the makeup trap

Every few months or so a long thread pops up on Pocketfives discussing the pros and cons of playing backed. After experiencing both worlds and discussing each culture with my poker friends, I have discovered something I’m going to call the “makeup trap.”

Backed players tend to let their makeup hang over them like a dark cloud, ever conscious of the number they need to hit before they can cash out any money. I define the makeup trap as a feeling that one has not accomplished anything while they are in makeup. This happened to me a few weeks ago. I was in makeup and got 2nd in the $5 rebuy for $5700 (brags30). This $5700 was less than my total makeup so I didn’t receive a penny from it. Rather than appreciate the fact that I had just completed a tournament where I finished second out of 2650 people or made about 370 times my initial investment, I matter-of-factly told myself, “well…I still have $X amount of makeup left, so don’t celebrate.” This thought process breeds a sort of self-deprecating attitude that is antithetical to what makes a successful player.

Lets look at two players and see how the makeup trap applies:

- Player A is a backed player and is currently 5k in makeup.

- Player B is not backed and began with a 15k bankroll. He is currently on a 5k downswing and has dropped down in stakes.

When many members of our community look at these players they consider them in identical situations. Both people need to make 5k to experience any profit. In reality they are in very different situations.

- If Player A gets a $3000 score his makeup may decrease but theoretically his life remains the same.

- If Player B gets a $3000 score then he has a number of options. He can increase his bankroll by 30% and add new games to his schedule that were once above his limits. Alternatively, he can cash this money out and use it for real life expenses.

We see a clear difference in what outcomes these players have by getting this $3000 score. Is player B still down from his initial bankroll? Yes. But he is still typically going to get a much greater sense of accomplishment from his score than his backed peer will. This relates somewhat to a post of mine entitled “What I Learned” in which I encouraged our community to be more appreciative of their accomplishments. Poker is a game of ups and downs, both financially and emotionally. To backed players I suggest that you try to avoid letting your makeup hang over you like a weight. If you get a good score but are still in makeup after it, make sure you appreciate the score for what it is instead of just writing it off. Cutting your makeup by $1 today means that you are $1 closer to profiting tomorrow.