This is why I don't even play big MTTs. Since huge amounts of time AND luck are involved, I don't think it's worth it. 45 man games are as far as I go.

I was talking in terms of %s. I think my cash, FT, and win rate compare pretty favorably against most GOOD (not elite) tourney players. I fully understand that the sample size is small, but I have kids and a business, so that's all I have time for.

With that said I don't recall being in a hand, or at the table, with any of the ranked players and not known where I was in a hand, or what the right play was. I have the utmost respect for all of the ranked players, but I don't think their edge is that big that I don't belong at any of their tables at any given time.

That's where the frustration comes from, the belief that I can play, but just can't win a big enough MTT to play in the bigger buy in tournies on a more regular basis.

In time hopefully.

lol, 2nd that in fact a sn8wman i know lost me in a hand a couple weeks ago and i did what i usually do when i'm lost in hand, i shoved into top two aq drawing to 3 outs on the turn i think.

I'm probably more of a cash game player than a tourney player so i'm pretty used to seeing a ton of flops but i doubt there are many days in my life when i'm not lost in a hand. I mean that's what poker is, it's a game that is essentially played blindfolded. The best players are the ones that make the best and/or the worst out of situations they are lost.

For instance let's say i raise utg+2 with aqs and snwman calls from the button . Flop comes kq5 with two clubs and i lead out 2/3 of pot and sn8wman smooth calls it. we both have M of 12. On the turn the 9of diamond hits. you check fold? are you ahead?

I wasn't aware that anyone that doesn't play in all of the $100 rebuys is considered a micro-stakes player.

I'm just as likely to buy into a WPT prelim as I am to play a $5 freezeout. Money isn't the issue. Someday you'll be married and understand that, "Honey, I just deposited $20,000 on an online poker site so I can play with Johnny Bax", will go over like an SS uniform at a Bar Mitzvah. It's also a personal goal, I want to earn my seat in the bigger buy-ins by winning the money.

It's also hard to practice proper bankroll management when 1st prize in the smaller tournies add up to about a days work. Every time I've tried the bankroll thing, I've said to myself, "What the fuck am I doing playing for hours trying to win $xxx, when I make that much in a day."

So I guess I'll just deposit, build, take a shot, and repeat until that big score comes.

Just because every unknown player thinks they are good, it doesn't mean they are all wrong.

Poker is a sick game, and online the big score has eluded me for my entire career. I have many cashes between 5k-19k, and one for 33k, but the 100k+ can not be found. You can play your best game, but when it comes down to it, we are really just playing %'s. Every time you flip a hand over preflop, there is usually atleast a 20% chance your going to lose.

I know personally that I took 11th and 12th in the stars million and 11th in a plhe WCOOP event, losing two of those with aces allin preflop, I win those hands, I may have 200k more in my pocket, but either way it doesnt matter, because its just math probabilities I have no control over.

Just keep getting your cards in the best you can, stay focused on what you can control, don't dwell on what you can not, especially if you are not going to be learning anything from it. Even though poker results and sucess are judged on how much money you have won, it is important not to get to caught up in short term results.

Gank was down 10k in tournesy online on pokerstars last i looked, dont listen to him first off

It's a statistical certainty that you will get a big win sooner or later, irrespective of your skill level. So keep playing them..

Gank actually has an unreal high rate of FTs however he is just not closing out enough of those and has way to many 3rds and 2nds compared to 1sts.

I second that. I made a FT in the S Million and MANY, MUCH BETTER players than me didn't. How many coinflips in a row can you win? On the other hand, in the 20K guaranteed (100+9) freezeout with 200-300 players the better players are on top consistently.

Your stats sound impressive. Care to back them up? No user names?

I have a fair amount of FTs in my life.. yet my biggest cash ever was 9k.. and that was over 2 years ago. I look at some peoples stats and they have 1 fluke tourney for like 50k.. yet I play TONS of tournies and that big score is definately elusive for me:(.. someday plz.

maybe you should analyze your strat in the later stages. cant all be down to bad luck.
i came 9th 10th and 11th in 100$ multis last week, and i think i made errors in the later stages in all 3. espescially when i finished 9th, because i played tight on th Ft bubble because i wanted to make the FT.

it's like old thomas jefferson says

"i'm a great believer in luck, and i find the harder i work, the more i have of it."

Play more. Complain less.

I have had very similar problems, winning several 20 and 30 dollar mtts but NEVER taken down a 50 or 100, though several 2nds. i believe alot of it is psychological and alot of it is, as many have mentioned, that you have to play ALOT. i really dont play all that much as i am lazy and when i make money i just sit on it and use it until i need money again.

I guess having several great poker minds chime in with advice on what basically boils down to a bad beat post didn't get the message through to you, tough breaks happen, posting them here and dwelling on them will not make it better, very few people on this forum will have sympathy for you because we all take them often enough. You said money isn't the issue, so WTF? You have a family and a business, why are you dwelling on tough breaks in a 100$ multi? Eventually you will win one, regardless of your skill level. GL, please post bad beats in the bad beat section.