Hi there- so introducing myself- I copied and pasted my story underneath for anyone who is interested! For anyone who doesnt have time to read everything, heres a brief overivew: College Student, played poker online, lost, went bust, decided to up my game, thus am here, to learn to win!
Hello everyone- well, let me introduce myself- I'm a 19 year old finance student who has for better or for worse gotten closely acquainted to online poker.
I played awfully at first, losing hundreds of my own cash (I worked part time during my gap year), treating it mostly as a game of luck, gambling like an idiot. However I soon realized I could not go on the way I was, and started to read all the material pertaining to poker I could put my hands on- from Brunson to Helmuth to Greenstein- and began learning the underlying mathematical and psychological principals of the game.
Despite a somewhat more rigorous approach to the game (I was no longer playing for fun- I was playing to win) alas tilt and idiocy on my part ended up destroying my 3.5 grand bankroll. I feel my game was far better, but I was playing at stakes far greater than I should have- and whether it was bad variance or lack of skill I know not- but the end result stayed the same- I'm broke.
To paraphrase Socrates, I realized I really knew (and still know) nothing. It was an expensive lesson, one which ended up costing me everything I made- and I know some of you guys play with far more than that, but for a guy like me, 3.5 grand is a hell of a lot.
However, the phoenix will rise from the ashes- (hell, even phil Ivey went broke in his younger days)- and I have begun the depressing but necessary journey back up. My personality means I'll never quit (I hate being beaten, and I hate admitting defeat)- so since I've got an addictive personality, the only way to stop myself being financially destroyed is to up my game, and learn to play in such a way which will at the very least have me break even.
I'm willing to put 5 hours a day into studying every aspect of the game, watching others play, and taking notes. I cannot let myself be defeated by the game- and I'll do everything in my power to start winning. I'm not stupid- I've been top of my class for as long as I can remember- so I know I have it in me to become a winner.
Which is why I'm here. To lurk on these forums, learning from the vast wisdom of the real card sharks out there, and perhaps find myself a mentor to help me climb back up.
So I come here cap in hand- as a learner/ loser/ student with great ambition- willing to claw his way to the top, and willing to put any number of hours/ work in achieving this. Now I have the entire summer, an internet connection, and 0.66 cents in my account. Lets see if I can turn things around. If any of you card sharks/ pro's out there are willing to give me advice/ coach me/ advise me/ recommend books/ whatever, please PM and and we'll talk on skype! I want fill my skype/ IM accounts with people I hope to emulate!
Best, and cheers for having read all this!
Phil
In poker it's very important to be able to handle your emotions and especially your tilting. You have to realize when you tilting and when not and what cause it. With this course we are going to try to help you and whenever you have any questions about anything just feel free to ask here. Have fun!