confidence issue...how do you guys feel about losing

[andyfox]

Every time you make the correct decision, you win. Every time you make the incorrect decision, you lose. Roy Cooke says he doesn't keep track of how he does in each session. He sees where he stands monthly. There's nothing you can do when a guy hits a flush on the river or you don't. Keep taking the best of it.

I think losing in an individual session is harder on us amateurs who play only now and then; we have to wait a week or two with the bad taste in our mouth before we get another chance. Any everyday player who plays well knows he's gonna see those same guys tomorrow.

[astroglide]

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Roy Cooke says he doesn't keep track of how he does in each session. He sees where he stands monthly.

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then he's got less accurate standard deviation statistics [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[David Steele]

I never rate any players. I do not rate them in comparison to each other, or to me.

Wow I would really like to know how your game selection system works.

D.

[leon]

"I think losing in an individual session is harder on us amateurs who play only now and then; we have to wait a week or two with the bad taste in our mouth before we get another chance. Any everyday player who plays well knows he's gonna see those same guys tomorrow"

I emphatically agree with this statement. When I lose at the casino, which realistically I used to make it to once a week and now even less frequently, it stings. This is all within the context that no one likes to lose. But when you book a loser to numerous suckouts and missed draws, and realize that if two or three key cards had come or not come up you'd be up two racks instead of down two racks, it's frustrating.

Contrast this with the online world where I usually get to play every day, 6 tables at once. Here I don't even bat an eyelash when I book a loser, precisely b/c I know the game will be there tomorrow and confirmation of winning ways comes that much faster. I dunno- intellectually when I lose in a B+M setting I know the reasons, I know the long run, and so forth, but sometimes it's harder to keep things all in perspective.

Interestingly this phenomenon also occurs with my wins- I still get very excited over a nice win in a B+M setting but much less so over an online one. This might also have to do with the fact that when I have a great online session I don't have any more hard cash in my bankroll, but some number in cyberspace has taken a jump.

Interesting post.

Leon

[I.Rowboat]

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And I've never meant never to mean never as much as these nevers mean never.

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Bravo! Echos of Hemmingway's "A Clean Well Lighted Place." The more I read your writing, Tommy, the more I appreciate it. And I write for a living.

[nykenny]

Vitaly,

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and i expect to win every time i play. I realize that this is not possible

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i just want to share that i won the last 9 sessions i played there [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]. well the 3 sessions before that i lost [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img].

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My problem is that every time i lose in such a game, i begin to doubt myself. Am i really good, or am i just another delusional wanna-be who thinks that he can play better than everyone else. How can i be really good if i still occasionally lose to these clowns.

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you might want to play a little tighter so that you can account for all the hands you played after a session (losing esp.). my most recent 3 losing sessions are $1100 in 20-40 stud, $500 in 10-20 holdem, $780 in 10-20 holdem. I only felt bad after the stud game because i felt i didn't play very well. but i knew i played the 2 holdem sessions just fine - tight, and properly aggressive. so i didn't have doubt on myself at all, except i did feel bad about losing to those clowns - this is not avoidable. it's just embarasing to lose to players as bad as them. But don't forget, while they take turns to give you bad beat, they are also protecting each other from going bust by constantly trading pots. If the game is 5 handed and you against 5 total fish, you will win much more frequently. against just 1 fish, you can almost count on winning every time. so back to your concern, it is because the collective bad beat power that some times you lose in this loose game. plus it's 11-handed most of the time, you win less pots per hour too. just a thought.

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even though playing poker is pays my rent, my lease, and puts food on my plate, i still sometimes feel like a loser....

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shut up... [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] well i work for my rent and food... hehe. does that mean i should not care if i win??? [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[nykenny]

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Any everyday player who plays well knows he's gonna see those same guys tomorrow.

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hence the saying "tomorrow is another day". to which i repond with "for you yes, but for me, no".

very good point

[nykenny]

roy cooke is THE hero of mine when it comes to real poker. i don't care if he computes accurate SD or not! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[nykenny]

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I never rate any players. I do not rate them in comparison to each other, or to me.

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i agree that the countary might not be productive, yet i tend to do it myself. after reading your opinion, i came to a realization that maybe noting each players mistakes is a better approach.

[stripsqueez]

i still sometimes feel like a loser......especially when i am by far the best player at the table.....

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a strange statement taken in isolation

in a bigger picture poker is easily the "toughest" game i know - perhaps the most skillful card game is contract bridge - in competition bridge you play the same hands as your opponent so all the "luck" of what your dealt is removed - there is still plenty of luck in competition bridge though, and a good player regularly gets beaten by a bad player - in my observation really good bridge players get less upset about the "bad beats" than the not so good ones - thats because its happened to them before and they have a profound understanding of the game that more readily accomodates such occurrences

i know how you feel - in my view "tough" is the defining and best aspect of poker as a game

stripsqueez - chickenhawk