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Lesson: 41
Stepping Up, Stepping Down
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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