How often do you bring your self destruct head to a game

[Stoneii]

I do it almost cyclically /images/graemlins/smile.gif You know, play well for a good stretch, then go overboard, awol, whatever u want to call it but play absolutely crap poker. It's all very well complaining about bad beats but what about bad play. I just can't help myself sometimes, it's ludicrous /images/graemlins/grin.gif

stoneii

[Stagemusic]

I find myself doing that from time to time too. I attribute that to

A. Stupidity
B. Still being a relative Newb
C. See A.

Having my wife look over my shoulder every once in awhile helps. Particularly when she smacks me upside the head and asks WTF I did that for... /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[eastbay]

[ QUOTE ]
I do it almost cyclically /images/graemlins/smile.gif You know, play well for a good stretch, then go overboard, awol, whatever u want to call it but play absolutely crap poker. It's all very well complaining about bad beats but what about bad play. I just can't help myself sometimes, it's ludicrous /images/graemlins/grin.gif

stoneii

[/ QUOTE ]

Constantly. I seem to go in 20-game cycles of playing well to playing like absolute sh7t.

eastbay

[aslowjoe]

When I was playing the races full time there was a sequence I would go through and find poker similar. First you would work really hard and play smart. That would lead to more hard and inspired play and you would get on a roll. Then you would cocky and figured no matter what you did it would come out well, sort of a feeling of infalablity. Then you get sloppy try to force things to happen and before you know it your in a slump. Then the proccess starts all over again. I do everthing in 10 game segments, review my play. My goal is to make a profit for every 10 game segment, that helps me keep focused.

[Stoneii]

excellent advice thanks all.

That's it really isn't it, keeping the focus and reminding yourself you're just a reasonable player on a good run that loses as soon as you get stupid.

When you sharpen the mind (usually after a bad run) your play improves, then comes the confidence, then the strut, then..... BLAM, take that!!

I guess the really hard bit comes when you get smacked down AND the bad beats start to add insult to injury. I can see why this game can grind a player down.

I have nothing but respect for those who make a living at this game, having to keep sustained focus is something I'm obviously just not good at yet.

Cheers

stoneii

[Stoneii]

p.s.

Don't get me wrong, still a happy camper, just recognising my own newbie stupidity /images/graemlins/smile.gif

stoneii

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

I go through the same thing from time to time. I end up lying in bed at night thinking "WTF could I possibly have thought would happen when I made that bet/call?"

[Poker Jon]

Excellent analogy aslowjoe!

I agree with Stone in that those who make a living from Poker are unbeliveably dedicated and motivated to making the correct +EV call nearly every single time - even if they lose a huge pot. This is something which Fossilman goes on about time after time after time - yet I still can't seem to get it through my thick head /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Jon

[DrPhysic]

Stoneii,

I agree with the others about getting cocky, thinking i'm infallable, everything's going to work, but then it's not BAM the Poker god got me again,,, It's Doc fell asleep, and fell in love with a pair of aces again! (or equivalent) I KNOW there's a FH or flush possibility on the board, I KNOW the aces are unimproved, but I think I'm Superman. Bulletproof. Just watch me bust myself into a flush (even after he bet it and told me he had it)!

I think it's a rookie disease. I guess some people get over it sooner or later.

Doc /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[La Brujita]

I am not the world's best player by any stretch but one thing that makes me solid is that I don't play crappy poker very often at all. It is hard enough trying to be a long term winner without having to battle yourself. If I am not on my A game I just quit. Plain and simple.

And I have been going through some rough stretches so I am not just saying this when everyting is peaches with me.

I think one of the main things that make a winner a winner is concentration and discipline and you just have to force yourself to be tough mentally.

Regards

[Stoneii]

Doc

Absolutely, it's not luck at all I'm blaming - nor any poker gods, I've been sucked out on big time but I've done it big time too, I believe these more or less even out over a long enough time frame.

It is exactly as you say, it's the blam from me as I turn the double-barrelled about face to see why the damn thing didn't go off!!

"Hey, I can outplay this guy after the flop, why not I did it last game and he mucked (yeah maybe just maybe he had zilch anyway - Doh - so what's this one possibly holdin? who cares, blam raise yah all-in big lad - call, what do you mean call, you're supposed to pack - oh Aces up - erm I've got an Ace high /images/graemlins/blush.gif /images/graemlins/blush.gif /images/graemlins/shocked.gif - lol - erm - I'm tired was trying to bail out early!!!!"

La Brujita says:

[ QUOTE ]
I think one of the main things that make a winner a winner is concentration and discipline and you just have to force yourself to be tough mentally

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly right - I have done it for days at a time (well several hours play for several days) BUT I can't yet do it ALL the time, that's the differentiator. Maybe I need the breakdown to get back up and refocus, maybe it's the personal makeup, maybe it's because I don't HAVE to win being a recreational player, maybe it's because I never realised it happened as clearly before and I do now.

I just get the wee voice whispering now and again, do it, do it, and I do it /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Anyways, didn't necessarily expect much response as I wasn't exactly passing on any treasures but it's nice to see maybe I'm taking another baby step toward being better than I was yesterday!

Thanks again

stoneii

[lacky]

I am one of those "pro's" and I STILL have a problem with this at times. Last night playing the 55's at party everything was great, up $340, then i started playing like a moron. Finished the night up $15. The only useful advice I can offer is the timing is very specific with me. I am always very tired or bored. The very tired thing a beat by not playing. I have finally learned to take a nap before playing if I’m not 100%. 30 hours of playing well a week is definitely more profitable than 40 hours playing tired sometimes. Poker is the only job I've ever had that I can’t do tired (except for limit ring games, I can do that tired). The boredom on is tougher. I know when I’m tired, I don’t always recognize when I’m bored. The result is the same though, I just want to win the thing now and be done with it. Pushing too hard is a killer.

[Ken Morris]

John Vorhaus talks about this extensively in "Killer Poker Online." My coffee is empty (or my bladder is full). If I double up, I can sit out long enough to take care of either. If I bust out, I don't have to sit there and be embarrassed. Nobody knows who I am. Besides, there another SNG starting in a couple of minutes.

I did it this morning, getting maybe 3:1 all-in on a K-high flush draw with one card to come. Glad I'm not the only one.