My Poker Addiction
Y'all might know that I am addicted to poker. Well, not really. I am obsessive about winning and I am as competitive as anyone that I have ever met. That's slightly different than being addicted to poker, but only slightly.
This obsession is my explanation for my never-ending quest to be a winning heads-up poker player. Of all forms of poker, this would seem to be the one for which I would have the easiest time winning. I understand how the game is played; I can read hands properly; and I know how to bet. I am certainly not the best player in the world, but heads up matches against your average online poker playing donkey should give me a substantial edge.
And yet, I don't think I am a winning heads up player -- even at the lowest stakes. I have tried playing tighter, looser, more aggressive, less aggressive -- I have tried everything. And this isn't even against tough competition -- this is in the $5 + $0.25 games at Poker Stars, Full tilt, or (now) UltimateBet.
Well, folks, I think that I have finally found my winning formula. I simply need to make smaller bets. I have been playing most recently at UltimateBet, and I think that I have it. I can bet aggressively, but with bets that are the 1-3X the minimum. This allows me to put pressure on my opponents without risking too much money. They're call stations, normally, so when I have a hand, I can build and win a nice pot. When I have read that they have something (or I am on a stone-cold bluff), then I can slow down or fold without any problems at all. The structure at UltimateBet is pretty slow, so I have plenty of time to grind away at my opponents. At that, folks, is my edge: the ability to grind and grind, whereas your typical internet donkey tries to win quickly.
Since I made this discovery, I have won 3 matches and lost only one. The one match that I lost was somewhat of a fluke. I got one of those hyperaggressive opponents who pushes all-in seemingly every hand. Literally, this guy pushed all-in preflop on the first, second, fourth, and fifth hands. I limp-called on the fourth hand, flipping over my QQ to his KTo. The flop came AK4, though, and I did not improve on the turn or river. Oh well, it wasn't grinding, but I'll take those odds any day of the week.
This obsession is my explanation for my never-ending quest to be a winning heads-up poker player. Of all forms of poker, this would seem to be the one for which I would have the easiest time winning. I understand how the game is played; I can read hands properly; and I know how to bet. I am certainly not the best player in the world, but heads up matches against your average online poker playing donkey should give me a substantial edge.
And yet, I don't think I am a winning heads up player -- even at the lowest stakes. I have tried playing tighter, looser, more aggressive, less aggressive -- I have tried everything. And this isn't even against tough competition -- this is in the $5 + $0.25 games at Poker Stars, Full tilt, or (now) UltimateBet.
Well, folks, I think that I have finally found my winning formula. I simply need to make smaller bets. I have been playing most recently at UltimateBet, and I think that I have it. I can bet aggressively, but with bets that are the 1-3X the minimum. This allows me to put pressure on my opponents without risking too much money. They're call stations, normally, so when I have a hand, I can build and win a nice pot. When I have read that they have something (or I am on a stone-cold bluff), then I can slow down or fold without any problems at all. The structure at UltimateBet is pretty slow, so I have plenty of time to grind away at my opponents. At that, folks, is my edge: the ability to grind and grind, whereas your typical internet donkey tries to win quickly.
Since I made this discovery, I have won 3 matches and lost only one. The one match that I lost was somewhat of a fluke. I got one of those hyperaggressive opponents who pushes all-in seemingly every hand. Literally, this guy pushed all-in preflop on the first, second, fourth, and fifth hands. I limp-called on the fourth hand, flipping over my QQ to his KTo. The flop came AK4, though, and I did not improve on the turn or river. Oh well, it wasn't grinding, but I'll take those odds any day of the week.
posted by frazwood at 1:01 PM
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