Confessions of a Poker Addict

Well, it's finally happened.  The US Department of Justice has finally gone directly after the big poker sites.  Indictments against the owners of Full Tilt, PokerStars and AP.  And, so far, one bank.

US players, if they can get on the sites at all, are, as of this Saturday morning, blocked from playing real money games.  I can only imagine the panic at the sites.  But for sure, all the poker board are frantically abuzz with conjecture, lamentations, panic and unhappiness. I did a quick search of tweets of the big money US online pros -- who stand to lose a mint if they can't get their money out.  Some are very worried, some are not.  I have no more at risk than I am comfortable with losing entirely -- I knew in the back of my head that this day might come, if the legislators couldn't get off their butts and write laws letting us play fully legitimately.

I fully expect that US players will never be playing at these sites again for real money.  That said, write your congressmen and senators and ask them to legalize online poker.  Not online gambling but specifically poker which can be a skill game.

On a personal note, I am surprised that I am not completely freaking out myself.  I have played so much, every day, for years.  Online poker has been a big part of my daily life.  My calm probably has to do with having taken this month mostly off poker, many days not playing at all.  Others must be jonesing horribly...

Sorry.  Kind of lost interest in blogging.  I couldn't drum up much outside interest.  So I suppose I can just talk to myself.

It's spring, and I feel as if I played poker past my emotional limit for some months now.  I am taking a break from it.

Here's what happened.  I felt as if I had to play, as if it were my second job.  For months.  I played every day, for at least a couple of hours.  It started getting to me.  It became not fun.  A grind.  I was doing the grinding somewhat on purpose to see what it would be like to force myself to play.  Which is kind of what pros do -- although I was and am quite clear that I will never be a pro poker player.

And I just burned out.  Not completely.  But for this month, anyway, I am  working on ridding myself of the obsessive-compulsive aspect of playing.  I want it to get back to being fun.

And, no, I didn't go on tilt and lose all my poker bankroll.  I had a couple of flirtations with that, but managed to stop when I was inclined to say WTH and go wild.  My bankroll is sufficient to play at the modest levels I prefer.

The NY Times Magaziner had an article on jungleman -- Brian Cates -- which my non-poker playing friends all seemed to think I should read.  Good article on a online poker phenom.  But utterly alien to my own experience.  He and I might as well be on different poker planets.  

In early March, I went to Atlantic City to play in a WSOP circuit event.  Much higher buy-in than I ever play online, and stiffer competition.  About 700 players in the tourney. I felt as if I were swimming with sharks, and, sadly, was not enough of a shark myself.  (Well, it would have helped if I'd had some good cards.)  It was a kind of test to see how I'd do in a longer, tougher event.   There were a lot of young guns, many of whom plainly were excellent modern players.  (You could tell by the amount of three and four-betting that they did.  Very much the current style.)  I did not make it to the second day, but it was interesting.

Some people don't have a problem walking away from gambling. It's amusing for them but not particularly involving. And while poker is for most people a skill game, the vagaries of variance and the unpredictabilities of other people do put poker, at least partially, into the gambling niche.

Let's talk about how gambling works on the psyche.

Most gambling games trigger the powerful intermittent reinforcement reaction. It's Psych 101. When rats (or people) get paid off every time (positive reinforcement), they stop hitting the button when the food stops. When they don't get paid off at all or hurt if they hit the button (negative reinforcement), they stop really fast. When they get the food (or money) every few times (intermittent reinforcement), they tend to keep hitting that button. Good gambling games give you regular payoffs, so the tendency is to keep playing for more.

Does that make gambling a bad thing?

Gambling itself is not bad or good, it just is what it is. A game. People who tend to get addicted to things, who tend to be compulsive or get obsessed or overinvolved have a harder time than normal walking away from such activities. So the question becomes whether it is safe for them to even start. Can they limit themselves in some way that it will not, cannot affect their lives negatively? Do they have enough discipline to stick to the limits they set?

By limits, I am referring to both money and time.

Money, of course, because you don't want to lose your paycheck, your home -- any substantial percentage of what you have worked for. You don't want to put either yourself or those around you at risk.  If you have a spouse or children, that matters. You don't want to get into desperate situations. You don't want to place yourself in danger in any way..

