Best preperation for good discipline and focus, and when to stop

[hotsauce615]

I find myself to play amazing when I achieve max discipline and focus. How do you better players maintain composure and disregard emotion. I find myself making swings at 1/2 tables of like 60$ in a session, but losing another 30$ from that because I decided to not meet my win goal for the day. I almost always never finish up a session at my absolute highest. I feel this is almost a problem, and has detered me from playing, because it seems like a sign of addiction. I'm good at poker however and wish to shed that. I also think I drink too much coffee while I play and this may make me get to anxious and fired up about certain hands. I've recently learned to cope with bad beats very well, and this has really helped my game, but still I think emotion may get in the way of when to pull out. Anyone have some advice for someone in my position?

[AKQJ10]

It depends on the specifics of how you're losing the hands. Do you find youself making demonstrably bad decisions? (Or if you're in doubt about the quality of your decisions, you can always post hands for commentary.) If it's just luck turning, that's one thing. If you're tilting, you simply must find a way to avoid it, even if it's walking away a winner.

Also, when you "play amazing", what criteria are you using to evaluate your play?

[hotsauce615]

Thanks for the response. For me 'Amazing' is when I'm making the right folds and right calls, even when it results in bad beats. I think I frustrate myself when I see myself calling when in my heart I know exactly what the guy has, and then low and behold I'm right a majority of the time. I'm currently playing on absolute at the moment. Still a beginner, but building a steady bank roll at the moment with a tight-aggressive play style inspired by Sklansky's and Hilger's books. I will post my next real bad hand I get myself into on the boards.

[TaoTe]

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Also, when you "play amazing", what criteria are you using to evaluate your play?

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Self-evaluation is very difficult. I don't think I've ever played amazing for an entire session, probably not an entire hour. I've had times when I've made great calls and tims when I went on a card rush, but every session or tournament the mistake always pile on top of each other. Though I generally avoid condeming my play while playing, post-mortem review is always difficult and frustrating. I often repeat to myself, "How could you do something so stupid?" Then try to analyze the problem.

I know this question wasn't for me, but I thought I would add my two cents.

[SheridanCat]

We all have those situations where we are way up in a session and then lose some of it back and cashout less of a winner than we should have. However, consider that if you cashout, you'll always wonder whether you could have had an even better session.

The point is, if the game is good and you're beating the table, you should stay. Of course, luck may catch up to you and you lose a little back. Perhaps if you grind it out, you'll lose more and maybe even cashout down for the session.

Whether you stay or go has nothing to do with any addiction. If you want to know the signs of addiction, go to the Gambler's Anonymous website where you'll find them clearly listed.

Focusing on session outcomes is a trap. It's a subtle form of tilt. You may feel you've overcome the big tilters like "bad beats" but these little tilters are pretty insidious too. It's one long poker game, don't worry about today's results.

Regards,

T

[TaoTe]

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I almost always never finish up a session at my absolute highest.

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That's great! No, seriously. If you can realize the point in a game when you're not playing your best, then leave. You should finish a session only when your not at your best or the game has turned bad. Realizing when you can't play is difficult. Quit whenever you feel that way and come back another day.

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I also think I drink too much coffee while I play and this may make me get to anxious and fired up about certain hands.

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This one is easy. Stop drinking coffee. If you find a cafeine buzz helps while playing, trying drinking gensing tea which should help with focus and energy but not add much tension and feelings of anxiousness.

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I've recently learned to cope with bad beats very well, and this has really helped my game, but still I think emotion may get in the way of when to pull out. Anyone have some advice for someone in my position?

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You should try and figure out which feelings are holding your back from letting the game go. Do you continue to play even though you know you shouldn't? Why do you do this when you know it will only hurt you? Emotion plays a huge role in any poker game. I believe that learning how to play is of equal importance with learning when to play.

Hope I helped

[hotsauce615]

All great advice. I've been making a slow switch to green tea which has been good. Also I guess it is good to play while I'm playing well, and draw out once I'm losing more. This is also good when clearing bonuses. I think I tend to beat myself up way to much when I play, and find myself thinking about every facet of what I did. I'll sit in Barnes and Noble for like 4 hours reading through random books to find a reason for things sometimes. Thanks for the input guys.