2009 - Has the Universe put you in your place yet?
By hellcord
@hellcord (673)
Romania
January 16, 2009 8:06am CST
Yesterday was one of my most 'educational' days of a long long time.
Yesterday, I lost my bankroll. ALL my bankroll. Did some winning, about 20 bucks, got cocky, my brain was somewhere in my pants probably, and WHAM! For the first time in my Poker career (of about 2 months now) I got DESTROYED. Annihilated.
Now after the fact I can only recommend the feeling. It HAS to happen to you, not just in Poker but in life in general, at least once, just to get it out of the way, so you can relax.
Reminds me of a law enforcement trick I saw in a movie: 4 guys spend the night in a police cell, arrested as suspects in the same crime. Who did the crime? Usually it's guy sleeping. Getting arrested while not guilty makes you lose sleep, but the guilty guy, before getting caught he was always paranoid, thinking, fearing, scheming, etc, dreading this day. Then after getting caught he can finally relax. It is over. It is finally a new day for him, with an open future.
Similarly, getting your first COMPLETE BUST behind you, clears the air as it were, gets things out of the way, and gives you a clean slate to start fresh, and really decide if you wish to be a Poker player, not just protect/ increase some random bankroll.
Also I was very surprised to find out that I didn't snap, panic, get angry or anything like that. I got my shoes on, got out for a walk, then came back to the tables and played a few more hands correctly.
The skill behind the bankroll, the confidence as a player, that is something that nobody can take away, and once the bankroll is gone, you get to see and feel it clearly, for the first time.
You're not a player because you have a bankroll, you're a player because you have the skill, because that's who you are.
This morning, I had only 1 dollar left, not even enough to play at 2-3 tables. So I did a buy-in at one single table, and went for it with sound correct play, while reading poker strategy.
I now have 2 dollars, and this evening I can go play at 2 tables. I can honestly say that the game is much more real now, more clear, and any cash I make from here on, will feel much more real too. It's money earned at the tables, not just deposited out of my paycheck.
Has anything similar happened to you? care to share?
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