Time because you need to keep the rest of your life on track. Jobs, relationships, other sorts of fun, other duties. If you put any significant part of your overall welfare at risk, you shouldn't gamble and you do have a problem. And you need to stop. Or not even start.

So it's a matter of knowing oneself whether gambling may be bad for you. And then the question is whether you can keep it under strict control. 

Gambling can be bad for some people. But nothing is bad or good in itself.

You can eat too much or run too much or drink too much or play computer games too much. You can clean your house so much that you never go out. You can work so hard you drop dead. You can love so much that it makes you sick and crazy. You can overdo anything, absolutely anything, to your detriment.

Moderation in everything, they say.  I say, have your fun, but don't go nuts.

No work today for me, so, naturally, I've been playing poker. Playing poker for hours means running into luck, both good and bad. As the bad beats kept coming, I started humming a little tune...well, almost a tune...

...and then I animated it.

http/www.xtranormal.com/profile/2217407/

Very interesting trying to pull off a rap when you have little control over the characters and how they talk..  But fun!:lol:

Keep good cards, dump the garbage.

Learn about playing position. You need a better hand to play from an early position than you do to play from a late position. The other side of that is that you need a better hand to call a raise than you might have needed to raise in the first place.

Watch what other players do and figure out their style of play and the range of hands they play.

When you do play a hand, don't limp in. Raise. However, if you are playing NL, don't shove (go all in) much. Figure out what the standard preflop raise is at the table and go with that. Don't vary your raise based on your hand, but you may vary it based on position. Learn to play after the flop.

If you have no clue how to play a hand after the flop, then shoving with premium hands is, after all, the play for you. Play only AA, KK, AK, QQ, JJ, TT. Maybe only AA and KK. Yes, that means you will play a hand once an hour, at most.  And people will not play you often. You shove, they fold, you make little on the hand you waited an hour for.  Ick.  Learn to play a post-flop game.

Patience!!! You are looking for situations to play where you have an edge. The edge may be your cards or your position or something about the other player(s) in the hand. You don't want to play a hand where you are at a disadvantage.

The fold is your friend. Look for a reason to fold, as opposed to a reason to stay in a hand. Folding will save you money for those times when you are definitely ahead.

Don't get emotional and don't play when you are feeling emotional about something else. you need to focus on the same and be clear about why you are doing what you are doing. If, at any point, you get upset, get away from the table until you have calmed down.

Learn about bankroll management so you have a chance at playing longer with the money you do have.

More patience!!

It's time for an addict confession.  An addict moment.  An addict quandry.  I'd (partially) rather stay home and play poker than go to my old pal's party. 

This feeling is not entirely about addiction.  There are other factors, like not wanting to drive 2 hours each way.  Laziness.  General grumpiness.  Not being much of a party person generally.

I'll go, though.  I know I'll enjoy it.  I'll know enough of the people there, at least somewhat.  There will be people I like seeing. and talking to, and who I don't see as much as I would like.

And then there's the thing that poker is a bit of a struggle today.  I should get away from the tables.

Poker thought for the day:  It's a whole lot easier to lose a buy-in than double it.

All it takes is a set against your top 2 pair (AK).  Or whatever it may be when the flop hits you hard and him harder.  Or running into an AA with your KK.  And not realizing you're beat. Or, maybe, realizing you might be, but hoping he's the one overvaluing his hand and taking that risk.   Not whining, you understand.  Sometimes staying in is the correct play for the long run, even if not that particular hand.  That's poker.  Just sayin'.  Not cryin' and lyin' only a little bit about the level of tilt I'm in.

I was just thinking about what I need to do to do well in tournaments, and realized they could boil down to

The 5 Ps.

Patience

 

Position

 

People (figure out who is at the table and play each person appropriately)

 

Premium cards and pairs.

 

Power (don't limp-- raise!)

While the poker sites' regularly scheduled tournaments are great and exciting, well attended with a big final table payout, you never know who is going to be at your table.  Are you going to be stuck for an hour with a maniac? Or some guy who likes to mouth off?  (If so, just mute him!)   If you want to play regularly with a group of people who you enjoy playing with, look into playing private tournaments.

At each poker room, in the tournaments section, you'll see a private tournament tab.  These tournaments are set up by individuals or groups so they can play together.  Most of these tournaments require passwords.  The correct plan of action if you want to play in these tournaments is see what forum or group is holding the tournament and then go join the forum, join, and take it from there.

