At what point will I get comfortable? (no hand content)

[PokerBob]

I have devoted the past year (the intensity has gone up substantially in the last 4 months) to educating myself about hold'em and improving my play. I have posted hands (too many, I'm sure) responded to posts, been ripped, ripped others, analyzed, thought, reanalyzed, rethought and basically have had poker-on-the-brain non-stop. I am constantly questioning my play and desicions I make. Some decisions have become standard, but most others require thought. With this thought comes self-douubt. Is this normal? At what point am I going to feel confident in my decisions, or is that simply not possible given the nature of this game? Do some of you carpal/tunnels get that "wtf?!?!" /images/graemlins/confused.gif feeling at certain points, or do you get to a point where nothing phases you? I'm not talking about absurd suckouts as we've all seen plenty of those, but rather situations in a hand where you genuinely feel lost. I think I am an above average player, but I have to admit to feeling lost a lot. IMO overconfidence in poker will leave you broke, but being a shrinking violet will do the same. Where is this balance, and how can I get there? Or is what I am feeling standard?

[QTip]

I'm not an expert Bob, but I know what you're talking about. I'm reaching that point where, when I sit down at a table, I have pretty good confidence in my ability. I think I'm starting to realize that the more challenging decisions don't come around quite as frequently as the no-brainer plays...that and the plays that used to be more challenging decisions, I'm starting to recognize more easily and they are starting to become no-brainer plays...

Also, I think the biggest part of my confidence is coming from understanding variance and not putting so much pressure on myself to have a winning session. I was in a 5/10 game 2 nights ago, and I was down $150. Normally I would have been like "CRAP!!!". That's a lot of money to my wife and I. Not to mention, I am playing somewhat semi-pro as I don't pay my bills if I don't win playing cards which adds pressure. However, I said to myself "This is only 15BB...not bad". I was able to keep my cool and continue to play solid cards and did end up having a winning session (nice end to that story...not always the case as we all know).

So, I think confidence begins to come when:

1. You start to recognize that you're learning.

2. You still acknowledge that you have plenty to learn, but that's fine because you still make solid decisions 19 out of 20 hands. As you continue to learn and properly apply concepts, that number gets better and better.

3. You are comfortable losing part of your BR because you understand and accept variance.

Bob, reading your posts, I'm comfortable saying you're probably a better player than I am. I'm feeling comfortable more and more...can't see why you shouldn't.

[PokerBob]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not an expert Bob, but I know what you're talking about. I'm reaching that point where, when I sit down at a table, I have pretty good confidence in my ability. I think I'm starting to realize that the more challenging decisions don't come around quite as frequently as the no-brainer plays...that and the plays that used to be more challenging decisions, I'm starting to recognize more easily and they are starting to become no-brainer plays...

Also, I think the biggest part of my confidence is coming from understanding variance and not putting so much pressure on myself to have a winning session. I was in a 5/10 game 2 nights ago, and I was down $150. Normally I would have been like "CRAP!!!". That's a lot of money to my wife and I. Not to mention, I am playing somewhat semi-pro as I don't pay my bills if I don't win playing cards which adds pressure. However, I said to myself "This is only 15BB...not bad". I was able to keep my cool and continue to play solid cards and did end up having a winning session (nice end to that story...not always the case as we all know).

So, I think confidence begins to come when:

1. You start to recognize that you're learning.

2. You still acknowledge that you have plenty to learn, but that's fine because you still make solid decisions 19 out of 20 hands. As you continue to learn and properly apply concepts, that number gets better and better.

3. You are comfortable losing part of your BR because you understand and accept variance.

Bob, reading your posts, I'm comfortable saying you're probably a better player than I am. I'm feeling comfortable more and more...can't see why you shouldn't.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe I'm putting to much pressure on myself, as I am rather competetive. But I often find myself reading posts form CDC and sthief09 and Clarkmeister and other gurus and realizing that they are considering factors that never crossed my mind. The best example is when CDC limped on the button in a 15/30 game with 67o /images/graemlins/confused.gif. It's situations like this when I think, "I am SOOOOO blown away here."

[QTip]

I hear ya, and I do the same thing. Just question what you see and glean what you can.

I remember reading SSHE for the first time and seeing being in the sb with a PF raiser on the button and checking a strong hand on the flop in order to c/r and protect. I was blown away at the brilliance of such an idea. Now it's ABC for me. It's all about growing.

I'm real competitive. However, I think you have to let some of that competitive energy slip during play because of variance and harness the energy into study and digging the goods out of the great players here.

[Chris Daddy Cool]

[ QUOTE ]
but rather situations in a hand where you genuinely feel lost. I think I am an above average player, but I have to admit to feeling lost a lot.

[/ QUOTE ]

that's why we post hands.

[JoshuaD]

[ QUOTE ]
I remember reading SSHE for the first time and seeing being in the sb with a PF raiser on the button and checking a strong hand on the flop in order to c/r and protect. I was blown away at the brilliance of such an idea. Now it's ABC for me. It's all about growing.

[/ QUOTE ]

The Call/call/call line had similiar effects on me. I was like "whoa that's amazing thinking." when I first saw it, now it's just ABC for me.

[Bob T.]

One of the things that I try to teach when I am playing, and coaching games, is that you just try to make the right play as often as possible, and that you let the results take care of themselves. One of my more poetic golf buddies says think 'Process, not product.'

A lot of things, you have no control over. In soccer, you can't really control whether or not you score today, your opponents are doing all kinds of things to prevent that, but you can work hard, and control whether or not you create scoring chances. Similarly, in golf, you might not be able to control your score, (an untimely gust of wind, a hard landing spot on the green, or a footprint near the cup, can all derail a shot) but you can make good tactical decisions, and evaluate whether or not you make good swings. Similarly, your opponents might be holding an unlikely hand, or catch a two outer on the river, and you don't win the pot, but you if you make more good decisions than your opponents, you will in the long run come out ahead.

If you think about evaluating the choices you made in the hand, and the choices your opponents make, and don't worry about who's stack of chips has grown or shrunk in the last 30 minutes, you will hopefully be more confident and more comfortable with your game.

[QTip]

Had a -50BB hour and a half session this morning...

What if this comes from not properly laying down your PF monsters and treating your overcards like PF monsters?

I still have confidence
I still have confidence
I still have confidence
I still have confidence
I still have confidence
I still have confidence
I still have confidence
I still have confidence

[TripleH68]

[ QUOTE ]
In soccer, you can't really control whether or not you score today, your opponents are doing all kinds of things to prevent that, but you can work hard, and control whether or not you create scoring chances.

[/ QUOTE ]

In match play in golf it has been said many times you should always expect your opponent to make his next shot. Never count on him to miss. Did you see Tiger's face when Phil's chip shot on 18 lipped out. Expressionless. Then after the tournament he said from where he was standing it looked to be going in...

[Mike Gallo]

At what point am I going to feel confident in my decisions, or is that simply not possible given the nature of this game?

Success is a journey not a destination. As you move up to bigger games and bigger limits you should constantly reevaluate your game and decisions.

One day things will click and you will feel comfortable.

[QTip]

[ QUOTE ]
One day things will click and you will feel comfortable.


[/ QUOTE ]

While you're waiting for that, though, isn't it good to have what might be called "settled ambition". Where you're doing the best you know to do and continue to push forward (including limits as BR permits), but at the same time you know you have tons to learn and continue to strive to learn.