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What I have learned so far since doing this for a living!
Poker prop article posted November 17th, 2006The things I have learned since deciding to play poker for a living not in any particular order:
- Set goals
- What do you want out of poker? Do you just want to make some extra money for a vacation? Do you want to play big stakes poker? These are some questions you should ask yourself when you decide to play poker. I would suggest not to make goals that are unattainable but I would not make your goals easy either. When I first started this blog at the beginning I told myself I wanted to make $15k this year and be playing $5/10 Limit Hold'em by the end of the year. I never thought about how I would get there just figured I would play and my bankroll would get bigger and I would move up the levels. So know I set weekly goals and monthly goals to keep me focused. My goal is still to get their but not sure if it will be there by end of this year or not. I am still currently playing $1/2 limit and some $2/4. I would say I am playing 80 percent $1/2 and 20 percent $2/4.
- Don't burnout
- This one I just have figured out recently just like any other job you get tired off it and you need to take a vacation. Don't play poker when it becomes a drag to turn on the computer you will thank me on this one later. I know it is so easy because it becomes a part of your daily life but you need to get a more balanced life then just sitting behind the computer and playing poker. Well Hold'em get stale learn a new game or find another hobby like playing golf or whatever you like to do just don't play when you start feel like it is a chore. Take some time off the games will always be there.
- Downswings will happen
- Don't play over your bankroll. Variance will happen no matter how good you are so stay within your bankroll and you will be fine. I know this because I have gone on some pretty scary downswings but I have survived. I am still playing on my original $150 I made from a freeroll and have never had to deposit any of my own money. We are going on almost two years now.
- Have some money saved up
- When you have a really big month don't spend it. Put some in savings for the month's that you run bad. You should also have about 3 months of living expenses saved up so that you are not playing at the table with scared money.
- Gain the support from your family and friends
- It is much easier to play when you know you have the support from others then when people are rooting for you to fail. I have the full support from my fiancee which helps a lot and helps me from going on tilt because I want to provide for her so I don't play over my head.
- Study the game
- Don't ever stop learning. Read books. Find a good forum to discuss hands or find some other buddies that play so that you can discuss hands and strategies with them.
- Be nice to bad players
- Don't scare the fish away by bad mouthing them in the chat windows. In the long run they will be losing to you when they chase their gut shots and flushes with no pot odds. Please don't scare the fish away be nice to them keep them at the table.
- Don't play when tired or stress
- Don't play poker when you are tired or have other things on your mind you will lose money. I have done this plenty of times because I felt I had to play and I would say 80 percent of the time I have had losing sessions and it just pisses you off.
- Game Selection
- This is where I am weak. Try to look for games where there is a lot of limping and not much raising. You want to be the one that is the aggressive player at the table. You want to be the one raising and the players fearing you instead of the other way around. You want to be able to play hands that take down big pots. In an aggressive game you don't get to play those hands as much.
- Play with a bonus or rakeback
- Well this one is pretty simple it helps with your variance and when you are running bad you are lucky you have it. Bonus or rakeback can mean the difference between a winning week or losing week on those occasions when the deck goes cold on you. So play with a bonus or rakeback on most occasions.
As you can see these are some of things that I have notice over the past few months there are others but these are the ones that stand out the most to me.
HartFlush.
The above poker prop article was posted on November 17th, 2006. If you have questions about Mad Poker Props or poker propping please contact us.