked on it but it's bored me so I fool around in every other game out there.Honestly I'm working too much to play the game right and have started to treat it as a pass time, not good.

[BudBundy 0]

I am better than the average and i win enough money for drinks , clubs , some clothes and Domino's a couple of times a week. And i regularly send money to my bruv who is serving his time in the army right now.

FMP

[donk4life 34]

FMP

Bud, I've gotta ask you, what the hell is your avatar about?Is that a man or a woman? and whats with the hair, and what is he/she holding!!

[BudBundy 0]

Bud, I've gotta ask you, what the hell is your avatar about?Is that a man or a woman? and whats with the hair, and what is he/she holding!!

No , you didn't.No , you didn't just confused Milla Jovovich with a man!She is the girl in 5th Element. Model and actress. Drop dead Gorgeous obviously. Her hair is orange because she is in the future and holding a "Multipass" so she can go to another planet for holiday with Bruce Willis. ( They won the vacation in a radio show. Actually they didn't but Bruce made a few calls and sorted it out)

[donk4life 34]

No , you didn't.No , you didn't just confused Milla Jovovich with a man!She is the girl in 5th Element. Model and actress. Drop dead Gorgeous obviously. Her hair is orange because she is in the future and holding a "Multipass" so she can go to another planet for holiday with Bruce Willis. ( They won the vacation in a radio show. Actually they didn't but Bruce made a few calls and sorted it out)

Milla... is that the same one from ultraviolet?Because if so i'd bone her in a second!

[pokerguy33 0]

My Assessment:I'm a college student, and I'm 20 years old. Turn 21 next month. I play alot of home games tourneys, and cash games. I'm a consistant winner, and out of my home game I'm usually the favorite to take home some money. I have read alot about the game, I constantly read, play, and try to build my game the best I can. I'am always open to criticism, and what not. On a scale from 1-10 I would probably rate myself a 5 or 6. Like I said I'm 20 years old and I have alot to learn. I do better in tourneys than I do cash games. Next month is when I'm hitting up the casino's, and I'm playing in a WSOP Satellight even $200 buyin 100 entrants, 1st gets the seat. They pay out for other places to. But that is my honest assessment of my play. Hopefully 2007 will be a winning year for me at the casino's.

[TheCinciKid 0]

Objectively...I suck.In all seriousness, I'm not nearly as good as I once thought I was. I have massive tilt issues and I'm just not very good at most games. I think I'm a capable LHE and tournament NLHE player, much better than average, but definitely not good enough right now to win a lot of meaningful money.

[trystero 0]

I'm a winning NL cash player but a lot of that has to do with receiving aces a flukish amount of the time (95 times over the last 10k hands, for example). I don't have much money online so I don't take the stakes as seriously as I should, leading to bad overall play.I tilt when called too often by weak pairs because I fire a lot of bullets. I fold to a lot of pressure. On the one hand, this allows me to avoid going broke with speculative hands. On the other hand it leads to loose calls down the road by thinking that players are 'making a move'.I definitely don't have the patience to grind up a roll online. After just an hour of play I get bored and need to do something else or I'll donk my earnings away. That said, I have good table selection and recognize when I'm playing badly, so I don't lose too much that way.I'm not good enough to hold my head above water at a tough table. I tilt very easily when I feel someone is playing position against me.

[No_Neck 0]

I am great at poker I just suck at life

[dreamcrusher28 0]

I'm not sure where I stand as a poker player. I started with a deposit of ~$1300 dollars 2-1/2 years ago, which was half my tax return that year . I've cashed out close to $6000 in that time and still have a current roll of $2100, spread over three sites. I don't keep exact track of things, but I'm assuming most of my cashout money has been from bonuses and RB. This leads me to believe that I'm a slightly better than break-even player at low limits , with good bankroll management and EXCELLENT tilt control. I've also learned to play many forms of poker semi-good , which I'm very proud of. Sometimes I actually feel I'm MUCH better than that. I 7-table 3-6 different forms of poker every day (cash and SnG's) with no tracking software and no regards to table selection. Yet I still manage to make a few bucks, which again, makes me proud.I feel my true tests will be coming in the near future. First, I won't be re-depositing at all online, which means no more bonus money. I'm curious as to whether I'll continue to profit. Second, I'll be playing more regularly live (1/2 NLHE) on a short bankroll (~$4000). I prefer being over rolled for the games I play in, but its just not possible with my live roll.I treat this hobby I love as a "business" and so far the business is doing OK. It's time to see whether I can take it to the next level and become what I like to call a "dangerous recreational player" . Only time will tell.

