Rags to Riches: My Quest to Poker Glory

Well it is early in the night but I already feel like I am playing better (at the 5c/10c level). Not having to constantly worry about 'if I lose my buy-in, what will that do to my BR' works wonders. This really got me wondering. Maybe the typical 25 max-buy rule for bankroll stability isn't good enough for me. I think that I play my best when I know that the money that I am playing with means NOTHING to my bankroll. I need to be able to go at every pot with my whole heart, without any regard to the money whatsoever, otherwise there is no reason to be playing at that level.

Following the 25 max-buy rule you are still risking 4% of your bankroll when you sit down. Now, I think that we all are aware that it is pretty easy to go through four or five buy-ins in one sitting (with or without tilt, you can easily get bad beated out of five buy-ins in a day). {4%} x {5buy-ins} = 20% of your roll. That is a significant chunk. Coming to the realization of this information I have decided to up my bankroll requirements to 45-50 buy-ins. This means that before I can move back up to 10c/25c ($25 buy-in), I need to have $1,250 back into the roll. This is going to make moving up in levels a lot more long and tedious process, but my comfort level will go through the roof.

I am going to post a HandHistory from my Stars play tonight with an explanation of why I play better with a secure feeling that if I lose my buy-in, it won't be a big deal (I'll try to comment it in caps and highlight/bold it to make it as easy to read as possible).

PokerStars Game #4445752458: Hold'em No Limit ($0.05/$0.10) - 2006/03/28 - 18:57:01 (ET)
Table 'Xanthippe IV' 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: cole7667 ($10.50 in chips)
Seat 2: DHarrison ($11.55 in chips)
Seat 3: bobo62 ($21.65 in chips)
Seat 4: RobynJoanne ($11.80 in chips)
Seat 5: bfd270 ($3.35 in chips)
Seat 6: Futbal37 ($3.80 in chips)
Seat 7: ~idonigl~ ($2.40 in chips)
Seat 8: hendy ($10.55 in chips)
Seat 9: LoveHina ($9.80 in chips)
RobynJoanne: posts small blind $0.05
bfd270: posts big blind $0.10
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to DHarrison [Kc 8c]
Futbal37: folds
~idonigl~: folds
hendy: folds
LoveHina: folds
cole7667: calls $0.10

I HAVE GOOD POSITION SO I DECIDE TO RAISE IT WITH A MARGINAL HAND. PLAYING AT A TABLE WHERE I AM CONCERNED ABOUT LOSING THE BUY-IN, MY GAME GETS TOO TIGHT. I END UP GETTING OUTPLAYED ALOT BECAUSE I AM IN CONSTANT FEAR OF MY OPPONENT HAVING THE NUTS AND TAKING MY STACK. HERE I HAVE THE FREEDOM TO RELAX AND PLAY UNCONCERNED.

DHarrison: raises $0.30 to $0.40
bobo62: folds
RobynJoanne: folds
bfd270: folds
cole7667: calls $0.30

I GET ONE CALLER BUT I HAVE POSITION ON HIM AND THE LEAD IN THE HAND, LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

*** FLOP *** [2d 4h 9c]

I COMPLETELY MISS THE FLOP BUT I HAVE POSITION AND THE LEAD. LET'S SEE WHAT MY VILLIAN DOES.

cole7667: bets $0.30

HE BETS INTO THE PREFLOP RAISER. I LIKE TO DO THIS SOMETIMES AS IT REALLY TENDS TO CONFUSE THE RAISER. IT ALSO LETS ME 1) TAKE THE LEAD IN THE HAND AND 2) GET TO THE TURN CHEAPER THEN I WOULD HAVE HAD I LET HIM BET OUT. THIS IS WHAT I THINK HE IS DOING HERE (AND IF HE IS NOT IT WILL BE EASY ENOUGH TO TELL BY HOW HE REACTS TO WHAT I AM ABOUT TO DO).

HOMEY DON'T PLAY THAT. I RAISED PREFLOP, I HAVE THE LEAD IN THE HAND, AND I DO NOT PLAN ON GIVING IT UP WITHOUT A FIGHT. I WANT TO FIND OUT IF THIS GUY IS SERIOUS ABOUT HIS HAND, OR IS HE JUST TRYING TO CONFUSE ME. LET'S PUT THE PRESSURE BACK ON HIM. I POP IT UP.

DHarrison: raises $0.85 to $1.15

NOTE: THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD BE TOO AFRAID TO DO WHEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE MONEY. PLAYING AT HIGHER STAKES (IN COMPARISON TO THE SIZE OF MY ROLL) I WOULD HAVE FOLDED TO THE FLOP BET. NOT CARING ABOUT THE INSIGNIFCANT PORTION OF MY ROLL THAT MY BUY-IN REPRESENTS ALLOWS ME TO OPEN MY GAME AND FREELY USE ALL OF THE WEAPONS IN MY ARSENAL WITHOUT FEAR.

cole7667: calls $0.85

HE CALLED. THIS ISN'T A GREAT FEELING FOR ME. HOWVER, SINCE HE JUST CALLED INSTEAD OF RERAISING SAYS TO ME THAT HE EITHER 1) HAS TOO MUCH OF AN EGO TO FOLD. HE DOESN'T WANT TO ADMIT TO HIMSELF THAT HE HAS BEEN PICKED OFF, 2) HAS A HAND THAT IS MERELY OK....ONE THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE IN, OR 3) HE IS SLOWPLAYING. EITHER WAY WE WILL GET SOME GREAT INFO BY WHAT HE DOES FOR HIS FIRST ACTION ON THE TURN (SEE HOW POWERFUL POSITION IS!!!)

*** TURN *** [2d 4h 9c] [7h]

cole7667: checks

HE CHECKS. IS HE EITHER 1) CONCEDING THE HAND, OR 2) SLOWPLAYING? ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT. THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I AM GOING TO GIVE HIM A FREE CARD. LET'S BET AT HIM . IF HE CALLS/RAISES HERE I AM ABSOLUTELY DONE WITH THIS HAND AS I ONLY HAVE KING HIGH. IF I GET RAISED, RERAISING WOULD BE OUT OF THE QUESTION. HE CALLED A RAISE PREFLOP, A RAISE ON THE FLOP, AND WILL HAVE JUST CHECK RAISED MY TURN BET. IF HE DOES ALL THAT ON A COMPLETE BLUFF THEN HE DESERVES MY MONEY.

DHarrison: bets $2.25
cole7667: folds

I BET ABOUT 3/4 OF THE POT AND HE RUNS HOME TO MAMA JUST AS I HAD HOPED.

THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF A HAND THAT I WON BECAUSE I WAS PLAYING CONFIDENT INSTEAD OF PLAYING SCARED.

bfd270 is sitting out
DHarrison collected $3.10 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $3.25 | Rake $0.15
Board [2d 4h 9c 7h]
Seat 1: cole7667 folded on the Turn
Seat 2: DHarrison collected ($3.10)
Seat 3: bobo62 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: RobynJoanne (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 5: bfd270 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: Futbal37 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: ~idonigl~ folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: hendy folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: LoveHina folded before Flop (didn't bet)



I hope that was clear enough for you guys to read/understand. So if you get one thing from todays post it should be....Play with confidence.

-d.arthur