YOUR No Limit Hold Em Experience

[Todd Rivers]

Just curious, how many years has everyone been playing No-Limit?

NPL has been running for 9 months now in this state and I sense there are a lot of players who feel they are masters of the game!

I've been playing this version of Poker for 6 years now and I've been making a good living out of it for the last 2 years, I've read nearly every book on the subject and studied it's ins and outs.
YET, I still learn something nearly every game I play and there are pros out there that have played for 20 years and still say they haven't mastered it.

In the NPL's 1st season I had a guy win 2 tourny's and think he's the new Hellmuth (actually he thought he's the new Hachem as he doesn't even know who Hellmuth is), he come up to me and said he'd just finished reading the latest issue of "Bluff" and he had "learned so much"! Trying to control my laughter I told him to attempt reading a 400 page book on the game, he replied with "I don't need to know all that technical stuff, I've won twice already". He has yet to win another since then and everyone else has caught up to his skill level and even surpassed him, yet he thinks he's just having a bad run! LOL

So, getting back to my original question, how long have you been playing?

[Goose]

9 mths face to face
2 yrs online

[Garth Kay]

Almost two years live. And about 18 months seriously. But then again this job has eaten into a lot of my time and currently I have lost the passion to play. I am hoping to regain that as I have plans to play in the Adelaide Championships Main Event, Melb Champs in may and if I can't make that Vic Champs in August. I am also aiming for Aussie Millions next year and then WSOP within the next three years, although the Main event isn't a goal just a few of the other tournaments.
I must say I am completely over online play, I might play the occasional tournament, but my game is definitely live play. I am a table talker and a reader and my game goes to shite if I can't use these tools. Some NPL players can attest to this already.

[AceLosesKing]

Was first taught how to play texas hold em in Yr 11... so that'd be what, 4 years? Me and my mates would play during study at school. Soon after that I started playing online pretty regularly. I had the odd face to face game over the years (read: 2), but didn't start playing regularly until NPL's first season. I still have a lot to learn about the game, for example:

Last Thursday I was playing at the Kingsford, dealt A3. I called the $1000 blind (I have about $25,000). Flop came A 4 10. I check, Shaun bets $5000 ($22,000), I instacall. Turn: 4. I check again, Shaun bets another $5000, I instacall. River: J. Now I've got two pair, A and 4, with the J kicker. I should've realised that two pair, with the J, cancels out my low kicker, so the worry that I had of Shaun holding a higher kicker than mine is gone (If he had AQ or AK he had me, though). In the end, I checked, and so did Shaun (he was holding A5, split pot). What I should've done was moved all in on the river, to try and buy the pot (represent the 4). I asked him afterwards and even if I had gone all in (for about $15,000) he still would've called. But at the time, all in would've been a good move.

[Bob B]

9 mths face to face
2 yrs online

If you don't know or have played against the Goose. That's his real face.

However, he doesn't wear the glasses when he's playing, just a wig and plays live games in disguise....LOL

[Chelsea4thewin]

a mate of mine at school used to watch the poker that used to be shown on SBS saturday nights at 1am, this was say 5 years ago and i used to get into it myself, so i got pretty familiar with the game before it was "popular".

I didnt however start my addiction until NPL started, i dont play as much anymore, prob one night a week but the best part about it is i get to go out with my mates, have a good meal and play poker, is there anything better? actually the footy was on the big screen last thursday so thats the perfect night lol

[maccatak11]

My fascination with poker also started with a show on SBS late at night (about 4 years ago) which was aptly named late night poker. Me and my bro (bennymacca) used to watch this show religeously and would start playing heads up against each other to improve our skills. Then came online play and i had been playing online for real cash for a year as well as occasionally at the casino before the NPL came to SA. Have absaloutley loved the 'pokerboom' in SA and there is nothing like playing live, its the most stressfull yet stress relieving activity that exists.

Well done NPL, i can finally have good conversations about poker with heaps of different people rather than just my bro (who knows nothing anyway)

[Brett Kay]

Cliff Notes: Been playing holdem for at least 8 years.

According to some of the emails i get from a certain poker site.
23 01 2003.

But am quite certain it is a little bit longer than that.

Being the anti social, technopath person that i am. I have been on the net since 97 (same hotmail through all these years. imagine the spam i get).

Pretty much i got into poker because i wanted to be a better blackjack player. Played blackjack then went on to play chinese poker, then onto holdem.

I am definitely going to say at least 8 years. Probably learnt the most about the game over the last 2 years or so.

Brett

[xtal]

Russ taught me how to play so i finks i have been playing for a year and a half now...