Well, July is to be considered a success. I did what I intended to do: stick to hold em and post a profit. I finished the month up $860. From the mid-July review, you can read that I was concerned about a recent $1000 loss. I played basically even until the end of the month, still averaging about 22 hours of poker each week.
On July 28th I went to Caesar's to play around 3:00 pm. My friend Roger was in town and I was trying to meet up with him. He was playing in a tournament there that I was too late to attend. So, I got seated in a 1-3 no-limit game and bought in for $300. The game was short, but filled up within a few hands.
Early in the session I was dealt pocket eights in early position. I raised it to $15 and everyone folded but the guy to my left. The flop came 7 7 3 rainbow. I bet the pot and the guy hesitated and called. The turn brought a blank. I put him on two big cards and decided I didn't want him to draw. I also had him outchipped. So, I shoved it all-in and he instacalled and turned over pocket sevens. Ouch. Running into quads blows. I guess after that loss I had about $50 left on the table, so I rebought for another $200.
Over the next hour I ran the $250 up to about $325 and then would lose a few small pots in a row and fall back down to about $250. Then, I'm dealt A Q suited on the button. There were a few callers already, but I didn't mind raising it up to $15 to go even if just to lose the blinds. All previous callers called along and so did the small blind. The flop came A 2 2. They all check it to me, so I bet about the pot and shove out $60. Everyone folds but the guy who had the quads against me earlier. He says, "$60? What's that?" "It's a pot-sized bet" I tell him. He says he HAS to make a bad call. The turn brings a 10 and adds a third club to the board. I check to the guy and he bets $100. I'm sure he doesn't have the flush, but I'm confused about what he does have. Quad deuces? No, I can't put him on those. I just don't know. I call the $100 and the river brings a blank. I check again and he shoves all-in. I've only got $100 left and at this point I just can't get away from the hand. I call and he turns over A 10 and wins with a bigger two pair.
So, that was minus $500 in an hour and a half. I didn't bring much more than that, so I left, remembering my own advice about getting out of a game that isn't paying me. I think I couldn't help the first hand I lost very much. But on the second I probably should have released my A Q. One pair isn't very much to go on when someone else takes over the betting on the turn. Even if it is a bluff, it's alright to let some of those go.
Looking over the entire month, if I didn't have the two big loss days ($1000 and $500 respectively) I would have finished up somewhere around $2300. Hopefully these latest lessons will sink in for me and I'll be able to protect my chips better.
I'm taking a break for the first week or two of August as a kind of vacation to do nothing and to reflect. There's something else I'm trying to absorb regarding the difference between playing poker recreationally (but seriously) and as a profession.
Because I've got a bankroll and enough stashed away for bills separately, I shouldn't have any difficulties with losses here or there. But because in my head I'm thinking "this is my job" and I'm trying to consistently make at least $1500 each month, when I don't or when I hit snags I get a little panicky. When I had played in Seattle and hit losing streaks, it bothered me from the standpoint of not wanting to make mistakes or play bad. The monetary loss didn't bother me really as I had a job to pay the bills.
My friend, Tony, narrowed it down for me on the phone a few days ago. When playing is your only job, when you're winning you feel like you should play more. When is enough, enough? And when you're losing, you feel like you should play more to try to get back into the black. So, psychologically it can be a bit daunting to wrap my head around.