Do not go to the tournament and beg for the password.  You will not make friends, and, in most cases, nobody will tell you the password.  It's private, duh!  Accept that you will probably not be able to play that particular private tournament that day, but, once you have joined the forum or group, you can do it later.  The groups at Railbirds.com hold a lot of private tourneys.

Most of the private tourneys do cost money.  But, for the most part, the buy-in is low, and the caliber of players is higher than you will find at a similarly priced general tournament.  And once you start playing particular private tournaments regularly, you will be able to take notes on the other players, which can help you make decisions in hands.

Some forums hold freerolls.  These are emphatically for members only, and often require that the members are active to a certain degree.  These freerolls are a great way to build a bankroll, and are well worth the time and effort of becoming an active participant at the site.

When I tell people I play poker online, most people get anxious about that idea.  First, you are sending money to someplace outside the country (if you are in the U.S.) and if they just take it, what can you do?  Not much. True.  You are also putting out information about yourself to sites that may not keep the information safe.  Also something to consider.

In the U.S. and some other countries, there may problems with legality.  For the most part, aside from a few states, it is legal to play poker online -- it's just not legal for the poker room.  The players are not usually at risk.  But their money can be grabbed when some prosecutor is trying to make a name for himself.  It's something to consider.  it can get tricky depositing and withdrawing also, but most sites find ways.   There is some movement towards legalizing and regulating online poker, which will make it more comfortable for all involved.  Writing your comgressman and senator to voice your support for regulation might help this happen.  If the legality issue freaks you out, don't do it.  Make that trip to Atlantic City or Vegas, or play for play money.

I'm not going to tell you there are no horror stories involving disappearing money.  But here's the thing:  the big sites, like Full Tilt and Pokerstars, have built up a reputation for honesty and reliability.  They make billions and want to keep making the bucks, so, IMO, they are not likely to play fast and loose with your money and have every incentive to be careful and security conscious.  There are big-time poker pros who play on these sites, and have a ton of money there, ready to play with. There are high stakes games with a million bucks on the table.  Would the pros risk depositing this much money if they thought their money could go poof because the site was shady?  I think not.  The only time I hear of these sites "taking a person's money" is when that person has done something prohibited by the site.  For instance, if a person opens up more than one account with a site, it's a problem.  It's not allowed.  Or if there is some clear indication of cheating or collusion -- cheaters' bankrolls are subject to forfeiture. 'Nuff said? 

There have certainly been times when two people in one house (IP address) both want an account, and that can trigger problems.  But if you may be in that position, tell the site before you both enroll and work it out.  It may take some time before they are satisfied that you are two people and not planning to cheat, and you and your friend may be subject to rules about playing together, but usually this can be sorted out.

As far as the small poker rooms, some of them don't last and they are a risk.  Over the years, any number of fly-by-night sites have disappeared, with the players' money.  If you stick to the bigger sites, and follow their rules, your money should be safe.  And your information should be, also.  That said, personally, I pretty much stay away from Ultimate Bet/Absolute Poker (now both on the Cereus network), even though i still have some money there.  Aside from the scandal a few years ago, there has been recent buzz about a glitch in their software that can permit eavesdropping on a nearby (in real life) player's cards.  Not good.  The fear that the site enables cheating through risky software is probably the biggest fear of all.

As for whether it is safe for you to risk money playing poker, that's another question.  Poker is part skill, part luck, and, in the long run, skill will trump luck.  On a hand-to-hand basis, luck can mess things up.  But that is the game.  Learn to play, keep learning.  Keep realistic about how you are doing.  Keep trying to get better.  Remember that most people think they are above average.  Delusions of competence.  Know yourself and know how you are doing, and you will be able to work to improve.   If you don't look for the leaks in your game, you will not get better.  And everyone has leaks.

If you want to be very clear on your progress and stats, investing in  tracker software that keeps complete records of your play is great.  There are several companies that make such software, some of which will provide HUDs (head-up displays) at the online poker table when you play poker to help you make decisions.  Do not spend money on a HUD that takes information from a multi-player database -- if you are caught using those HUDs, you will be tossed off most sites.  It's a form of cheating.  But, so far, the HUDs that keep information based only on games you yourself have played are permitted at most sites.  If in doubt, check the poker room FAQs before you invest in a HUD. 

