The cost of mistakes
 

I'm finding that 2 or 3 mistakes for stacks frequently result in negative sessions. Is the margin of error typically this small?

Re: The cost of mistakes
 

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I'm finding that 2 or 3 mistakes for stacks frequently result in negative sessions. Is the margin of error typically this small?

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It can easily be this small.

A strong win rate is 10 PTBB/100 = 20 big blinds per 100 hands, or 0.2 big blinds per hand. That's a strong win rate. Make one mistake for your stack every 500 hands, and there goes your entire edge.

IMO, a lot of people at this level underestimate the degree to which consistency of competent play matters. Playing 90% of your hands well is almost certainly losing play. You probably don't get to consistently winning until you handle >97% of your hands with a reasonably competent line.

Re: The cost of mistakes
 

I think this is very accurate. I made one mistake in a big pot last night that took most of my stack when I was up about 50bbs, I reloaded and eventually made it back to being up about 20bbs for the night. You can see how much I would have been up if I would have just stopped and seen the trap I was falling into. Even if I could have just cut that loss in half I would have been up well over 150bbs.

Re: The cost of mistakes
 

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I think this is very accurate. I made one mistake in a big pot last night that took most of my stack when I was up about 50bbs, I reloaded and eventually made it back to being up about 20bbs for the night. You can see how much I would have been up if I would have just stopped and seen the trap I was falling into. Even if I could have just cut that loss in half I would have been up well over 150bbs.

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but what you forget to include is the meta game factor that you losing a pot has on other players. this may help you to win more pots and bigger pots down the road.

Re: The cost of mistakes
 

That's the essence of NL poker, I'm afraid. I've had great nights where I've played great poker for hours, and seen it all undone with one or two bad decisions and the worst time...

Three weeks ago I was in Vegas, playing $1/$2 NL, and doing great for most of the weekend. Despite playing some of the best live poker I'm capable of, one bad, sleep-deprived mis-step with TPGK vs. a opponent I was convinced was bluffing cost me 2/3 of my profit for the weekend...

In general, I've found that an ongoing education in NL holdem is about minimizing those big mistakes, or better yet, learning how to keep from putting yourself in the position where you're at risk at making that that kind of mistake in the first place.

No one plays mistake-free poker, but with experience, I think good, skilled players minimize their chances at making big mis-steps. A lot of good poker fundamentals, and a lot of 2+2 wisdom has helped me a lot in this regard -- being much more attentive to position, avoiding trap hands out of position, not getting carried away with overpairs or TPTK, not underestimating opponents, sizing bets well, reading hands and betting patterns more carefully... All these things add up over time and reduce your chances of making big, costly mistakes...

Re: The cost of mistakes
 

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but what you forget to include is the meta game factor that you losing a pot has on other players. this may help you to win more pots and bigger pots down the road.

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I just don't find this at NL2. People come in and out of the game so much that I don't think they think or care much. Besides I tilt too much when I lose a pot like this, although for some reason I kept my cool last night.
[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: The cost of mistakes
 

i just started play the NL cash again after a shove-and-go stint and slow consistent play is the way to go in these games. don't work at playing for stacks. try to chip away at lots of small pots relatively risk free. try to get your money in (in the big pots) as a lot or a HUGE favorite... there is no reason to flip a coin for the big bucks. i've just started to be able to do this but as an example of what not to do, last night i was up aboutt 80BB for the day when some guy pushed on an 8 high board and i had jacks... his middle pair becomes trips and i lose 30BB of profit. the next thing you know i played a big hand with TPTK OOP and tried to double my stack instead of playing small ball with a vulnerable hand and failed to see when villians inside straight filled... well thats it im only playing for stacks with TP any kicker and now im down 60BB for the day... don't play like that!

Re: The cost of mistakes
 

One of the first major evolutionary steps in a poker player's career is learning to avoid making the big mistakes.

Good players can recover from small mistakes, but consistently making big mistakes over your sessions is the freeway to Bustoville.

Re: The cost of mistakes
 

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[quote

but what you forget to include is the meta game factor that you losing a pot has on other players. this may help you to win more pots and bigger pots down the road.

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I just don't find this at NL2. People come in and out of the game so much that I don't think they think or care much. Besides I tilt too much when I lose a pot like this, although for some reason I kept my cool last night.
[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

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this is a generalized conception for poker in general. im not just saying it for uNL games but in general, because OP's statement applies to all of poker

Re: The cost of mistakes
 

it's so annoying. I'll all sorts of donkeys making mistakes every time they play a hand and finishing up on the night, then I make one bad play and lose a buyin and most of my winnings. I'm still averaging 29BB/100 over the first 2k hands in November, luckily.