Hey TPE Members,

Been on the site now for just a few days and I love the vibe and extensive training that this site seems to offer!

I started playing poker online just before Black Friday, which was right around my 18th birthday. I’ve experienced massive swings and played at various stakes along the way – cash, MTT, SnG’s. My biggest success has certainly been my tournaments. My weakest point is certainly my cash. My biggest flaw is bankroll management. I’ve spewed away thousands of dollars over the last few years from playing cash (specifically zoom / rush / etc), not dedicating time to study poker anymore (I used to), and making poor bankroll decisions in choosing which games I play (again, a trait that I didn’t use to have when I first started studying and playing the game).

My lifetime graph would go something like this (with many smaller ups and downs along the way – these are just the major curves):

-$5k

+$22k

-$27k

+$10

…and now I’m swinging down again. I feel like I’m capable of becoming a great player, but again, my biggest flaw is tilting and BRM. I’ve tried self-exclusions from certain sites after loses, but then end up just playing on another site. In the past few days specifically, I figured if I can’t quit poker altogether (as I always keep coming back to it – and I really do love it), why not try to improve my skills and focus on the area of my game that’s been my biggest success: MTT’s. That’s why I came to this site specifically, and I must say that so far, I’m eating up all of the juicy material I’ve been able to go through on this site so far (one 10-part video series, 2 podcasts, and 2 articles) in just a few days since joining on a paid membership.

Back when I started, I was active in a poker forum, did study the game constantly, did read books (about 20 or so of the well-known and reputable ones), did have poker peers to bounce ideas and hands off of, etc. Then, to try to quit the game after that major downswing, I’ve always ended up playing in little spurts with the BRM like a total newb – up and down, disregarding stakes, and usually ending busto by the end of the session for the money I deposited at the beginning of the day.

My biggest loss has probably been $1k in a cash game hand. My biggest win has been $13.5k in a $22 Pokerstars $80k GTD MTT. I came in 2nd. Aside from that, I’ve managed about 4 or 5 $1.5k to $2k wins here and there with my remaining MTT results resting under $1k.

I’m quite excited to join this community to improve my poker and contribute what I can. More than anything, though, I’m open to all the suggestion I can get here. I’m committed to BRM and as I study the game more and more again now, I hope to keep re-developing the patience I once had. Thanks for taking the time to read this; thanks for any suggestions you may have; and I wish you all the best at the felts 🙂