[SFAWFD 1]

I'm only 20 years old but, have been playing any kind of poker and card games I can get my hands on since I was like 12. My grandmother taught all the grandkids five card draw, blackjack, and many other forms of the game from a young age. Mainly so she could take are change money which we would save all year. Two years ago me and a bunch of my highschool friends started a home game that we play mainly in the summer when we aren't in college. five dollar buy in can rebuy as many times as you would like. At that game I am up well over 300 dollars which isn't bad considering I missed about ever other game due to working. Last year my Father started a tournment once a month with a bunch of his "older" friends that play online and live and all are winning players. out of eleven tournys I got 2nd or better five times and have gotten my money back or better eight times. There I am up about 1000 dollars. At college I just started finding some live game here and there and have been cashing enough to pay the electric, and cable bill ever month ranging around 100-200 a month. I avarage 1 losing session every 5 which I want to lower. I don't play a lot of online poker due to time restraints with working and school and the fact that I enjoy live poker much better. It may seem like I am an ok player but, considering in the highschool group only 2 of the normal 10 other players took it serious not to much to worry about and at college I tend to play with drunk and or high people the majority of the time keeping myself sober leading to way easier reads, and overall game play. My dad's game is where I really struggle as the "older" guys tend to mix it up alot and play really solid poker not to mention my dad having the benefit of seeing me lie to him since the age of 3 can tell when I am bluffing without me moving an inch. I have a couple of big problems that I am working on before I turn 21 in september. I pay off at new live tables way to often to see if I'm reading and picking up tells correctly instead of beliving in my read and or tell I have picked up. That leads to winning less money then I should. I also have a problem with pot odds, and controling the pot size. I rarely go on tilt but when I do it's really bad as I am part Irish . I know I have loads to learn, and reading these forums, books, and anything that I can get my hands on I continue to change and improve my game. rating from 1-10 I would give myself a solid 6. A lot being a young player with limited bank roll, and not playing with very many solid players on a regular basis. As I get older graduate from college and can afford to go to casinos that will be my real test.

[Money022 0]

I'm a much better cash game player than MTT or SNG player. Currently I play $25 NL and I think it's safe to say I'm at the top of the food chain at this level and am a consistant winner. I have no clue as to higher limits, although I'm building my bankroll and will probably take my first shot at $50 NL sometime during April. All the live game experiences I've had have been positive and I can usually grind out a few buy-ins when I do get the chance to hit a casino. Of course the $1/$2 and $2/$5 NL games live are no different than micro limits online.I would say I have very good bankroll management, which I used to be poor at. And I keep my emotions in check pretty well which helps me avoid tilting very often. I also know when a session has run its course and I need to hang it up for the evening. My greatest area of improvement is just getting better as I increase limits. But that goes for all of us.

[Abbaddabba 0]

You'll find that there is almost zero correlation between even an "honest" self assessment of skill and actual skill.People dont knowingly lie to themselves and others about their alleged skill. The problem is that they dont know.If you KNOW there's something that you do that's bad, then you can just choose to do it differently and the problem is solved. The reason people fail is because they think what they're doing is right when it is not.Which is why on any poker message board, you'll get a healthy mix of winners (some), losers(many) and roughly break even players (the vast majority) speaking as an authority on how to play poker and telling other people what is "optimal" or "standard".

