new outlook on poker
 

ok so this tread is about me and my new outlook on poker, If you dont want to know then please don't read.

so I was sitting here thinking the other day, trying to figure out what exactly I want from poker online and on felt. I asked myself a couple questions which I answered....Do I want to play poker for a living? hell no. Do I want to make a 2nd living from poker? no not really. Do I want to have fun playing and do it just for recreation? ya I think I do.

So with that in mind I stopped worrying about my bankroll and just started playing to have fun. Now im not saying im taking my $200 bankroll into a 5/10 game and going broke. What I'am saying is im gonna stop stressing about how much I make every day and have fun. Now penny games are no fun for me so what do you do when you have a $200 bankroll, hate change games? Well I came up with the answer to play tornaments. Of course im not jumping into a $100 buy in torney but I'am playing alot of $5.00 headhunters and smaller buy in games.

I seem to go well in these and I can get alot of play for a little bit of money, I have gotten deep in almost every one ive played on jetset and I like there players and the games. So basicly I have all but quit ring and cash games and manley I just play tornaments.

Not sure what kinda comments im looking for by writing this thread but you as always are welcome to comment.

Brian, I always find it more fun when I'm whoring bonuses all over the place.

true
 

yes I agree but you are doing that to make money, I really just want to have fun. For last 3 days ive been just playing tornies and having the time of my life. Something about it being a chip amount and not a dollar amount just puts my nerves at ease. I mean who gives a crap if you lose 2,000 chips when you only paid $5 to enter torney.....well i do but not as much as losing a couple hundred.

Brian, I do it both to have fun (the poker aspect), and the bonus (making money). It is twice as fun when you can make a profit, trust me ;) .

hey
 

but you can easily make profit in tornaments can you not? With way less risk. Not argueing with you just trying to get you to see my point of view of poker...to me.

For what it's worth, I'm glad that you've found your 'niche', if low buyin tournaments are what gives you what you want without overspending then by all means have fun!

You could, but then my winnings are capped, plus one suckout and you could be crippled and/or out.

I love sitngos but too much of a luck factor involved.

I agree that MTTs are lots of fun... but for me, I have to know when to draw the line. MTTs pay off very well when you place deep, but placing deep isn't the standard. The way I see it, a bigger bankroll allows me to do more things: I can play more MTTs, SnGs, and a wide variety of cash games (L, NL, Stud, etc.)

I would concentrate on building the roll a little more. Don't stop playing MTTs, but you shouldn't stop playing ring games either. Speaking of tournament play, have you thought about playing more SnGs? It's a good compromise b/n ring games and large MTTs. It's a much easier avenue to make money, while still experiencing tournament play.

SnGs also take up less time.

There is nothing like sitting down for a MTT, getting past the third break, and then busting out and winning $0, and even losing your buyin, for 3 hours of work.

Easily make money with MTTs? I disagree. I don't think anyone is arguing that they are fun ... but you have to realize, if you play MTTs consistently, with a small bankroll, you will turn around in a week or two (maybe less?) and say to yourself, "Where did all my money go?"

Well in this case, taking up time isn't necessarily a negative.

yep
 

ive tried headhunter sit and go's and some normal ones at other sites. The headhunter ones are good but the prize pool is a little jacked because some of the money from it goes to heads.

I like jetset alot because they have garanteed prize pools and not alot of people entering their tornies. Im in the $5.50 garanteed $500 in a couple minutes and gonna cash in the $1 one. currently about 5th and my table image is amazing just basicly went from 14th to 4th because no one will call me past the flop.

missunderstood
 

no think that came out wrong. In no way am I saying MTT are easy, just that you can make decent money in them. I have about $200 a month I can play with poker and the best way to invest the money I think is MTT.

Oh... so you're saying you can make decent money playing MTTs?

I disagree with that as well.

You should try playing for play money sometime, Brian. Maybe that would be enough fun for you to be happy.

Then you could take that $200 a month and invest it elsewhere...

You could, I have, but you basically have to come top 3.

I have only ever played in 4. 1 I won, 1 I came third, 1 I had lost my connection and never regained it, and 1 I busted out on a suckout.

MTTs are a whole different animal from cash games.

thanks
 

thanks for suggestion TP but think Ill just play with it if thats ok with you.

I don't like the tone of this thread and the direction it's headed in.

Come on now boys, don't bicker.

I think it's time this forum has some referees as well as moderators.

That way, say Brian says "TP you are a dick", we can change that to "TP you are the best man".

I nominate Pshabi and I, we can be called the "love cats" :D

Wait wait... first the WPO, and now LOVE CATS?

You're an interesting man, Geoff.

I suppose I am.

It's not everyday someone gives you access to a poker account ;) .

Edited to Add: it's actually PWO, get it right :D

Maybe what he's trying to say is that investing $200 / month into MTTs is a dangerous proposition. Maybe he's not. LOL. I personally think it is, unless you are good at MTTs... and from what I've seen and heard, you're just starting out.

