I've been paying for lessons...

I heard it said somewhere that you're not really playing online poker for money...you are simply paying for lessons. Lately, I'd have to agree, I'd just like to be able to find a coupon! Bodog and Noble have both delivered some tough blows to my bankroll here recently. On Bodog, a "tilt" move or two contributed to the pain, to some degree. I could have saved a several dollars had I not chased after my losses. Just couldn't walk away that day.

Noble...I guess the same is true. BUT, I can point to 2 very crucial beats that have sent me spiraling. Big Slick caused the first, and Pocket Rockets caused the second.

Instance 1: I get big slick, and raise big in middle position, more than 6X the big blind, as I recall, one guy calls. I hit a King on the rainbow flop. Rather than slow play, I again lead out, and Bet Pot this time. He begrudgingly and slowly calls it. Turn and River are meaningless cards. There are no straights, no flushes possible. No more face cards. Yet numb-nuts is still hanging on. I begin to suspect something bad is going to happen and I'm right. I bet on the River, and I'm met with a WAY OVER THE TOP RAISE. The kind of raise you'd expect from someone who missed their whole hand, and they're simply now trying scare the world away from them. I expect trips, to hit me...but I'm so far invested in this one, that the measly amound left to call isn't gonna help anymore, at this table. So yes I called instead of walking away. This Romanian, turns over 6-8os for TWO PAIR. Let me recap...he called my big preflop raise with 6-8os, sees the flop and hits bottom pair of eights. Then continues on despite a Pot Bet by me. Somewhere along the way on the Turn or the River he hits a six to make his 2 pair. Now, I ask you...why would anyone play it? When he had me...he had me, that I can live with, but to play it, when raised, and not a blind, in a No-Limit game, why? I was still okay, and would have said nothing except then Mr. Romania gets mouthy. Another player at the table says you have no respect...for others or yourself. I hadn't said anything at ALL to him. Yet, he says..."I play to win, and besides I knew HE (meaning me) was weak. I guess I never thought of myself as weak. Tight yes weak no. And I didn't see how AK was to be considered weak. Still I bite my tongue and type and say nothing. Then, I refocus to my other Noble table and see that the Romanian sensation is there too. And decides to play nicey-nice with me. And say, no hard feelings huh "chip", I'm chiptastic..." on that site. Others at both tables are still mouthing him, and he's mouthing back. I simply type..."that's okay, i just took notes." Left it at that, even though I wanted to take him down. I never got the cards to do it...and probably never will on that site. Anyway he goes on to educate everyone on how good he is...and how he's moving up levels next week, and turned $30 into $400 on this site, and blahblahblah. How is it that my bankroll and play style merely has me buy-in...donate, donate, donate, hit a hand, take a pot that barely covers losses. Not even able to survive at that rate...Yet I see this moron and many others like him, triple and quadruple up non-stop. Makes me question what I'm doing.

Anyway, I start climbing back after that break, and run into a few hours later, Pocket Rockets. I reraise a guy preflop, big, hoping to isolate. But I get another caller to boot. Long story short, not just one, but both of them beat me...and tie each other. They each had a Q high. Nothing suited, lousy kickers both, but they both just "felt the need!" They both hit big on the flop, seeing the miraculous other two Queens come out, with a Four. Then on the River...there's another Four. They both take down my rockets with Boats. I've spun out of control by now... and proceed to donate the rest. And I'm not making bad decisions. That's what gets me...nothing stupid, no bad hands played, just not catching cards, and then when I do, getting beat either by a moron or by the unthinkable. No in between. Feast or famine. I'm not completely out. I've still got a paltry sum out there, but I'd planned on transferring that very soon to another more lucrative site, so now that's off. I did satisfy the PokerSavvy Requirements, so at least I'll get some more Copags out of it. Oh joy, I should have saved the time and effort and just bought the friggin' things outright, instead of placing it on Noble. Sigh!
Anyway, maybe my luck'll turn for this weekend. I'm hosting a big tourney this Saturday. Things have GOT to get BETTER than this!

Gotta Run!

Regards,

cheer_dad