back from the casino and its self shaming time

[luckystraights]

Just come back from my first casino tournament, and I threw it away, so am going to shame myself.

I was a little nervous, before we sat, I'm not comfortable around people generally, and with pretty low confidence recently, my anxiety was increased.

I start off well, folding all the trash and watching the table, even made a couple of good reads whilst I was out of the hands, and then I start to crumble.

I pick up QT, planned to raise but forgot the pro-word, so I did in fact just call, the flop comes Q high, with two little gapped connectors, its 3 handed, UTG bets 300, I raise to 1200 and then the LP player goes all-in.... now how many mistakes am I up to already! it gets worse, I believe he's capable of making a move here and notice is body posture, how comfortable he is,  is conversation as he waits, etc,  he looked too comfortable in this spot so I fold... it was an easy decision, I hit top pair with a sh%t kicker, should have mucked without hesitation instead of worrying if I'm being out played.

He shows a single Q, and for the next 10 hands, maybe more I can't get that hand out of my head, my logic on the hand was sound, I put him on TP with a better kicker, two pair or trips, but I let the fold get to me and affect my play 20 minutes or more later. ( I eventually find out he had AQ).

I then pick up AT, trash I wouldn't usually limp with online, but I'm more focussed on a hand that occurred 30 minutes ago then the one I'm in now, I raise pre-flop, the same player as above goes all-in, and prompts me to go all-in, I take the bate... later on it seemed like he sensed I was on tilt and went for the kill, nice play, it certainly worked for him. We both miss and I'm out.

I re-buy, and try and control my emotions. This would have been a great time to call it a day, but I was lucky enough to be seated next to my house mate and didn't want to leave so soon,  and new if I could control myself a money finish wasn't out of my reach at least.

I find AT again, this time I make a raise, and get two callers. the flop comes AxT, I have top two and a back door nut flush draw, I move all-in. The same player as above (again :p) calls my all-in, he declares he's on a draw and shows two face cards (KQ, I think), and says he called because it was a re-buy, the turns a blank and the river completes is straight.

That stung a little, but I was happy to see I got my money in ahead.

One more re-buy, and I eventually go out early sarounded by huge stacks, after I blew any money I was willing to buy an add-on with on my re-buy's... didn't even know there was an add-on, the info sheet simply said re-buy, either way I was out and was rather disgusted with myself.

I played 6 hands tops, including two I pushed all-in with short stacked, but played everyone very poorly.

Long story short I didn't learn from the mistakes I made the 1st time I played live, outside of a home game and I repeated them here in my 2nd live appearance.

My poker and zen book can't get here soon enough, I need a good kick up the arse to get my head back in the game.

Feel free to throw rotten eggs and tomatoes I sucked.

[austin5string]

I pick up QT, planned to raise..

Well, there's your problem..

Hey, as long as you learned something from it, consider it a worthwhile experience.. Now, the next time you play, you'll have that to grow on.. Thanks for sharing the story!

~A5S

[luckystraights]

I pick up QT, planned to raise..

Well, there's your problem..

Hey, as long as you learned something from it, consider it a worthwhile experience.. Now, the next time you play, you'll have that to grow on.. Thanks for sharing the story!

~A5S

Its so frustrating, the last home game I sat in, I doubled up in 3 hands and dominated the game, busting out nearly everyone, even though I only played with 2 out of 11 of the players before... I just couldn't hold it together here and let my anxiety cripple me mentally, which left the door wide open for bad play after bad play.

 

[Jaxen]

Lucky,

Instead of dwelling and moaning "I suck", chalk it up as a learning experience. In my first B&M tournament outside of my regular group, I called off 21,000 chips in 2 hands. I was behind all the way in both of them. And I'm not getting into the first B&M cash-game I ever played ...

You've learned now that live play is to online as apples are to asparagus. I see the posts you make about your online game and see you make good, solid plays in general. RELAX. I don't know how long you've been playing, but your talent and instincts will come if you remain as committed as you are now. Superstardom does not happen overnight. I've played for six years and the more I read and play, the more I realize how far I am from being a good, solid, profitable player.

The next time you play in a B&M, it'll be much better.

[K ALL IN 9]

but I'm more focussed on a hand that occurred 30 minutes ago then the one I'm in now,

problemo numero dos.

once a hand is over, its over and you cant do nutn about it.

[Midnight Rose]

Lucky, I agree with Jax.  You truly, truly need to give yourself a break.  In more ways than one, but especially here, I mean that you need to stop beating yourself up. 

[GPennRef]

I have yet to experience my brick and motar scene, but in my recent TOC, I played less hands then you did and only won one of those. Needless to say my cards were so cold it can keep my beer cold.  Anyway, there is an old saying, "Defeat is much more instructive then victory."

[LuckyDog Poker Art]

Welcome to the "My-first-tourney-was-a-bad-one-club."

