Execution
 

I've been writing down hands when I play, and the thing I see over and over in them is that I am not executing properly the way I used to. An example hand from my notes is this:

I have 85s in the BB and call a button open raise against a not-too-aggressive player. Flop is 843, two spades and my check-raise gets 3-bet. I decide to bet-fold a non-spade turn and check-fold a spade turn. The turn is an offsuit T. I bet. I get raised. I... call.

I used to have no problem pitching it there. I made the decision on how to play the hand on the flop, but then changed my mind midway. Any thoughts on how to begin listening to myself again? I am thinking A poker thoughts but playing B poker plays. I've been running super good for the past 5k hands or so, but I am playing pretty bad.

I've written to a few friends and poker-confidants about this. And now to you guys. I'm at sort of a loss. Maybe this is not appropriate for HUSH, but this is where I post 90% of the time.

Re: Execution
 

very good post. I do the same thing alll the freaking time. especially when I call the turn vowing to fold the river if
a) i dont improve
b) the obvious draw (and only thing i can possibly be ahead of) gets there.

and then a or b happens and I end up calling the river anyways.

Re: Execution
 

[ QUOTE ]
I made the decision on how to play the hand on the flop, but then changed my mind midway. Any thoughts on how to begin listening to myself again? I am thinking A poker thoughts but playing B poker plays.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is often how I feel (except I'd have said that I think B poker and then make C poker plays). I definitely have the sensation occasionally of taking a certain flop play on one theory, and then taking an action later that is inconsistent, without sufficient reason for the change.

The only answer I have is to slow down before acting. I know if I give my brain a chance to communicate to my fingers, there's less chance of this stuff happening.

Re: Execution
 

The only advice I can offer is try not using HUDs for a while. That kind of forces you to trust your decisions a little more.

However, this excercise also (should) help your overall decision making, too, and that doesn't seem to be your problem. So maybe this would be of little help to you.

Re: Execution
 

I try to have a plan for future streets but I don't plan to follow it. The point is that I'm not a machine. A computer can make an absolutely final decision about its contingency plan for every future street and it will be top quality--the best decision the computer can make.

Humans are not good at that. When making (e.g.) a plan on the turn we tend to lump potential river cards into broad categories and think general thoughts about them instead of focusing on the nuances of the exact river card. We also often fail to notice subtle details about the river situation because our brain is primarily focused on the turn problem. Finally we may fall into the "good enough" trap. We decide to call the turn because we quickly realize that the pot is big enough to call down. Then we robotically make the "good enough" river call without ever considering that bluff raising might be better.

Of course I'm talking about rethinking my contingency plans when the situation actually arises. It sounds like you are suffering from lapses in discipline. I find that regular review of hands I have played improves discipline by forcing me to confront my lapses.

I developed a special trick to combat my problem with reflexive autocalls of river raises. Whenever I make a marginal river bet I take my hand completely off the mouse. That ensures that I actually take a moment to consider my action when I get raised.

Re: Execution
 

[ QUOTE ]
I have 85s in the BB and call a button open raise against a not-too-aggressive player.

[/ QUOTE ]

What happened to playing tight in the blinds? [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: Execution
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I have 85s in the BB and call a button open raise against a not-too-aggressive player.

[/ QUOTE ]

What happened to folding +EV hands in the blinds? [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: Execution
 

I kid. Rory is an excellent poster. I wish he posted more often about strategy and emotional management. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Execution
 

Sometimes I rhyme slow, sometimes I rhyme quick.

Re: Execution
 

I make similar errors when I've been running really well for a few thousand hands (which is a fair amount of time for me since I don't play a ton). It's come up in the psychology forum once or twice as well.