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By
Limo Wreck
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Jun 02 2009, 01:12 PM
http://www.bustedjacks.blogspot.com
I have a friend who plays the bass for various local bands where he lives. When we met he noticed that I was struggling with a tendency to over analyze situations and hesitating in my decisions. He told me about when he was learning to play bass that he did the same thing. He knew all the chords, notes, and rhythms but he was struggling to put it all together. He kept messing up in performances because he was just plain thinking too much. His band mate caught on to this and told him "Forget everything you know, and just play". He took it in, and just let go of all the anxiety and analytical thought process. He trusted himself to just play, and instantly he was much smoother, making no mistakes and having a damn good time. When he told me this story, I applied to my life as well, and it made a huge difference.
I think everyone has gone through something similar. I've recently learned a lot of new concepts and information in poker and have been analyzing every hand to the smallest detail trying to get an edge. The problem is with all this thinking and analyzing I forgot to "just play". I realized this right before I started on the Midnight Madness MTT last night. It was a revelation. I decided that I knew enough and that I just needed to let go of it all and feel in the moment. I decided to trust my gut and just play.
I'm sure the timing was good, because I happened to run well too. Part of that running good is knowing when to ship your stack on a bluff, or shove 2nd pair knowing you're getting called by a flush draw. This isn't something you can analyze or think about, it's something you feel. And when you feel it you just have to trust it and go with it. Sure sometimes you will be wrong and that's when the doubt will creep in. But over time, if you trust yourself and just play you will be right more often than not. I know that's how I did so well in Midnight Madness, and I will continue to do well as long as I remember this. Forget everything and just play.
You can read more of my blog at http://www.bustedjacks.blogspot.com
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By
Limo Wreck
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May 08 2009, 06:49 PM
http://www.bustedjacks.blogspot.com
I think there are many poker players out there who, even if blessed with great talent, just don't have the tools they need to improve how they deal with the roller coaster ride that is variance. At least I know I was one of them, until I read this book.
"The Poker Mindset" by Ian Taylor and Matthew Hilger, is written from the perspective of poker players that have overcome the psychological challenges that are holding back many other players. The book is intended for players of every skill level. It does not propose to teach proper technical play but rather to provide a psychological tool box to help players master the mental and emotional aspects of the game.
"If you are looking to make money from poker, you need to play for the long term and accept the short-term risks." -The Poker Mindset. It is written in an organized and easy to read format that thoroughly outlines each concept with tips on how to incorporate them into your game, and mind. The book covers a full scope of topics such as, how to cope with bad beats, tilt, bankroll management, evaluating your opponents, balancing poker with your life, as well as many advanced topics including a section about what it takes to become a professional.
While reading this book I was able to apply the concepts within to my own poker game with excellent results. I read through the introduction, which gives a general outline for the intent and purpose of the book, then on to the second chapter which outlines exactly what The Poker Mindset is. "The Poker Mindset consists of seven attitudes that you need to adopt in order to succeed at poker over the long term, giving you a psychological toolbox to compliment your technical one." Basically it can help you get your perspective, emotions, and motivation in tune so that you can bring your A-game to the table more often.
If it isn't obvious already, I am very impressed with this book. I've been able to change my perspective on the game in such a way that variance doesn't have nearly the impact on my decision making that it used to. Both of the writers are professional poker players who are also well educated with degrees in subjects ranging from finance to risk management and business. As a poker player I can clearly see that they have a very good grasp on the poker concepts they write about and have presented them in a way that let's the reader see The Poker Mindset from the ground up.
Clearly I would recommend this book to any player, from novice to advanced who wants to improve their profits and play their A-game more consistently.
Play well and have fun!
You can read more of my blog at http://www.bustedjacks.blogspot.com
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By
Limo Wreck
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Apr 27 2009, 08:01 PM
http://bustedjacks.blogspot.com
Poker has been going really well lately. Better than I could have hoped for. I've been on a so-sick-i'm-puking heater since I've been playing 100nl the last couple weeks. Over the last 10,200 hands I've been running at 14.6bb/100. I guess after my huge downswing that this is the upside of all that. What a crazy roller coaster this game can be. I'm not complaining, that's for sure! I can hardly contain my excitement. I'm just thinking of all those donks that took my money and now they're giving it back hahaha!
