Decisions on impulse

[Ryno]

Is it a reasonable goal to say that for a given session, day, or even week, no betting decision (save preflop folds) will be made on impulse?

Something I never see people talk about is making a rash, split-second decision that one almost immediately recognizes as wrong (e.g. 3-betting because "this aggro a-hole can't possibly have it", or folding because "I must be beat", even though pot odds warrant a call). I suppose this is a form of tilt.

Has anyone gone through an extended hand history and attempted to quantify the cost of these errors?

[J.R.]

Is it a reasonable goal to say that for a given session, day, or even week, no betting decision (save preflop folds) will be made on impulse?

<font color="red"> if it isn't u won't do well </font>

Something I never see people talk about is making a rash, split-second decision that one almost immediately recognizes as wrong (e.g. 3-betting because "this aggro a-hole can't possibly have it", or folding because "I must be beat", even though pot odds warrant a call). I suppose this is a form of tilt.

<font color="blue"> I think it is tilt. Why would people discuss it (other than in psychology), as its not like u don't know what u did wrong, most of these errors are immediately obvious, as you say </font>

Has anyone gone through an extended hand history and attempted to quantify the cost of these errors?

<font color="green"> I don't get this, it depnds on the error, but i do look through my hands to see if i like </font>

[Ryno]

"I think it is tilt. Why would people discuss it (other than in psychology), as its not like u don't know what u did wrong, most of these errors are immediately obvious, as you say"

The reason for posting this here was that shorthanded play is more likely to generate these errors. I guess what I was really after was not "why do I keep 3-betting with nothing when stuck &gt;20BB?", but "do people have tricks/gimmicks to help avoid making impulsive decisions?" One example, for online games, is to play with your hand off the mouse.

[rory]

I think this is more prevalent than a lot of people think. I bet a bunch of these responses will be fluffing it off as tilt, but it is not tilt, really.

There was a thread that I read on Guido's poker page. It is GuyOnTilt describing how to play the river: link (http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Number=560235&amp;page=&amp;view=&amp;sb=5&amp;o =&amp;fpart=4&amp;vc=1). I know that when I am making a river decision, I often do not put numbers to what I think my opponent has. I say, "He probably has this, this or this or is bluffing. Well, the pot is pretty big so I call." No putting numbers to the decision. That is a form of this acting-too-fast type of mistake.

Deciding to call someone down is often one of those. Putting in that 3-bet because the aggro guy is raising is another one of them. I constantly make very fast decisions while playing online, and I am sure I would do better if I took a second and made every decision deliberately. This is a good post.

I tried breathing before I made a decision. I'd, at least, breathe in and out before betting or raising or folding. It wound up slowing me down, which is the whole point, so I stopped doing it! Maybe it is worth trying that again.