And, before you ask... no, there are no programs that help you see the other players' cards.  You can't buy such a thing and neither can anyone else.  (Do revisit my comment about the software hole at UB/AP.  They should have fixed it by now.) 

Nor are there programs which wil tell you what cards will be dealt.  There is, however, a constant debate as to whether the sites are rigged.  Some people think the programs favor the big stacks.  Some just think the programs are rigged for action.  However, there have been studies done by math whizzes, analyzing the results in millions of hands, and the results are within the expected range of statistical probability.  That means that AA will prevail the expected percentage of times, and lose the expected percentage of times, and the same with other hand combinations.  I do not believe that the poker programs are rigged.  And having seen plenty of real-life poker games where the worst possible card comes on the river.... I think that's just poker.  The poker software at the big sites provides a realistic result pattern that is very very close to real-life luck.

There are a lot of poker forums on the web where poker-crazy people discuss the game, as well as bitch and moan about bad beats.  Some are run, sort of, by name poker players, while others were started by someone much like me or you.  Some forums are so huge, you have a hard time getting to know other members, even in the usual online-anonymous sort of way. Others have a lot of members but not a huge number of really active people, so you do have a chance to become friendly with other members as you comment on the forum and play together in tournaments.  I've put some of these forums in my regular links section.  Do visit them.  All have a trememdous amount of information and poker strategy even if you do not decide to become actively involved.

There are a lot of plusses to joing a poker forum (or more than one!)  First, and most important, you have a place to talk about poker a lot and not cause great disturbances and much boredom among your non-pokerplaying real life friends.  And, if you are at all like me, once you start playing a game like poker, you start to want to get good at it, and you want to talk about it.  For the most part,  in the poker forums, you will not be advised to attend Gamblers Anonymous a whole lot (as your real life friends might be inclined to do) -- which may be good or bad, depending on whether gambling has become a problem for you.  There will be many others who are perhaps putting too much time into playing or, worse, too much money.  Few people talk much about how much they are losing but some will go on bragfests about how much they are winning. 

Another huge plus is that, if you read the better articles on each site and the better threads, you will become a better player.  And you will learn about bankroll management, which will help you play longer on whatever money you deposit on the poker sites.  You will, if you have not deposited yet, learn about freerolls and play money tables, which can help you build your skills and help you start a bankroll from nothing. 

About that building a bankroll from nothing.  It's hard.  It takes for freaking ever. So, if you are a very patient and skillful player, this is a great way to go without impacting your real life finances in the slightest.  For most people, however, the big freerolls are an exercise in frustration, and the play money tables have a lot of people who play rather stupidly.  So for most people, depositing a small chunk of money and starting to play at micro limits and in small buy-in tournaments can make more sense.  You can see improvement, if not riches.  Leave the great big first time deposits to the wealthy -- to the people who can afford to lose a big chunk of money.  Seriously, unless and until you get the hang of online poker, your first deposit is likely going to disappear into the poker void.  Be careful.  Winning at online poker is not a snap.  As you will see as you peruse the poker forums.  Each of them have areas devoted to bad beat stories -- where the great hand was smashed by a lesser hand when all the cards were played out.  If you learn anything from these stories, you will learn that poker, while often a skill game, still has that element of luck that can send you sniffling to the side.

In the forums, you will learn that learning to emotionally handle the swings of luck is a crucial part of the skill set needed to get by playing poker.  It's a hard thing to get under control.  But you must, or you will go bust and have to start again.  From scratch or from a new deposit.  Whatever you do, you will have plenty of company in the forums.  That said, most folks in the forums have little patience for those who whine but never learn and never listen to advice.  A lot of the advice is pretty good.  So, if you suffer through an awful hand, the best way to evaluate what happened is to post the entire hand history and ask if you could have played it some other, more effective way.  Then listen to what people say, politely.  Think about it.  When you step back, you may see that you could have done better.  You may not have been able to win the hand, but there is perhaps something else you could have done that would have either given you a chance of winning it or saved you some money by making that hard fold.

Forums are a great resource for ideas about poker -- and for pals who understand exactly what you are going through.