Posts from the poker
community on Reddit
– Lost over $40k at a $1/$2 AMA. Unfortunately, this isn't clickbait.
Before deleting his account, the post's author left the most liked comment unanswered: "Where do you play and around what time?"
Still, he answered the other questions and revealed details of his difficult poker journey.
Many commentors seemed to have fun with his downfall, but a few showed support.
– Are you going to keep playing?
Hell no.
– I know I'm getting downvoted for this, but I have to.
– You have to try and play PLO to win it back in 7 days!
– How?
A few factors:
Texas games play bigger. I call too light at times and also play too aggro at other times, including nights where I'll play the 72o game with myself. Worst of all, I play on tilt.
– Now things are making sense. Fucking lighting money on fire with the worst hand in poker when nobody else is playing 7-2?!?!
I would play it like I had the nuts and turn it over whenever everyone folded. For the lols.
– Aside from losing the money itself, what other consequences have you experienced?
My credit is ruined. I got evicted from an apartment in 2023 after maxing out my credit cards paying rent.
– You would have been better off not paying rent.
– Please tell me it was $4K a year over a decade. Or, if this was 4 or 5 sessions, would you like to play? I will come to you.
It was about 2 years. I no longer actively play.
– That’s only -$55 per day
– What’s made you decide that $40k is the number to stop at rather than $30k? Or even $10k lol?
I ran out of money.
– But it seems you ran out of money way before being down $40k. Protip: when you are in the midst of using and ultimately maxing out credit cards in order to pay rent and I assume to buy food, you're already out of money.
– Have you seen a therapist who specializes in gambling addiction?
I think I need Jesus, not a therapist.
– No wonder you lost so much. You know therapists are actually real, right?
– Jesus would invite you to play heads up!
– You’re on the path. Therapy can help, pray about it, to be guided and to see the way, even if it’s just a step at a time.
I have been struggling with my faith lately and appreciate your kind words.
Hopefully I'll be on the other side of this trial someday.
– What was the minimum buy-in you usually played with and how many times did you buy in on average per session?
The buy-in was $500. I didn't keep track, I just kept playing until I felt completely empty. And that happened every day.
– Why haven’t you moved up in stakes where they respect your raises?
Because Texas 2/5 is car and house money. (Only slight exaggeration.)
– How old are you?
Turning 26 in a couple of weeks.
– Was this actually 1/2 or more like 1/2/5/10 with mandatory straddled and such?
"Standard" 1/2 (standard for Texas) with the occasional $5 straddle.
– Have you ever considered playing Magic: The Gathering instead? You'll likely spend another $40k but at least you'll have some fancy cardboard.
I'm more into Pokemon. Have heard the card game is pretty unbalanced, though. MtG could be a good shout. 🤔
– Can you tell us your most memorable hand?
Once I open-shoved 100bb with KQo and cracked a nitreg's AA.
– At what point did you notice that things weren't going your way?
I was never a winning player. I thought I could fix my play and turn things around, but that never happened. Just didnt have the discipline or knowledge necessary to play well.
– What was your worst tilt moment? What was your biggest win?
I took home $2.9k once.
Worst tilt moment was probably the night when I started shipping blind for half an hour, losing at least 3 buy-ins in the process. I don't remember much other than my last hand being 73o. Opponent offered to run it twice and I was so zoned out at that point that I turned him down.
– During your sessions were you convincing yourself you were just getting unlucky?
I knew I wasn't playing optimal or even close to it. But the hands I'd see other players show up with convinced me that I still had a skill edge.
– People like you are the reason why poker is profitable for good players. Good players desperately want to encourage people like you with gambling problems to keep playing so they can take your money. How do you feel about that?
I think the poker economy is what it is. Nothing I can do but stay away.
– Whats the biggest leak in your play?
Tilt. I would open-ship garbage out of frustration and probably lost half of the $40k doing that alone.
– Do you coach?
I'll teach you everything I know for $1k/hour. 40 hour minimum.
– How would you describe your strategy when sitting down to play? What was your game plan for trying to win?
I was aware of the starting hand charts and had a vague idea of what hands were on them. I also developed an open-limping range, which effectively became a limp-calling range after folks learned how to exploit that.
Basically, my plan was to hope for a good run of cards.
– Are you a complete rec, or did you try to get better, study and watch vids and stuff?
My study consisted of watching Brad Owen's vlog and little else.
– Oof. That’s an absolute blood bath. Are you currently employed and making money?
I drive for DoorDash to fund my education. Currently studying biology.
