Kristy Gazes
December 26, 2005
My first poker experiences were in the low-limit 7-Stud games at
Commerce Casino in Los Angeles. From the start, poker
was an important part of my income. It had to be. I
couldn't afford to go broke. I needed to avoid the fate
that hit many of the good players around me. They
experienced massive swings in fortune -- one day they're
playing in the big games, the next they're on the rail,
trying to scrape together enough money for a buy-in.
Early in my poker career I set a simple rule for
myself: I would never move to a higher limit until I won
three consecutive sessions. If I lost three consecutive
sessions at a given limit, I would move down to a lower
limit.
It took discipline to stick to my rule. For a very
long time – years, in fact – I never made it beyond the
low-limit tables. I couldn't put together three
consecutive wins. It was frustrating, but it was a great
learning experience. By the time I made it to higher
limits, I was a seasoned, experienced player who could
deal with the intense competition I encountered.
Another nice thing about using such a patient
approach was that I always had comfortable padding in my
bankroll. In those early years, I may have had a hard
time winning three sessions in a row, but I was beating
the games regularly. I could pay my rent and add to my
bank. When I moved to higher limits, I had plenty of
money to sustain myself through any bad runs. In any
case, if a lousy run of cards lasted three sessions, I'd
back down to a limit where I was risking less.
I know a lot of players who have a hard time using an
approach like mine. Most can't step back because they
feel a lower-limit game is beneath them. Their egos tie
up their heads and they try to prove themselves against
better players. They end up playing higher than they can
afford, in games that are tough to beat, and they wind
up broke. As a professional, I don't play for ego. I
play for money.
As Paul Wolfe recently
pointed out, often a smaller game offers a
better opportunity for profit.
Think about incorporating something like my
three-win, three-loss rule in your own play. Stepping
down a level when things go bad will not only preserve
your bankroll, it will sharpen your skills and build
your confidence. When you step up, you've got the
momentum of a winning streak behind you. You'll be
playing your best – ready for higher stakes and sharper
players.
Kristy Gazes
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