Pitch & Rewrite

It has been quite a while since I wrote anything up here. At first, it was simply because I ran bad and was waiting to be up to post, then I just didn't feel like it anymore. Maybe it was part embarrassment because writing these few introductory lines always feels weird. Then again, maybe it was just that when I don't feel like writing and I type something down anyway, it's complete garbage.

For now, I've completely rebuilt my approach to poker, as I lost it there for a while. I tried to add too many things at the same time, and some changes ended up screwing other parts of my style, which made me play bad and without confidence. I also ran pretty bad (according to PokerEV, I should have won over a thousand dollars more than I did simply in all-in situations. Sucks.), which takes some more confidence and part of the fun away.

At some point, I was stuck there, in that low low, at the bottom of the barrel, unable to climb back up and too embarrassed to call for help. I didn't like my game anymore, and quite frankly, I was finding random excuses not to play. So, I did what every programmer does when he encounters something he doesn't like: I pitched it and wrote it all over again.

I made sure everything I planned was based on at least decent mathematics, and ideally backed by experience. I dropped down a bit and really worked on playing good, solid poker, and keeping the moves for situations that require a move, not simply because I usually do that and it works.

I also took the time to re-read some of the solid posts found on 2+2. That stuff is really juicy, and most of it is also surprisingly well-written. I'd almost say it is delicious, if that word was still allowed for anyone even remotely manly. Armed with that new info and some regained confidence, everything went way more smoothly from that point on.

Updates should come more frequently now, which isn't entirely a challenge. I might even post graphs at some point, which always seem to delight the audience. In any case, I'm back and I'll provide a regular dose of chokage again to all of you who can't live vicariously anymore.