[Actuary 3]

Abba in the 60's they would have called you a "pill"Of course you know you're just as guilty of giving advice as the rest of them.And, I know you were not denying that.***********************************Assessment of my poker skill/aptitude/game:I discovered that online poker was "for real, legit, honest, and easy to play" waaaaaay to late in life.Had I been 24, there's no way I would have gone back to school to ever become an ActuaryI never would have met Caroline, my wife.I probably would still be a massive drinker (I used to shoot Bacardi 151, straight... no chasers, for example)I could sit for 8 hours with just any one of several of you all on here and talk about poker.But alas, I've had to elected to stop playing since late January. Moved away from my occasional live game and after playing online a bit here in Alabama, I stopped. There's no way I'd ever get thru the Actuarial Exams or spend ample time with my wife if I allowed myself to get fully absorbed in the game.And I suck at doing things I like, half way.As far as ability?My brain is 250,000 hands ahead of my gut..and gaining.

[Abbaddabba 0]

I know im guilty of rambling on message boards.... mostly i like to hear the sound of my own e-voice.The more comfortable i feel about my own game, the less compelled i feel to analyze other peoples hands. I think that's the case for a lot of people. It's helpful to articulate thoughts that you arent yet sure about.It's like that whole thing about teaching someone being the best way to learn.Im an erotic, pimp-smooth blue pill.

[iggymcfly 0]

I'm great at poker. That's not an issue. Certainly good enough to make high six-figures.My problem is just that I'm a stupid degenerate. I'm hoping I grow out of it eventually.

[Snamuh 0]

I'm a 19 year old college student working on building my first bankroll. I take poker very seriously, maybe too seriously, but I love it. I read every poker book I can get my hands on like 5 times and I will gladly talk poker with my friends for long periods of time. I can sit down and play this game for 10+ hours a day if I can find the time to (usually weekends). I'm probably able to do this because I've been a longtime video gamer, most recently Warcraft 3, and World of Warcraft, which I successfully quit after about 1.5 years (For those who understand what I'm talking about, we're talking 5 hour raids every night, and probably at least 3 more hours farming/PvPing every day for 1.5 years). I probably have an addiction to poker like I did with WoW but that doesn't bother me much. With poker, I actually feel like I am accomplishing something. I built a 4.50 bankroll and turned it into 4 figures (dropped just below 4 figures after a pretty bad downswing) and I'm damn proud.I feel like I have a great understanding of game mechanics and concepts. I study the game day in and day out and am always looking to improve. My strength is probably my yearning to constantly learn about the game as well as my discipline. My main flaw is that when I'm not in a hand (I usually only 1 or 2 table, I've tried stepping it up but I'm not comfortable with it yet), I tend to tab out and do something else when I should be studying my opponents. It's something I really want to work on. I think I'd rate my cash game skills as a 6.5-7 out of 10, with plenty of room for improvement. I don't really play tournaments online but I have had a large amount of success in our regular college games. I'm hoping poker will pay off for me in the future.

[asytnik 0]

I'm a Senior in College and so far have paid the tuition grinding out high stakes SNGs since 2003. Bankroll management is by far my weakest link. If I have the buy-in I will continue playing my stakes, even though my Risk of Ruin is too high. i.e tuition clears my BR to $1500 but I continue playing $200-$300 SnGs. Strangely enough, I always find myself playing my A game when I'm in dire straits, and play like a total donkey if I'm over bankrolled for a game because I play without a care in the world. I have been busto on numerous occasions and had to credit up/work to get my BR back. I sound like such a degen lol Nonetheless, I'm still happy not to be $60k in debt which is exactly where I'd be right now if it wasn't for poker.The one area I'm currently working on right now is finding a way to play the medium stack in MTTs at all levels. I consider myself very good at playing the big/small stacks, but atrociously suck at playing the medium stack.

[homnig 0]

I'm pretty good.

[TwoFourOffsuit 0]

Good NLHE MTT player with moments of weakness that need to be minimized.Decent LLHE player who needs to work on not sweating the bad sessions so much, especially given the good sessions come as frequently.Always looking to improve and fix flaws in my game, as should anyone else.

[HubDub04 0]

I am a very solid cash game player and a very solid mtt player. I final tabled the first major live tourney I had ever played in Vegas ($540 Bellagio MTT) and have done well online.I'd rather be playing a 5-10 or 10-20 NL cash game anyday over a tourney but I feel that my game fits both very well.I hope to do this for a living in the very near future.