Busto...

It was a dark and stormy night...actually it was fairly clear but that's not relevant. I just got done with a marathon session with, shall we say, less than optimal results. I got back from playing poker IRL and figured I'd better get a start on Iron Man for the month. It actually started pretty good and I bumped up my roll by almost four bucks thanks to a heater but instead of banking the winnings I wanted to ride the heater which did a 180. Let me tell ya, the chart goes downhill much more easily than it goes uphill. What used to be do-no-wrong turned into couldn't get a hand to stand up for anything. All of my session profit evaporated and then some.

Instead of just chalking it up to variance I instead decided that I'm over-rolled for .01/.02 anyway and really should be playing .02/.05 based on the math. All it would take is a couple double ups of a dollar buy in and then I'd be even for the session. I think they call this "chasing" and I knew it at the time yet somehow that didn't matter. Let me introduce you to villain who was at three of the same tables that I was at. This guy would literally do nothing but keep his foot on the gas. Every time the action got to him he potted it so this is going to be easy, just wait for a premium hand and I'll be paid in no time. Well, kinda. AAxxds and I re-pot him and get it in pre-flop then he hits his crappy flush. Top set versus his running straight. Flush versus his bottom two pair boating up. I tilted off enough chips to drop below $220. Huh? That can't possibly be right can it? But somehow it was and I just couldn't pull myself away with that much of a crater even though every ounce of bankroll management told me to get out.

Have you heard of Rush Poker? Well they have it for Omaha and I looked at my chart and said "I remember when I used to struggle to get above $200 and I'm still $20 above that so really there's no harm in buying in for $20 at a .10/.25 Omaha table and just playing super nitty." Well nitty doesn't always get the job done because even when you flop the nut straight with flush redraws you can still lose to a guy with a gutshot to a higher straight. See ya later buy in.

Now I'm saying that I have to stop because I've traveled south of the magical $200 barrier and it is now that I decide that it is time to "take my shot." I've put in hundreds of hours at the table eeking out pennies per hour profit with no substantial money to show for it so if it worked for Jason, by gum it's going to work for me. By now I am six hours in and just plain not rational so it's "Hello .50/1 table!" But I'll buy in short to be "conservative." Let's just say that it was quick and painful. I now join the ranks of all other aspiring poker players who thought they could make it but ended up broke. I've learned my lesson...a little too late.