The Poker Bonus Chaser's Journal

I spent last evening trying to find some place to play on InterPoker.  My preferred game there, $2/4 FRLH was running three tables, but they all had 23 - 27% view flop percentages (yuck!) and waiting lists 5-7 deep.  I tried played some £1/2 FRLH, and spiked a hand, but when I discovered I was the 4th ITHer at the table, I knew I should look for greener pastures.  I played a little .25/.50 PLO, but got hurt when my T9 ran into TT on a board that made T99.  I also played a few hands at 7-stud, but that was ridiculously tight, so I quit and went off to dinner.

Later that evening I tried to play again, and the $1/2 and $2/4 FRLH tables were looking about the same as they had earlier.  I decided to try my short hand skills again - something that has NEVER gone well for me in the past.  I have just 2,500 or so hands of short han in my Poker Tracker database.  The earn rate of -3.2 BB/100 should explain why - I either have outrageously poor luck at 6-max or I suck at it, or both.  But I want to work off this fat InterPoker bonus, so I kept looking for some opportunities there to do it.

Within 10 minutes I was down 12 BB, and I was getting very agitated.  Stand up and pace for a few seconds, taking deep breaths so I don't throw the mouse agitated.  I made it back a bit, and then went back down 14 BB.  I made it back to down 4 BB and quit.  I just wasn't in the mood for the swings.  I knew I was too stressed to be playing effectively.  Not good.  Ironically, my last hand was AA from UTG, and I ended up stealing the blinds.

I woke up early this morning and played some PLO gain.  I made back everything I'd lost at PLO yesterday in 2 orbits and I quit.  I got the feeling I was playing scared - fearing I would lose that session's profit instead of focusing on the poker.  I think quitting was the right answer in that situation, even though I should be mentally past this situation.

For now I think the lesson I am taking is that I should stop being desperate to play a site, and find better games.