Ok, enough gloating for one blog post. I played just over 1700 hands today and picked up 7 BI's. I would play more except I found that my adrenaline was running a bit too high and putting me into invincibility mode. That can be very dangerous when you're sitting 200-300BB deep on 3 different tables so I decided to cut my session a little short. I may play a little more later tonight if the games are still going good and I've calmed down some.
This is the tough part of poker for me. I have to keep my head level and remember not to be results oriented. I could be winning money but still playing bad. I'm playing pretty well actually, but I need to stay alert and watch out for leaks creeping up and catch myself if I start getting too over confident. One street at a time.
I'm becoming more aware of the dynamics of my table image, as well as others at my tables and how it does or doesn't allow me to make thin calls and value bets in certain spots. At one table I might be perceived as a calling station and have to lay down my 2 pair to a turned straight, where at another table or in another session my weak/tight image might allow me to make a thin call with top pair on a 3 flush river, or again at another table, I get paid w/ 2nd pair no kicker because I'm so aggressive. It's always changing and it's an aspect of the game that is fascinating me right now, because I'm learning.
One last thing, and I know it's the rave on all the forums right now, but durrrr is just absolutely sick. I watched the Aussie Millions Cash Game today and it was just amazing how well he played. We are seeing another side of him that we haven't yet witnessed in HSP, and that is his ability to make sick laydowns. I've also noticed a trend creeping in to the games I'm playing and I think Tom Dwan has a little something to do with it. The giant overbet. Obviously a difficult strategy to defend against because you are getting such bad odds to catch bluffs and then if you decide to call, you might be paying off huge vs. the nuts like Phil Laak did with top pair on a 3 diamond river. I think a lot of donks will use it in the wrong situations and make themselves very exploitable, but in the hands of a good player this is a very dangerous weapon. We will see how this trend may or may not change the face of low to mid stakes poker.
I finished reading my book today, and I know I have been promising a review. Sorry it has taken so long but I will be posting it soon. I'm a slow reader. Until then good luck everyone and play well.
Read more at http://bustedjacks.blogspot.com
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By
Limo Wreck
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Apr 14 2009, 01:48 PM
http://www.bustedjacks.blogspot.com
I'm having a beer right now so forgive me if I wax a little too poetic for a poker blog. March has been a decent month for me in more ways than one. Needless to say I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to top the Boku interview. Maybe I'll do another interview if the right situation arises. It was certainly a fun experience which broadened my horizons in the blogging world.
I got my copy of The Poker Mindset a few days ago and have been reading it voraciously every chance I get. It's a very good book. I will be writing a full review as soon as I'm finished reading it. Hopefully in about a week.
On to poker. After a huge downswing in cash games which required that I step down to 50nl , I plugged some leaks and picked up some hands and some pots to propel my bankroll to a level I haven't seen in months. I stepped up from 4 tabling to 6 tabling, which has felt very comfortable so far. I think though, with any more tables I will probably lose some edge as I believe this is the most I can play while still being able to make specific reads on opponents. I beat 50nl over a sample of 20k hands for 7.3bb/100 . Not a bad rate but I truly feel that I can do better. Nevertheless my bankroll reached a level to allow me to take shots at 100nl at which I had a pretty good amount of success. My sample size at 100nl is pretty small so far, so I can't really take my 62bb/100 very seriously, but it has definitely done wonders for my confidence :D, and the ladies seem to have noticed as well. Thanks Enzite.
I've fallen short of my goal to be playing 200nl by April, but that is exactly the problem with setting short term monetary goals in this game. Usually they will only lead to disappointment. Why are there 2 P's in disappointment? Anyway, I have not lost hope, but I have learned a few things in the process. Number 1) There is always a player at the table who is as good as, or better than I am. Number 2) Making good decisions in every situation is far more important than the result, either good or bad. And number 3) To succeed in this game you must be mentally tough and willing to whether more bad beats than you thought was statistically possible while checking your ego and realizing that you're not as good as you thought.
Goals for April:
1) Play 35k hands. Depending on bankroll this will preferably be at 100nl 4-6 tabling.
2) Follow bankroll management plan to the letter. If I drop below 40 buy-ins at 50nl I will not play above 50nl.
3) Review more hands and sessions. Post more hands in blog. Readers comment more on hands posted.
4) Improve table selection and be willing to play lower if games at 100nl are not good.
5) 1 monetary goal which will most likely not come to fruition: Take a shot at 200nl when my bankroll reaches 24 buy-ins.
Here's to hoping April is even better than March. Good luck to you all and good skill at the tables.
Read more of my blog at http://www.bustedjacks.blogspot.com
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