[Lefort]

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Favorite way to review hands/improve your game?

or

Best way to regain confidence during a bad run?

(I think these are kind of the same, meh)

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This is something I never really did nearly enough until the past couple months. I was under the incorrect assumption that I'd gotten to the point where I was one of the good and profitable players and that thinking more about the game, while outside of the game, would not help me much. What I failed to realize was that, thats precisely the only way I was going to get better.

My favorite way to get better is to just let my mind completely wander about the game. It usually works best when I'm: (1) bored in class, or (2) lying in bed and can't fall asleep. Just picture yourself with a specific hand... then choose a position... then choose a situation. Easy decision? Adjust things so its in that grey area of "tough decision". Now figure out why its a tough decision, and how you and/or your opponent can exploit it.

As for regaining confidence during a bad run... trick your brain into forgetting about it. If you're really really sour towards the game because you've had a super bad downswing, don't think about the game or sit down to play again until you don't even really remember or care how much you lost, you've come to terms with it, and you just want to play some cards. I find it nearly impossible to work on my game and think deeply about poker when things are not going well, so this is usually how I cope with it.