Poker Tuition

I first learned to play poker with friends and they taught me the basics of the game. Then there was the APL and Verde Poker where I got to play poker with people I didn't know. During that time, the buy-in was cheap but I really just wanted to experience playing poker with other people and not just my friends. I also tried the satellites for one of the first few tournaments in ACF. I also tried to crash uninvited in a game in Burgundy. I lived in the same condo so I was hoping they'd let me play. Good thing they didn't trust me enough. I learned later on that they bought in for Php 1k - 2k which was way above what I was used to at that time. Then once I played in a JG tournament. It was the same night I got quads versus Karel's flush, I think. I forgot the cards but not the scene as it's not often a pretty girl stares at me that intently. Of course there was Sky, 41o and ACF. I mostly lost in those days.

Which brings me to the topic of this post. Since starting to play, I've relied on my experience to teach me what I needed to know. This costed me money hence the coined term, tuition. Each poker player would've lost a certain amount before they started winning. The tuition varies from player to player. Unfortunately, some people never get their money's worth and never learn. They never graduate and they keep paying the tuition until they decide to stop playing.

One of the biggest mistakes I've made was that I've only started to track my wins and losses a year and a half ago. Before that, I've no record of anything. I don't even know if I'm up or down. I would imagine I payed my fair share of the tuition. Now it's just a matter of making sure they pay it to me.