I just realized a huge - no a gigantic - leak in my game

[Optisizer]

Hey everybody,
Thanks for a fantastic site, to the 2+2 team and all its posters.
Im a long time lurker, first time poster.

I just realized a huge leak in my game, plus a second leak because of the first one. This has been going on since this summer, before that I was profitable but since then I can only just barely break even. Here's the thing:

If I set out to play several thousand hands over the course of a week or so, I start out with excellent hand selection and proper post-flop aggression, but the longer I play the tighter I become, and as a frustrated consequence of that the more aggressive I become with the few hands I end up playing.

So, over the course of such a cycle I first win several hundred bucks (playing mostly 2/4) and then give it all back, before I get so frustrated with the game I stay away from it for a week or so.

When I return the cycle starts all over. Over the last few months I have cursed my bad luck that always seems to hit me when I believe I am about to take my game to the next level (when in fact the opposite is what's happening becasue of my own doing).

My question now simply is, anyone out there ever experienced anything similar? How did you overcome it? How did you keep it from happening again? Anyone out there with similar troubles right now? Maybe we can coach each other?

Let's say there is some unknow self-destructive behavior behind this, would this be a good topic for the psychology section as well (there have been a lot of social and financial changes in my life lately)?

Thanks,
T

Get a note book and write down "I will not make plays out frustration". Write this sentence over and over. If this don't work try banging your head against the wall, when you get out of line [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[SNOWBALL138]

Hi Optisizer,

You should post this in the psych forum. You'll get a lot of responses.

[Bob T.]

I think the psych forum would be a good place for this post.

But here is my two cents worth.

It seems to me that you don't have the discipline to grind for a large number of hands right now. What would probably serve you better is to not make a resolution to play several thousand hands over a period of time, but a resolution to not play more than x number of hands during that same time. If you find that for instance that you can play 1000 hands in a week without loosing discipline, then increase it to 1250. Then 1500, and slowly work your way up. As long as you maintain your discipline, you reward yourself with a higher number of hand that you allow yourself to play. If your play breaks down, move back down a level or two, and try to get your control back.

For me, it took a long time, before I had enough confidence to know that if I was having a bad streak, I just needed to keep playing the way that I did, before things would turn around again. It sounds to me, like you get impatient, probably during one of the bad or flat runs that you are likely to encounter during the hands that you set as a goal, and when that happens, your game falls apart.

By making your weekly goals smaller, you are less likely to encounter those streaks each week, and when you do, you will be closer to the end of the week, and you won't be able to do as much damage to your bankroll, before you stop playing.

[callmedonnie]

The more I play the better I get at becoming even tempered and maintaining a constant, cool composure at the table. I still have a lot to learn, but on the emotional/tempermental side I feel I have a handle on things. Honestly I remember the last time I tilted and it was during a losing session but rather than stop the bleeding I made it worse. Basically I think you just need sort of internalize on a subconscious level a recognition of how you are playing, and able to repair it immediately or stop playing.