I need a cure...

HonestIago15 · #1 06-09-2005, 12:54 AM

I originally posted this in the Sit-n-Go forum and they told me to post it here... so here it is

Alright, I'm sure everyone here has experienced this before, and I badly need some advice on it. Since my online poker career has started it has followed a very predictable path. I start out playing correctly, like a good and diligent 2+2er. Then something sets in, for which I cannot find a name which accurately describes it's horrible tenacity and evilness. I start to do stupid things... whether it's making bad calls, deciding that, though I should push this small blind I don't really need to... I get cocky and reckless. After losing a few hundred dollars I realize what I'm doing, get infuriated, chill for a bit and go about working my way back up. So... my question is does anyone have a really good way that they use to stop themselves doing this? I've gone throught this cycle a whole bunch of times and I just keep doing it. Maybe something you say to yourself every time you're about to make a stupid move... I dunno. This is definately my biggest leak and I'm confident I could actually start to make real money if I could just STOP DOING IT. GRAH!

Thanks guys

Jedi Flopper · #2 06-09-2005, 02:52 AM

Here is what hapens to me. When my roll is short, I play very tight and semiaggressive. After I build my roll, I start suffering from "fancy play syndrome" and end up bluffing or semibluffing or stupid calling all my chips into the toilet. I wish I would just play straightforward poker and keep the money.

krimson · #3 06-09-2005, 10:08 AM

When you feel like this, just ask yourself...

"What would Brian Boitano do?"

kyzerjose · #4 06-09-2005, 10:12 AM

If I only had a heart, a brain .......

How about keep trying?

We're humans & humans forget things.

For me it comes down to a lack of humility and self confidence. Opposing concepts.

I dwell in success.
I forget, I digress.

I play fancy, humility?
I remember, how silly of me.

Good thing I have a day job. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Bluffoon · #5 06-09-2005, 10:28 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I originally posted this in the Sit-n-Go forum and they told me to post it here... so here it is

Alright, I'm sure everyone here has experienced this before, and I badly need some advice on it. Since my online poker career has started it has followed a very predictable path. I start out playing correctly, like a good and diligent 2+2er. Then something sets in, for which I cannot find a name which accurately describes it's horrible tenacity and evilness. I start to do stupid things... whether it's making bad calls, deciding that, though I should push this small blind I don't really need to... I get cocky and reckless. After losing a few hundred dollars I realize what I'm doing, get infuriated, chill for a bit and go about working my way back up. So... my question is does anyone have a really good way that they use to stop themselves doing this? I've gone throught this cycle a whole bunch of times and I just keep doing it. Maybe something you say to yourself every time you're about to make a stupid move... I dunno. This is definately my biggest leak and I'm confident I could actually start to make real money if I could just STOP DOING IT. GRAH!

Thanks guys

[/ QUOTE ]

It's all about discipline and self-awareness. You said "something" sets in. Try to figure out what this something is and why it sets in. Knowing the motivations behind your behaviour may help. Also maybe try to figure out what it is that triggers this "something". Then when you see a trigger you can stop playing until "something" goes away. The best thing you can do for yourself is to recognize when you are not playing your best and stop before you have lost several hundred dollars.

Good Luck.

jb9 · #6 06-09-2005, 10:44 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe something you say to yourself every time you're about to make a stupid move...

[/ QUOTE ]

"Make good decisions."

JobyWan · #7 06-13-2005, 02:22 AM

Might it be boredom? When I find myself playing too many hands, or playing my hands too loosely, I just start another table. Double the deals means double the good hands that come around so you get more action without having to lower your standards. Sometimes I'll play 4 tables just flipping back and forth playing 'text book' poker as it's pretty hard to get reads on players at 4 tables. Just winning a modest amount at 1 table then repeating that modest win at 3 more tables makes for a nice overall win, at least until you get through your undisciplined spell. One other 'system' I used to have was to cash out whenever I got over a certain amount..say 3 times the buy in at whatever table limit you play and if I went broke, I would take a week or two off as 'punishment, or motivation to not go broke' This works especially well if you build a bank roll and then lose it. Build it, take half out and at least you've got some profit safely back in the bank account. (example if you play $50 no limit - cash out $100 every time your bankroll gets to $250, thus leaving $150 to play with)

JobyWan

DarkForceRising · #8 06-13-2005, 02:35 AM

Man, can I relate to this.

One of the greatest benefits from reading the advice dispensed on these forums is the realization that downswings happen and that I am not alone. This has helped me transform into one who can grit my teeth and keep making good choices and fight through tough times objectively (as opposed to my previous line of jumping to higher limits, getting too fancy, ect...). Little by little I find myself playing more consistently.

Progress-not perfection!

jgunnip · #9 06-13-2005, 05:55 AM

I know what you are talking about too. All of a sudden you feel like you can win every single pot. AJo UTG level one of a 10+1? sure i might as well raise it up to 100, what? i get reaised, hell no he has a weaker ace POOOOSH!!....damn, QQ [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] Also your calling standards start to go way down as well and i mean WAY down.

I've gone through this a couple of times but the key is concentration and discipline. If you konw what you're doing that you have to conscoiusly tell yourself, ok, slow down. And if you just don't have it in you that day to concentrate then turn off the computer and take the day off. come back the next and hopefully you'll have a better head on your shoulders and you can play the right game.

SNOWBALL138 · #10 06-13-2005, 06:35 AM

Its not always easy to take the day off for people that have no life. Maybe thats the problem.

When we learn and start to play better, we get obsessed with poker, and place so much importance on it that we neglect other things. This leads us to become emotionally attached to the game, which in turn starts to negate our ability to objectively analyze situations.

Anyway, when we go on tilt, its not like we can just return to our normal lives. Why? Because we've been playing so much poker, there IS NOTHING ELSE. We're trapped!