How do you feel when you sit down?

[Dick Danger]

I play mostly 10&20 SnGs and few MTTs once or twice a week. In the SnGs I'm ITM 43.002% of the time over the past 12 months. I'm split about 60/40 3rd vs. 1st place finishes, I've only been 2nd four times in the last year. I now have more money in my accout than I did a year ago so I guess things must be going ok but I'm still feel like I'm missing something.

Whenever I sit down to start an SnG I'm always wondering if I'm going to make money. How do you guys feel when you start a new game? I feel like my winning % should be higher (and clearly it could be) and I wonder what I'm doing wrong.

Anyway I was just wondering how you guys and gals feel about your SnG play, and what you're thinking at the start.

[ColdestCall]

Question: "What is best in life, Conan?"

Conan: "To crush your enemies. To drive them before you and hear the lamentations of the women"

That's how I feel when I sit down to play. If I feel otherwise, I dont play.

[The once and future king]

43% ITM is a good stat. DOnt beat yourself up over it.

[stillnotking]

I've been playing poker off and on for about 5 years now, and my hands still shake from nervous excitement when I fire up a $10 SNG. When I get in a big pot, my pulse rate climbs significantly. Don't know if that's a good or bad sign, but I do win a fair amount, so I must be playing OK. Strange that a mere ten bucks would still trigger such a reaction. (No other form of gambling triggers this; on the rare occasions I play blackjack or Pai Gow, I feel mildly entertained but not really excited.)

[ilya]

"Ugh, I'm probably gonna bubble again."

[pastabatman]

Stillnotking,
[ QUOTE ]
.. my hands still shake from nervous excitement when I fire up a $10 SNG. When I get in a big pot, my pulse rate climbs significantly.

[/ QUOTE ]
That describes me to a 'T', even though I'm still playing $5/$1 (almost got the bankroll to move up to $10/1). I'm so glad I discovered SNGs & no-limit tournament, after months of grinding away at boring low-limit ring games. The amount of joy I get when I take 1st is completely disproportionate to the stakes.

Early on I found that the adrenalin & concentration dissipated quickly if I played more than a couple of SNGs at a time, and my performance went in the toilet. So, I really try to limit my play now (hard to do when I didn't finish ITM).

Cheers,
Pasta

[David04]

Nervous....excited....hopeful....confident.

[B00T]

[ QUOTE ]
That describes me to a 'T', even though I'm still playing $5/$1 (almost got the bankroll to move up to $10/1).

[/ QUOTE ]

Play the $10 ones because the vig is retardo for $5's (same as $10's)...They are identical in play. Also if the bankroll is that thin, I would suggest playing on Stars til you get whatever amount of buyins you desire before playing $10's exclusively.

[raptor517]

i feel like every time i sit down its my right to win, and if anyone decides its not, i should crush them. seriously though, when you sit down to play, you have to be confident. you cant play sngs scared, or you wont succeed. having balls late in the game to steal the BB with 27 is what it takes to win more often than you think.

[stillnotking]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
That describes me to a 'T', even though I'm still playing $5/$1 (almost got the bankroll to move up to $10/1).

[/ QUOTE ]

Play the $10 ones because the vig is retardo for $5's (same as $10's)...They are identical in play. Also if the bankroll is that thin, I would suggest playing on Stars til you get whatever amount of buyins you desire before playing $10's exclusively.

[/ QUOTE ]

Better yet, stick to bonus whoring until you have a big enough bankroll to play $10+1s.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/remlinker.php?Cat=&Entry=50543&F_Board=inet&Thread =1060198&Main=1060198

[pooh74]

If they dont give me chips...I take...
I crush opponents like Stalin.

Borat

[1C5]

Played my first 10+1 at Party tonight in my life, was so nervous.
I have played in sporting events with $2000 on the line and was not that nervous.

Pretty funny. Sure beats ring games in my opinion.

[stanky]

I don't know what my ITM % is but I do know that I'm on a bit of a down swing lately but that hasn't stopped my confidence. Every time I sit down at a SNG I expect to win, whenever I sit down at any table I expect to win. Now I'm not saying I've haven't been nervous, whenever I moved up a limit I was nervous but I was still confident.

My only advice to you might be to stop using poker tracker or what ever you use to keep your stats. JUST PLAY. It is one of the best things I ever did. I was having a really bad stretch at 20/40 limit holdem a while back, I keep studying my stats, making charts to see if there was some sort of pattern, then I finally decided to just play, and I haven't keep stats since. It's the best thing I think I've ever done for my game.

-Pete

[adanthar]

When I started, I expected to win.

Two months later, I expected to learn.

Three months after that, I expected to be the best player at the table.

Seven months after that, I expect to play gud.

A year from now, I expect to sit in a $200 and hold my own. Two years from now, I expect to be the best at the table.

Yeah, that sounds about right. Not bragging at all /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[twomarks]

I mostly play the $10 sng's and I've been doing pretty well also.

Like another poster said, I have a disproportionate feeling of accomplishment when I win as well.

As far as my mind set goes, I try to have to attitude that I'm there to stay out of the way and steal blinds unless I get something big. Once it gets down to 5 handed, I loosen up and get more aggressive.

good luck

[Rasputin]

Most of the time when I sit down at an SnG my first thought is "Damn, I should have peed first."

Then I sit out and go take a leak and by the time I'm back someone has busted out.

[The Yugoslavian]

'At least I don't play like Ilya, I'd bubble for sure!'

Yugoslav, who is not planning on beating Aleo or Citanul to Pooh-Bah status.

[KingOtter]

[ QUOTE ]
When I started, I expected to win.

Two months later, I expected to learn.

Three months after that, I expected to be the best player at the table.

Seven months after that, I expect to play gud.

A year from now, I expect to sit in a $200 and hold my own. Two years from now, I expect to be the best at the table.

Yeah, that sounds about right. Not bragging at all /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I really like this.

I usually don't get nervous until I get a hand to play... and then late in the tournament when I'm putting the beat down on another player I get the same feeling. Heart pounding in the chest, nervous, etc. Paradise makes it excruciating because I think they pause about 3 seconds between each action.

KO

P.S. I'm still in the 'learning' phase, but I can feel the urges for the 'best player at table' phase.