The losing mentality

[Frond]

Saw this last week from a lady sitting on my immediate right in a 4/8 live LHE game. She is very pleasant and appears to know what she is doing. But, I soon realized that she was getting smacked by the deck with hands like AK, JJ, TT AQ etc. hand after hand. After about 20 minutes she is up about 2 racks. I comment to her how good she is running and she says "Yea I can't belive this, this is the first time in about 4 years that I have gotten this good of cards". I asked her about how long she has been playing and she says "Oh,about 5 years or so". We chat it up a bit but then I also notice that she is playing nearly every single hand no matter what it is. I don't say anything to her about it. I watch her piss away nearly her 2 racks that she was up in a very short time(a fair amount of them to me). She is still right around her original buy in. I comment that her run there was really amazing. She says, "Yes it was, usually I'm lucky just to not lose too much in this game".

Here is an example of a losing mentality. Going into any game she doesn't even expect to do good. How can she with an attitude like this? She can't.

For me, every time I play a have great expectations for myself. I know that I am not going to win every session but when I sit down I expect to win and I want to retain this confidence. Some may call it overconfidence, arrogance or too much ego, but some of all of these attributes are good things for my game. This is how I play every time I sit down. I try to apply a winning attitude every time.

Comments welcome

[Hoi Polloi]

Given that she plays every hand she is dealt, it sounds like her expectations vis-a-vis winning are probably a little on the optimistic side.

Expecting to win and taking well-thoughtout steps to ensure it seems a good combo. Without the second part, your attitude doesn't really matter that much does it?

[Frond]

From her comments I don't think she has optimistic expectations of winning but she just there to play hands. I agree with you on your 2nd part though. That's why I read, practice, ask questions, reread try and improve my game, look for leaks and take criticism.

[jkamowitz]

You have to understand that many people especially at lower limits do not care to take the time to learn to play solid poker. They consider it like any other casino game and are there to gamble, get free drinks, and hopefully connect to a few flops. They don't care to learn about pot odds or position or whatever, they simply want to go and have some fun.

Also remember that it is your job to entertain these folks and ensure they have a good time so they'll come back again.

[Frond]

Good point jk. In fact just in the last few weeks I have tried to adopt the more carefree, having fun attitude while still playing my tag style. I try to retain a happy non-serious attitue and it helps a lot to keep players in the game easy going and happy. I used to be so serious that it wa hurtin gmy action even at lower limits. It can actually make bad players seem to play better against you which for us is bad.

[Mllndllrmn]

Being happy at the table in lower limit games is sooooo good for your game. After a while people will tell you what they have. And you can tell them to fold cos they are beat and they will. Then you can do it on bluffs after to hit a couple hands and people will just do it. But yeah I don't get people who go in with that mentality. But I am the most competitive person you will ever meet so hey I dunno maybe thye are normal and I am weird.

[Frond]

It is strange to me for some people to have that "I know I am going to loose" vibe going on with them. OYU can sense it at times in their mannerisms etc. Others you can sense the oppoisite.

[Hoi Polloi]

[ QUOTE ]
From her comments I don't think she has optimistic expectations of winning...

[/ QUOTE ]

I think I meant that her pessimism is still too optimistic if she is playing every hand.

[Frond]

Gotcha Hoi.