Online Poker

So, I'll be completely honest, I haven't had much luck with online poker. I played on UltimateBet for about 2 years and never cashed out. I rebought three times for $200 each. I chalk it up to a learning experience. I say this for two reasons. First, I never played above the $1-2 no limit tables. I was usually playing on the $.50-1 no limit tables and did fairly well. I went up and down, but I was never concentrating on the game. That's the second reason. I was always reading stuff on the internet, or watching TV, never paying attention to the game. My last $200 I put in while I was up in Denver training for the Quiznos. I didn't have much to do at night and I was chatting with Heidi (local poker player) one night and she said, "Hey come join me at the $2-4 no limit table. I make a lot of money here." I said yes because I could care less about pissing away that last $200 (maybe that's a third reason I didn't do so well :-) So we played at the same table and I took that $200 and turned it into $900 in 3 hours. But being the action junkey that I am, I didn't stop and by the end of the week I took some beats and the inevitable "playing outside your bankroll" theory caught up to me. That became another lesson that I took with me.

So about the time I'm fed up with UB, my buddy Jeff says, "What sites do you play at ? ... Come play with me on PartyPoker." So of course I pump another $200 into Party and play at the $50NL tables they have. Had some good luck, but then also pissed it away. But this morning I open my email and suprise ! ... "PartyPoker loves you, Here's $20" ..... so I just finished walking downtown at Lake Austin, my belly is full, the house is clean, and I got time to concentrate on my game. So let's take this $20 and see what we can turn it into with a little concentration and focus on the game.

It's 5:39pm now. I'll update this post later with my progress.

UPDATE - 6:09pm - Of course I pissed it away. I was up to $24.76 and then I got dealt AA under the gun. I choose not to raise because I had seen the guy one off the button raise from the position numerous times. Did he ? ... of course not ! 4 people in the pot and flop of K-10-4 ..with two diamonds. So there's $1.10 in the pot and I'm thinking, "Ok, I can take control back in this hand ... drive out the draws, keep in whoever flopped top pair." I lead out with $2 , and get one caller. So of course what falls on the turn ? .... freaking diamond. So I think, "Ok, I want him to be in there with a K, and I've got the nut diamond Ace, so I feel alright." I bet out $5, nice pot size bet. He raises me $5, and I think, "Ok, he has the K and doesn't want a draw to a diamond. I can call here and win with the Aces, or maybe the 4th diamond will fall". Nothing falls on the river, I check instead of betting and he puts me all in for the last $12 and turns over Q8 diamonds for the flush win.

So that means online poker is rigged !!! right ? ... no ... two lessons learned. First, RAISE those DAMN aces !!!, second, if you think you are going to be all in at the end, but that bet out FIRST, don't check. At least you make him think about his call, maybe he would put me on the nut flush and fold. But if I check he puts the pressure on me. Two big mistakes, but two good lessons, of course I don't know why I have to keep teaching myself that first lesson :-)

So all this means you get a quote from me .... "you can lose the fight, but NEVER lose the lesson !"