Reflections On The Online Game

Well, you know what they say; when you're winning everything is great and you feel fantastic, when you're losing you feel like shit. At the moment through the usual ingredients of bad cards, bad luck and bad play, my online game has fallen apart. It's true, many decent players have pointed out that short-term downswings are normal and shouldn't be a cue to start feeling sorry for yourself but I'm not really vexed at this per se, the long-term picture also has to come into the equation.

Last summer was the "golden age" of poker for me. My cash game results were going through the roof and I had back-to-back final table appearances in the $5K ADDED MTT for a relatively hefty payout. PKR did an e-mail interview with me for their profile feature and everything looked rosy. Then, from about September, reality kicked in. I went on a long break-even run and my results never really picked up.

This year, I started the blog and reset all results. The hope was that by starting afresh, I could build on my knowledge of the game and consequently build my profits up again. January saw a £520 deficit and put me in a lot of doubt from the off, February had me breaking even while March reversed my fortunes and restored the faith and had me up £810 for a satisfying winning month. Things were starting to look good in April as I rocketed to a £400 profit in the first week BUT I have since been given an almighty kick in the teeth and I'm now down £200 so far this month. Once again, I am in doubt.

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Truth be told, for a game I love and read about all the time, I don't think that a £150 profit for the year is acceptable for the stakes I play at and I'm wondering if a part-time application to the game is enough to survive at the $1/$2 online game. In fact, I suspect I'm getting overtaken and left behind by a majority of younger players who are much more attuned to the modern game than I.

Taking all of this on board, I have come to a few conclusions:

1. I'll just be using PKR points for a few MTTs/Satellites for the time being.
2. I've made a full cash-out, will be taking a break from the online game and won't be depositing any time soon. 
3. When I do make a return it will be to the $0.50/$1 games - unless there is an irresistibly juicy $1/$2 game going on.
4. My attention will now turn to the Friday and Saturday live games in town.

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To be honest, I hate taking breaks from the online game as it's an admission of defeat - but I think in this instance it really is necessary.

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