At least you're sticking with low-buy-in games.

yep
 

ya maybe he is but I seriously doubt that and doubt you believe that what he means either but anyway. Yea dont think $200/ month will do to good in the $100 buy in tornies. I will try it for this month and see how it does.

Nice
 

Go ahead and play MTTs Brian. Hell they are alot of fun. Lots of variance though. I have been placing well lately too. Played two MTTs and finished in the money: 6th and 68th. Not too shabby.

However you are going to have long spans of probably not finishing at all. Just the way they are. You need luck and skill both. Wish you the best though. Id keep playing some ring games. I have 250 in my roll now, and I am playing cash games to supplement a weekly 20/2 MTT and playing freerolls. Its alot of fun.

LOL. What?

Something that's a nice compromise between the big MTTs and the SnGs are the 3-table tournaments at Party. I've probably played in only 4 or 5 of them and have a 1st and a 3rd.

Agreed.

Having a blast at MTTs
 

I've been playing a lot of the $1 buy-ins (always with $500-$1000 added to the prize pool) and having a blast. I've been placing in the money about 1/3 of the time, so I'm actually ahead there. I really enjoy playing in these tournaments because I feel it gives me lots of hands to play (I need the hands for experience, and I ususally get at least 2 hours worth) with only 1 dollar on the line. I learn a lot about "going all in," and after the fist half hour or so you basically get rid of all the idiots who go all in with every hand. I don't like playing with play money because the betting is so ridiculous with those--who cares if they bust out, so they call everything.
This morning I played in a $5 + .50 ($500 added to prize pool), and have decided I will play this one a little bit more. Not as many people (normally 2400 people in a $1 or freeroll, about 500 in a $5 + .50) and the money is better. Of course, I got knocked out 20 players from the money when my pocket kings got beat by pocket jacks on the river, but I'm optimistic about this game. :)

Or..... maybe TP realized no matter what people say, Brian is going to do exactly what Brian wants to do. He will post about it and even ask for advice now and then, but that's only to cause the drama that he lives for. I'll give him one thing though - he's damn good at that.

Sure, Brian says this:

But Brian doesn't actually mean it. Well, not if your comments are something besides 100% support of his post, that is.

For the record, I think MTTs are a lot of fun. I enjoy them very much, and I "spend" part of my cash game winnings entering big buy in tourneys now and then.

You can get a lot of poker in for your money playing low buy-in MTTs, and if you play in the large ones, you've got a crack at a huge payday if you go deep.

What site is this, rob?

for the record
 

I could care less if you say something about me or how I play or anything in general. Just how you say it is really rude, I know whats comming next is awhile ago when I was a ass. Hey man im sorry let bygones be bygones, yes you are right Iam gonna do what I want with my money but I do take all the advice I get and use it. What I decide to do is what I decide to do.

I didnt bother to read past the first couple of posts cuz frankly I get bored with the retorts towards brian. Brian, I have crap tons of fun with tournies and I think what your doing is great if your nerves suffer in cash games. Go get em.

Pokerroom
 

I'm only on pokerroom right now. every day at 9 AM EST I play the $1 buy in tournament (with $500 added), later in the day they have same buy in with $1000 added, and on Saturday they have same buy in, but add $1500 to the pool I think. I played the $5 + .50 (500 added) last night around 9 PM my time, so about 3 AM EST.

I checked out party poker for about 10 minutes (didn't sign up or anything, just watched some high stakes games), but I really don't like the skins there. It was too hard for me to see what the other person was betting, etc. Maybe after I build my cash a little more I'll sign up there. When I do I'll be sure to get someone's user name for a referral.

What I mean..
 

You might win 2-3 in a row and then go 6 months without winning. It can be very hard.

Well all this tournament talk made me wanna play some. So I did, just some cheap buy in SnGs. A 20 buck tourny, and a 30 buck tourny. I won em both :D (there are some pretty bad players there, and a few good ones)
Net winning was 68 bucks on the 20 tourny, and 102 on the 30. Went fairly quick though, finished the first in 50 minutes, the second in a little over an hour.......plus I absolutely LOVE the HU experience. Normally online is mostly cash games, and home games are all tournaments -- but Ive been incorperating a few tournies as of late, some MTT some SnG

I can't reply to this right now, so I'll put it quick:

For the most part, MTTs are -EV for most players. Placing deep (not just placing ITM) is very hard to do, so I don't see much variance at all. When talking about MTTs, people should talk less about variance and more about ROI, or, return on investment.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but for you to have a table image, wouldn't your opponents have to notice other players?
I don't think there is any reason at all to worry about "table image" in these tournaments,,,

But MTTs are fun.
Don't bother with the Headhunter tourney, unless you are willing to gamble early.
To make a decent score in these you need a big stack early.