Chew\'s Poker Blog

Hi all,

Been lurking these forums for a while now, and its about time I started posting. A word of warning, this is quite long, and I hope I do not bore too many of you. I just feel its appropiate to tell you where my angle is from, before posting more here.

I post under teamliquid.net forums as Chewits. Started playing Starcraft around 1999-2000, and under many many names. I am sure I know quite a few players from way back "in the day" when we are all kids, in our little clans I definitely know a few faces that post here. Was in Kets clan waaaaaaaaay back, as VdP]Calipso, and before that, in the one clan (the_acid_one). Guess these two are the most used nicks from the old days. Was quite a surprise to hear that Ket is doing really well in Poker. Fair play to you. Didn't think you would be playing poker when we were playing Starcraft... Congratz.

Anyway, I don't actually play Starcraft anymore, mainly because the game looks so shit on my huge iMac screen lol. (640x480 stretched to 1620x1050 is not pretty) and I had grown bored of the game, like all of us at some point, searched for something new. I found DotA, which I still play, and enjoy.

Amongst all this, i discovered poker. My first encounter would have been Late NIght Poker on Channel 4. I used to stay up late to watch it, and was fascinated by it. Of course, I had no real idea of how to play it, I knew the basics of what hands beat what, but that was about it. Did not actually play it untill around 2 years ago, when i put minimum deposit on to pacificpoker.com and lost it of course, cuz I really wasnt sure what I was doing lol. I bought some cheap poker book that taught you the basics and I wanted to improve. Then after sometime, i put some money back on pacific and started playing really cheap cheap sit n go's, to learn the game better.

I did not take it too serious, nor the learning part. I just played casually with no control or management over my bankroll. I had no idea what a bankroll was back then, i just gambled. THen last year, I started getting quite decent (I thought), and played cash games. I actually got up to 50NL but with a crazy 10-15 buyin bankroll (like I said, it was a rush lol). I was doing good, and winning. I felt like the best poker player in the world. Then i lost some mega hands, and i tilted so hard. I lost all of it in one night. All the money I worked to build up for the past couple months, was tilted away. God it felt sick. It tilted me so much, I vowed never to play Poker ever again.

About 6 months later, I started watching poker again on TV and stuff, and was getting the bug, but was having battles in my conscious wether to actually start playing again. Then few of my mates, got a small home game setup, with 4-6 people. Just a cheapo tourney for like £10, and it started to become a weekly thing. It was really good fun with some mates, some drinks and its all good craic! Anyway, I won some tourneys and was always in the top 3. Never busting out first. It got me some confidence back, and it got my love back for the game. I put some money onto FTP, and started playing again. I won some really nice 90 and 180man tourneys. But as before, I did not really take it serious, just played it for fun, only depositing the minimum. And I cashed out my tournament winnings right away, which went straight towards holiday.

After frittering away my initial deposit on some tourneys, I decided i should start playing a little more serious, and with more of a management, specifically on a bankroll. Because up untill now, I had not been doing this properly. My friend said that PokerStars was relatively soft at micro limits, which is where I wanted to start, to make sure I am playing correct. So i deposited $200 on there, and that is where I am at now. Grinding the 0.05/0.1 tables. I feel I could start at the next level up (i could have the bankroll nps) but I really dont want to jump into the middle.

So here is my simple short term goal. To make enough $$$ to have a solid enough bankroll for the next level. I dont know how long it will take, but it will take as long as it needs to.

Two big rules that I must stick to;

1) Stick to 0.05/0.1 cash tables ONLY. No tournaments
2) Only play when I am mentally fit and awake, not after a long hard day of a mind fuck in work

Why no tournaments? Because its a different play style, and I feel you cannot play productively at cash tables while involved in a tournament. I feel with enough discipline and focus, I can do honestly do this. I really have never been so focused like this in a long while, and really am enjoying it.

This blog, is to keep progress of my personal challenge. Im not fussed if no one reads it, its more important for me to keep a track record of it.


I only play 2-3 tables at the moment, but I am aiming to increase the table amounts, as confidence increases. So far though, it has been going good.



Blue = Total Winnings
Orange = Total winnings without showdown

I play on a Mac, so the pokertrackers are not quite as advanced as some of the ones for PC.

0 votes

Comments (1)