How do I improve my discipline?!?!

[krishanleong]

Here is what you do. Everyone pays 3/4BB per 10 hands. Every time you make a bad call on the turn or river, think to yourself, "That's 10 hands I could have seen but instead I choose to fold them all without looking and play this one." It's a nice psychological trick.

Krishan

[UATrewqaz]

Some very good all around tips, I like the 5 second rule and will try to impliment it. And I like that 10 hands thought too.

Would I rather play this hand or see the next 10 hands, makes those marginal hands look alot worse.

[jtr]

I agree, some good advice above.

Maybe you should also think about some potential bonehead mistakes that you never in fact make. Consider looking down at your hole cards and seeing 72o. Knowing what I assume you must know about the value of different holdings, you're not even remotely tempted to play this hand, right? It just doesn't look appealing to you and your mouse pointer is moving towards "fold" before you consciously think about it.

Well, treasure that automatic-and-correct decision-making experience. You need to get to a point where more difficult folds become similarly automatic and not even tempting (e.g., in NL, folding when your set comes on the river but the same card has obviously also brought a flush for the other guy).

[cyorg]

"I KNOW KNOW KNOW KNOW I should fold..."
everytime you do this count how much money you lost. by the end of the day add up all the lost money and remind yourself that it would all be in your account if you had just folded.

[olavfo]

I have the same problem. I know it's wrong but on rare occasions I make these horribly loose calls and go too far with marginal hands.

What puzzles me is that I managed to quit smoking, but I haven't been able to quit this nasty habit.

olavfo

[GrandmaStabone]

I really don't understand your problem here. The only specific example you gave was carrying AJ on a QJx board with a raise behind you. In addition, you said you play against idiots (meaning almost ANY small/micro limit online game). In these situations, it is often not a matter of discipline to fold the AJ, but a matter of your read on the other player. If he has been raising draws, small pocket pairs after overcards have hit, or just an unpaired AK - than it is correct to look him up (taking into consideration his previous plays), and every now and again you will be wrong. Again, I think your post would benefit by some specific examples, but if you are up 1100 dollars in 2 months playing micro limits, than I'd say your game is relatively good - that is not to say you don't have leaks, but you can't look back at every hand you lost and assume that it is a matter of discipline. You are going to lose hands, and it doesn't always mean that you have an inherent problem with your game, especially since your results have been so good. Post some of your PokerTracker results and you will get better, more specific advice.