Problems w/ making snap decisions

[1st and 15]

I am a fairly successfull full time player who is back to MTTs after spending most of 2006 12-screening SSNL. My main leak (by far and away) is that sometimes I will make decisions in the snap of a finger w/o thinking, almost knowing what I'm doing is -EV and always immdediately regretting doing it right after I hit the button. I know this sounds like such an easy thing to fix, so flame me if you will, but I can't seem to get past this. I've been a successful pro for more than a year and my biggest leak is some non-poker related nervous tick (I also have this problem in real life situations).

FYI - I have already had multiple talks with myself about having identified this problem and the subsequent need to eliminate it. That, and I can be bothered to the point of sleelessness when these mistake are particularly egregious. Please help me out psychology.

[BrokenArrows]

I had this problem when i was starting out but i was only 2 tabling at the time.

I just took my hand off the mouse until i had decided on a course of action. This slowed things down for me and prevented snap decisions.

Dont know how your going to fix it 12 tabling you dont have the luxury of taking your hand off the mouse. Too much clicking to be done.

[Poker_Ace]

I do not know the answer, but I hope somebody does. I do this A LOT. The example that sticks out in my mind was at my home game -- had KK in mid position, re-raised early position 3x BB raiser, tight player who deals at some of the underground games here in town re-raises all-in and I INSTA-CALL (hey, I have KK!). This hand happened months ago, but I still remember it, not because I was wrong to call with KK (though I might have been), but because the thought of folding never even rattled around in my head, not even for a second. I would feel better if I had thought "hey, this guy might have AA, but he also could have AK, QQ, or JJ, so I will call."

I try to think about this hand when I know I should think about a hand before acting, but it is easier said than done. Good luck.

[SplawnDarts]

I understand this a little bit. I think it's worse online, and especially multi-tabling (did you really say 12 screens????) but it happens live too.

I made it a "rule" of play that anytime I'm about to make anything but the most trivial of decisions, I stop and consider some alternate line for about 5-10 seconds. For example, if I'm about to raise AA under the gun in a tournament, I spend maybe 10 seconds considering the value of instead limping into a raise and trapping some money. I quickly check the relevant factors to determine which play is likely better (in the AA example, this would be the percentage of pots my late position opponents raise on a steal). 95% of the time, I decide my first instinct was right, and 10s later make the play. But sometimes it looks like the alternate line may really be better. In those cases, I go into the tank and make a really well-thought decision.

Solved my problem. I'm not sure you have enough time to do that online if you're multi-tabling though.

[Hoopster81]

[ QUOTE ]
I do not know the answer, but I hope somebody does. I do this A LOT. The example that sticks out in my mind was at my home game -- had KK in mid position, re-raised early position 3x BB raiser, tight player who deals at some of the underground games here in town re-raises all-in and I INSTA-CALL (hey, I have KK!). This hand happened months ago, but I still remember it, not because I was wrong to call with KK (though I might have been), but because the thought of folding never even rattled around in my head, not even for a second. I would feel better if I had thought "hey, this guy might have AA, but he also could have AK, QQ, or JJ, so I will call."

I try to think about this hand when I know I should think about a hand before acting, but it is easier said than done. Good luck.

[/ QUOTE ]

???

You had KK

[SplawnDarts]

[ QUOTE ]


???

You had KK

[/ QUOTE ]

Way to get to the bottom of matters [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[zPro]

Too many tables are forcing you to think fast. Drop down to 6, this should allow you time to think. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[Hoopster81]

[ QUOTE ]
is that sometimes I will make decisions in the snap of a finger w/o thinking

[/ QUOTE ]

this is fine, your play should be largely automatic by now

[ QUOTE ]
almost knowing what I'm doing is -EV and always immdediately regretting doing it right after

[/ QUOTE ]

this is not fine, and for me is a sign of tilt