When I played my first B&M tourney, I was very nervous and intimidated. I'm sure my play sucked but I honestly don't remember too much about the game, hands or players.  My head was a-swirling the whole time.  It was a rebuy tourney and I am happy to say I was smart enough to leave the tables without contributing more to the winner. 

The first tourney is a very humbling experience we all must go through.  I didn't let it get to me though. I just laughed it off and realized I needed to learn more.  I've done much better since that first tourney.

Like others have said, you might want to stop beating yourself up, over-over-over analyzing losing hands and concentrate on successful strategies.

[luckystraights]

Like others have said, you might want to stop beating yourself up, over-over-over analyzing losing hands and concentrate on successful strategies.

yep, everyone is right.

I'm working on it, reading 'zen and the art of poker' to help ground my emotional side, and plan to re / learn limit hold'em to help the math  side of my game.

[hockeygoon]

It took me about 4 real life local charity card room sessions (2 were freerolls) and a couple trips to Soaring Eagle Casino to get comfortable.  I played in a FR last night, got knocked out early, sat down at the cash table with $100 and 2 hours later I walked away with $186.  My brother and I wanted to stay, but he drove and his wife went broke quick and got bored.  He walked out with $190 after starting with $70 ($50 was borrowed from me) and between what she lost, gas, McD's on the way home and the baby-sitter, he was pretty much even.  Makes me glad I don't have a wife to lose my money for me anymore.

The first time at the casino I lost $60 in an hour at a 3-6 table, the second time it was $50 in a little under 2 hours at a 3-6 table, and the first 2 tournaments I played in I got knocked out just after the first hour break.  But winning last night gave me a big enough confidence boost that I think I'll be ok now.

See if you can find a live free roll structure at a charity game or something.  If you just use the free chips and don't add on or rebuy, it's a great free learning experience.  I don;t know where you are, but if you're in West Michigan, Miracle Lanes on Plainfield in Grand Rapids has a free roll every Saturday night, with $10 add-ons and unlimited $10 rebuys, plus a cash game table or 2 after a couple people get bumped out of the tournament.

[luckystraights]

See if you can find a live free roll structure at a charity game or something.  If you just use the free chips and don't add on or rebuy, it's a great free learning experience.

Thats a good idea, one of my local casino's has monthly or quarterly freerolls if you play in a minimum number of buy-in events in that period.

I don;t know where you are, but if you're in West Michigan, Miracle Lanes on Plainfield in Grand Rapids has a free roll every Saturday night, with $10 add-ons and unlimited $10 rebuys, plus a cash game table or 2 after a couple people get bumped out of the tournament.

I'm in the UK so it will be a bit of a trek :p

[Midnight Rose]

I don;t know where you are, but if you're in West Michigan, Miracle Lanes on Plainfield in Grand Rapids has a free roll every Saturday night, with $10 add-ons and unlimited $10 rebuys, plus a cash game table or 2 after a couple people get bumped out of the tournament.

I'm in the UK so it will be a bit of a trek :p

Yeah, but if you make it, you can meet Hockeygoon and me!  Can't pass that up, eh?

[luckystraights]

Yeah, but if you make it, you can meet Hockeygoon and me!  Can't pass that up, eh?

True, that would be nice :-)

[hockeygoon]

Yeah, but if you make it, you can meet Hockeygoon and me!  Can't pass that up, eh?

True, that would be nice :-)

And Miracle cash tables are easy, or at least they were when I was at it.  My brother was far and away the best player at the table and I was #2.  Everyone else at the table was no more than even when I left.  Of course, one of the guys would have been up, but he was slowplaying an ace high flush and my brother was betting the snot out of his 2 pair and hit the full house on the river to take a pot with about $80 in it.

[midwest]

My first B&M was in Vegas and I had played a lot of live games before that.  It went pretty much like I expected... but I was sooo nervous I though everyone could read me.

I ended up finishing 1 spot out of the money in a 55 player tourny.  My secret was I found 1 guy who I could read the snot out of and damn near everytime he made a move I crushed him.  More luck than anything but I got a ton of chips from the guy.  Unfortunately I busted him out midway through... and then I had to find another. 

My last hand had top two pair and was up against a nut flush draw which he sucked out on the river.  I was crushed.

I think it was better than finishing in the money because I would have thought it was EASY and would have gotten levelled going in with thoughts like that the rest of the trip!

[oldschool]

As long as you learned something from the expierience you are always a winner nomatter what. My 1st live play in AC you could fill a mop bucket
with the sweat off my hands until I found my comfort zone and was fortunate enough to cash out at #4 out of 288.

My play is mostly on the internet, about 60 hrs a week.Having 1st home game in 2 wks. However on Jan 21st am playing in a supersatellite WPT
event at the Borgata in AC and quite honestly I am nervous but on the otherhand I am confident that I will be one of the lucky ones standing with a entry into the main event the following week.

We all have to have to believe, right?