Success on my worst day ever

[jasonHoldEm]

Hi all,

I just put this up on my blog, thought I'd share it...


I just finished my worst day ever; I'm down over $500. If I would have suffered a loss like this a month ago I would have been devastated. Today, I'm strangely indifferent, in some ways I'm actually very excited about what happened today.

Learning to become a good player is an iterative process. You read the books, play the game, and eventually you reach a point where something clicks in your mind. This click gives you a more profound understanding of the game and the secrets behind the game. Of course you're not done at this point, you go back to the books and back to the tables and eventually you have another click. Each step in the process brings you closer and closer to that level of poker perfection we all aspire (but ultimately will never reach).

Today was one of those days when I failed to get many playable hands, and whenever I did get a solid starting hand I either won a small pot or lost a monster. It was brutal, we've all been there in one way or another so I'll spare you the bad beat stories...it was ugly, let's just leave it at that.

Swings are a naturally occurring part of poker. Solid players push a relatively small edge against the weakies and over the long run they will get the money, but in the short run the element of chance can cause your bankroll to go through some pretty dramatic fluctuations. The ability to handle these swings (or lack thereof) is probably one of the biggest factors in separating the winners from the wanna-be's.

In the past I've always had a bit of a problem handling the swings that poker brings. On the surface I understood that bad beats are a good thing, I'll win in the long run, yadda, yadda, yadda, but deep down I still had trouble accepting it. Sometimes they didn't phase me, but other times (especially after taking a few in rapid succession) I'd get tilted and start pissing my money away.

Today, during my worst run of cards ever, everything finally clicked. All of a sudden, it was like this giant weight was lifted from my shoulders. I detached myself from the money I was losing, stopped bemoaning my horrible luck, and instead realized how I was playing was the only thing that really mattered.

Changing my frame of mind allowed me to play some of my best poker. Even though I was losing money I didn't let it affect my game. I played tight/aggressive poker and forced my opponents to take the worst of it in order to beat me. I'm not going to let the fact they got lucky upset me...not anymore.

Peace,
Jason

[Dingo Puppet]

Nice post Jason. Where can I find your blog?

When things just won't go my way at one sight, I leave pretty quickly and go to another. I'll usually play about 5 sites a day minimum, unless one sight is running well all day. Moving around and playing at several sites has really helped me alot.

So if you get that terrible frustrated feeling we all get sometimes when the cards are uncoperative. Just move somewhere else, it may be greener pastures. At least you won't get into some kind of torturous rut of bad cards that way. I do know it can happen when playing at one sight only.

Then if I seem to be underperforming at all my sites that day, I usually know pretty clearly that I'm playing poorly for some reason. That makes it easy to know it's time to step back for a moment and figure out what I am doing wrong. I can usually figure it out fairly quickly. Of all the many things I have found myself doing wrong, not once was it because of the bad cards I thought I kept getting. I figure getting bad cards, bad beats, etc, are just part of the game. Like you said Jason, it's keeping your cool during these times and playing correctly regardless of your emotions that matter the most.

Jason, what do you think of this question. Is there any bottom to the levels of frustration a poker player can have on any one day? Would the bottom be the loss of your entire bankroll? Or would the bottom be the total loss of your confidence? I'm thinking to be a better player, you have to be able to instantly identify the very moment you begin to feel frustrated. Seems to me that frustration only leads to more frustration if it isn't addressed correctly right off the bat.

I don't believe there's luck in poker at all. But if there is, it's when a player makes a bad decision in a frustrated state of mind that works out well. To me, that is the only luck involved in poker.

Jason, one more thing. If I was a blogger like you, do you think I could write incessant ramblings, very long long ones, and someone would actually read them? That would be cool!!

[jasonHoldEm]

I think the worst thing a player can do on any given day is to lose control (tilt). I know I'll end up getting tilted again eventually, but after today I feel somewhat untiltable...it's a good feeling even though I know it won't last forever. Kinda makes you fearless (but in a good way).

My blog is at my website, but I don't want to post a link since I recently sold out to the man and started using affiliate banners. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] If you want to check it out you'll have to read my profile...I don't want to get into any issues with Mat.

I have a number of people that read my blog, which is pretty cool, but I find the writing is very helpful in and of itself. It allows me to vent or work out issues, etc. The fact that people actually take the time to read my ramblings and give me input is a very nice bonus. There are lots of blogging tools out there, I use Live Journal.

Peace,
Jason

[HavanaBanana]

[ QUOTE ]
since I recently sold out to the man and started using affiliate banners. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Also YOU my Son BRUTUS.

[Norm]

Has anyone noticed that the User List is no longer available?
I suppose this is to prevent spam being sent to new users.
See this post

[MS Sunshine]

"The ability to handle these swings (or lack thereof) is probably one of the biggest factors in separating the winners from the wanna-be's."

Continuing to strive to make the best decisions possible while big stuck is where it's at long-term in poker. After quitting the game being able to forget about a 100BB loss and not beat up yourself or anyone around you is where it is long-term in life. Both of these lessons I struggle with, but there seems to be improvement as long as I'm vigilant to my nature.

$500 Jason? Heh, wait until your first $1K loss comes knocking you'll not want to get out of bed for three days.

I know you play within your BR, so this loss is nothing, but some lost time.

Good luck.

MS Sunshine

[Baulucky]

3/6 or 2/4?. You'll get over it man. I can only wish to have your attitude during my losing streaks.

Good cards.

[jasonHoldEm]

[ QUOTE ]
wait until your first $1K loss comes knocking you'll not want to get out of bed for three days.


[/ QUOTE ]

Heh...I hope that won't be for awhile.

[chesspain]

[ QUOTE ]
When things just won't go my way at one sight, I leave pretty quickly and go to another. I'll usually play about 5 sites a day minimum, unless one sight is running well all day. Moving around and playing at several sites has really helped me alot.

[/ QUOTE ]

Really???



[ QUOTE ]
So if you get that terrible frustrated feeling we all get sometimes when the cards are uncoperative. Just move somewhere else, it may be greener pastures. Then if I seem to be underperforming at all my sites that day, I usually know pretty clearly that I'm playing poorly for some reason.

[/ QUOTE ]

Or it could mean that the cards are simply not going your way. But I wouldn't discount the possibility that you just suck at poker.




[ QUOTE ]
I don't believe there's luck in poker at all.

[/ QUOTE ]

So when you move to "greener pastures," it's because the server is conspiring to either give you bad cards or somehow is forcing you to play badly?



[ QUOTE ]
Jason, one more thing. If I was a blogger like you, do you think I could write incessant ramblings, very long long ones, and someone would actually read them?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I did, so I guess that P.T. Barnum was correct [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[jasonHoldEm]

[ QUOTE ]
3/6 or 2/4?

[/ QUOTE ]

It was at 3/6, roughly 87.5 BB's. Thankfully, my bankroll is still in good shape. I ran really well last week (both at 3/6 and playing 2/4 for profit), so this is simply things balancing out.

I'm basically back to where I started (for 3/6) as far as the Sophomore poker project goes...my graph is sorta funny looking, a big upward spike followed by even steper line straight down.

Back to work,
Jason