Wild couple of months

Well it has been a wild couple of months to say the least. I was within striking distance of my 2K goal built up from micro stakes, then had to buy a laptop with half of it and went on a bad run for the rest.

I can't deny two things about my bad run 1) it was bad, nothing held up and it really really really sucked and 2) it beat me down mentally so that what I didn't give away to the bad run, I did give away at the end to bad play.

So despite all my bitching and moaning on PegCity I have made some changes to my game with what I have left to play with, (and that is next to nothing). I hope it holds up because if I loose this it will be a very long time before I rebuy. I managed to let my credit card grow to a sufficiently wife angering point somehow (and she is right,. and no it was not poker money, as posted before I have not directly bought in) so I need to be very very careful.

The changes are helping and with hands holding up I have had a nice week. Not a profitable week but a nice one. Cards have played as they should and no big surprises... Now this is only four days since I was viciously 2 and 3 outed for two more buy ins, but with the support of the guys I may have managed to stay sane.

I talked about the changes in the posts, but here are a couple that have helped:
1) Continuation betting less or at least being more selective when I do it, and also factoring in a decrease in continuation betting simply because of the stakes I am playing at. Guys will do all kinds of crazy shit once you drop below $1 (although 50 cent is not bad I will admit). So assuming I am going to get called by just plain bad poker say 15% of the time so keep the chips a little closer to me... I am aware that there is a fine line between this change and playing worse less aggressive poker. I think I see the difference clearly and it may be putting me closer to optimal play anyway.

2) As was recommended to me recently I am sticking closer to the top ten hands. I am doing this for two reasons. First with the limited bank I have, I need to be mixing it up less, and I think I have allowed myself to open up too much again. Something feels good about the last few session when I am folding hands without position that I was pretty much leaning towards playing from any position. The only time I am playing the sneakier hands right now is when it is a no brainer and I just CANT fold it. You know what... that sounds about right. I feel that I have been making the suited connector in early or AJ in early folds that I need to be making.

With these changes I have also increased my aggression with the top ten hands, and or when the time is right which also feels good.

Anyway basically I am working on my TAG game rather than my LAG game that I prefer. Not a bad thing.

I think if I can survive this lowest point, then I may be able to look back on the last two months as needed learning.

Oh and one more thing. I haven't been playing much at all. I have made time for other things lately and that has also been feeling good. My sessions have been a focused short 1-2 hour at most, and then rather than take the risk of loosing concentration I leave and get something done around the house... I intend to continue to play less or at least shorter sessions for a while. I must admit I do feel like I am coming out of a bit of a poker induced mental fog around the rest of my life..

Anyway I am tired and I am rambling so good night !!

--Felter