Ever doubt yourself?

[RikaKazak]

Hey all,

I've been running bad lately, poor play and all. I've been playing poker for a living for 1.5 years now, and my lifetime average is 4.5 ptbb/100 for NL 400 and higher.

My lifetime ROI is 14% right now, that includes when I started at the 33's, up to the 55's to 215's that I play now.

So far this month I'll get unlucky, then it'll tilt me a little bit, that'll make me play bad, lose more, then get unlucky tilt more, play bad, lose more cause of playing bad, etc.

I was curious if you guys ever doubt yourself??? I'm playing 109's this morning and just dropped 10 buy in in a row. I know 10 buy in's is nothing, it's my confidence that needs help. Got any advice guys??? Usually I'll tell my poker students to look at your lifetime average and that'll make you smile, and just think of it as one long game. I do that, look at the $150 a hour and smile, but my confidence is getting shattered still, any tips guys?????

HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!!

[davehwm]

"Take a few days off"
"Read some posts and re-read some of your favorite poker books"
"If you're this worried about 10 buy-ins you shouldn't be playing at those limits"

[bawcerelli]

you're trippin. take a break for a while, then you won't worry about 10 buyin downswings. i mean cmon, you must know that's nothing. something else is bothering you, just take a break.

Sometime I do but only if I have to play the bad hands. If I have AA or KK I cannot doubt myslef but just hope the cards work for me.

[RikaKazak]

oh, 10 buy in's doesn't bother me at all, I lose $3K in a day all the time at NL 1K, so the money doesn't bother me at all, it's the fact that I'm down in SNG's, down in ring games, and down at the local casino that bothers me. Mostly the thing that's running through my head is "maybe I don't beat the SNG's and that I've just been lucky" I've played a few thousand of them, but still, that's what's running through my head.

[psyduck]

You live in Spokane? WASHINGTON 2+2 STTF MEET /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I've had days like that at the 55s. Just drop down (I assume to the 109s or 55s for you) try to play normally and move back up when your confidence is back. Take a day off. Nothing else you can do really...

[gildwulf]

It's part of poker. I lost 1/3 of my bankroll at headsup last weekend. Sucks, but what can you do.

I dunno if dropping down is great advice earning-wise, but if it helps you psychologically that might be good.

10 buy-ins isn't a lot and you probably just aren't used to dropping that yet. You just have to ask yourself objectively if you are being outplayed...if they're just bad beats you shouldn't be moving down. If you are donking it up, move down.

I'd take a holiday personally. $150/hr pays for a pretty damn fine holiday to put you back in the mood for playing your best game

[lacky]

take a week off, completely away from poker, then come back, review your play, and get after it again. Once the serios self doubt or frustration starts you gotta take some time off. I haven't found anything else that works.

[pergesu]

[ QUOTE ]
I was curious if you guys ever doubt yourself???

[/ QUOTE ]
Not at all. I have supreme confidence that I'm the worst "respected poster"* on the forums.

* Highly debatable whether I'm respected. I've seen people refer to me as such on a few occasions, and it always makes me chuckle.

[pooh74]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I was curious if you guys ever doubt yourself???

[/ QUOTE ]
Not at all. I have supreme confidence that I'm the worst "respected poster"* on the forums.

* Highly debatable whether I'm respected. I've seen people refer to me as such on a few occasions, and it always makes me chuckle.

[/ QUOTE ]

Tu sei solo un testa di cazzo, nient'altro... /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Annulus]

Kind of scarey that you come and ask us for some very basic advice and you are the one with poker students. I'm surprised no one has brought this up. lol

[RikaKazak]

Well, I have poker students but I only charge them 100% of their rakeback, so it's not like I'm a "professional teacher." I make my money off of playing poker. And the 10 buy ins was today alone. Yesterday I dropped $1,000, no biggie, but day before that dropped $2,500, day before that won $200, day before that dropped $4,000, so....as you can see, it's not just today that bothers me, it's my "month."

I did end up taking the rest of today off, just bought my second home so just going to do paperwork stuff on it. I guess I should take tomorrow off and the next day, maybe I'll finally put in a pool table in my basement tomorrow....hmmmm...could do that. Thanks to all who pmed me with tips, they did truely help.

[bennies]

[ QUOTE ]
maybe I'll finally put in a pool table in my basement tomorrow.

[/ QUOTE ]

this sounds like a cure /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[raptor517]

doubt is the ultimate destruction of a poker player. keep playing, dont quit, dont change yer game. stay the course, ride it out, and you will get through it. holla

[bennies]

I seem to remember that you once doubted your gaming after a couple of vegas trips. I imagine this doubt was good for you...

However, I agree that taking a two week break will probably make the doubting increase. But I'd like to take one or two days to clear the head/ change the constellation of the stars.

[raptor517]

[ QUOTE ]
I seem to remember that you once doubted your gaming after a couple of vegas trips. I imagine this doubt was good for you...

However, I agree that taking a two week break will probably make the doubting increase. But I'd like to take one or two days to clear the head/ change the constellation of the stars.

[/ QUOTE ]

you misunderstand sir, i never doubted my poker abilities.. i merely doubted my ability to not act compulsively at games that dont require skill. holla

[bennies]

point taken sir, I bid you good night from overseas...

[raptor517]

[ QUOTE ]
point taken sir, I bid you good night from overseas...

[/ QUOTE ]

many thanks.. and yes, that doubt was VERY good for me.. ive done a bit better, tho im not completely cured. holla

[tigerite]

[ QUOTE ]
doubt is the ultimate destruction of a poker player. keep playing, dont quit, dont change yer game. stay the course, ride it out, and you will get through it. holla

[/ QUOTE ]

So true.. I was at a sick ROI over my first ~350 $55s.. then the last 80 I've dropped over $1k.. variance is the nature of the beast, we always must combat it.. lol

[RikaKazak]

thanks raptor, this is by far the best advice I've received, I took 2 days off, now I'm ready to get back into it, ohhh, and no pool table, just bought a lot of UFC videos and watched them, Tank Abbot is the MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Flopzilla]

The whole problem with the world is that fools
and fanatics are always so certain of themselves,
but wiser people are so full of doubts.
-- Bertrand Russell

Assiduus usus uni rei deditus et ingenium et artem saepe vincit. (Constant practice dedicated to one thing often surpasses both ability and skill.)
-Cicero

Vincit qui se vincit
(He conquers who conquers himself)

"PERSISTENCE. Go for it. If you don't get it, give it another go. If that doesn't work, go again. If that still doesn't work, do it again; only with better preparation, more intensity, and greater passion. If that doesn't work, do it again only better. If that doesn't work, find another way. Stay with it. Pound away at it. Wear it down. Discover how to do it, but get it done."
--- Dr. Keith Bell

"Never give in,
never give in
never, never, never, never
in nothing great or small
large or petty
never give in."
--- Winston Churchill

And lastly:

If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten.
-George Carlin /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[suited_ace]

[ QUOTE ]
Tu sei solo un testa di cazzo, nient'altro... /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Now that's class. Flaming in Italian is the nuts!

[lacky]

nice job, I'm printing it and hanging it by my desk