Do you have the right stuff?

[Dallas Dru]

Do you have the right stuff?

Today i start out by analyzing a few things about my own game and points that will hopefully lead to making you a better player.

I think that is it very interesting to find out wether or not you have the right stuff. The only way to analyze that is to be brutally honest with yourself and pick apart who you are, what exactly you are doing as a human-being and as a poker player. Now as i am referring to the points i am about to make i want to be clear that you can find more on this subject in the Psychology of poker written by Alan Schoomaker a two plus two author. These words are both his and mind, but i have found it interesting trying to incorporate my thoughts with someone else's to find out new perspectives about yourself.

Do you have the right stuff?

“We have Met the enemy and it is us” Pogo.

Winners are willing to do what ever it takes and loser do what makes them feel comfortable or what is easy to them and that is why they lose, But winners make an extreme commitment to better every aspect of their game. As Vince Lombardi once said “ Winning isn’t everything, it is the only thing.” and that is the attitude that you need to readjust too or you will always be a loser in the long run. So do you think you have the right stuff? Lets examine.

Winners always demand an edge.
Having a winners edge can come from a number of things such as having a better hand, a good draw, favorable position, superior skill, greater concentration. But as Schoomaker says “with out it, winners wont play.” which leads me to this winners know their limitations of their surrounding and can adjust according to the best scenario so that they become a winning player.
When i look at my game i have to say that i have not always been demanding a winners edge. i let my self get sucked into an egotistic style of play that only leads to losing money and confidence. By trying to play every hand i am dealt, thinking that i am best player at the table so it does not matter what two cards that i am playing. Which is exactly why i have been a losing player lately. One of Schoomakers central principles is

“poker requires betting correctly, not managing cards.”

This is mistake that a lot people make such as myself. I asses my cards as my only means of play and not the personalities at the table. By just focusing on the cards that i am dealt i have lost my winning edge. I am playing with my self and losing focus on the table where all the important information is held. Now i know a lot people play this way including me and that is why i we are losing players in the long run.

Winners are obsessed with winning
Jack stratus has a great point as he says “ I bust my own grandmother if she played poker with me.” Winning is the only thing, as i referred to it before and that is a way a winner thinks. He hold all else as less important and will go to all extreme to get what he wants. a winner is willing to sacrifice all else to achieve his goal. One of the hardest part of becoming a winner is putting your ego’s aside because egotism can make a fool of all of us. “ One of its most destructive effects is making us care more about what people think of us than what we actually accomplish.” Your ego will lead you to do irrational things and irrational thinking does not lead to positive expected valued plays. Therefore you will lose by making plays that are not winning plays because your ego has gotten in your way.

“ i want to be winning player.” That is what i said to myself, but that is not nearly enough because i only would put out some effort to achieve that goal. i would read a little here and practice a little here. In the short run my bankroll would increase yes, but eventually it would dwindle away because i was not a winning play who had not made all of the sacrifices to become a winning player. i know a lot of players are in the same boat as i am in. Who want to be good and a successful player but were not willing to put the time in to become a winning player. but the only way to win is become obsessed with winning even if means running your grandma for broke.

Winners have extreme self-control
With out self-control that obsession needed to be great can be self-destructive. It can force you take foolish chances, continue to play long after you have lost your edge, or even refuse to accept that your hand is beaten. Self-control is one of the most important aspects of being a winning player. being able to control you thoughts and impulses is extremely difficult to do and if you can control you emotions and impulses you will be able to control your game.
This concept of self-control is one of the most important into becoming a winning player because with out you will never have the discipline to become a winning player.
When i look at my own game this is one major aspect that i lack in the long run. In the short run i can make great plays and can control my thoughts and my actions because i have a focused mentality, but as time goes on i become self destructive. I let my ego get in the way(because i have been winning in the short-run) and i lose grasp of what i want to accomplish and that is why i end up a losing player in the long-run. i think that it is extremely important to examine this part of your game, because without self-control you are lost for good.


Here are just a few points that i feel are important to ask yourself and really question so you can learn who you are what type of player that you want to be. This is just the first part of this examination of my game that i will be writing mostly because i am lazy and what something to do on the plane tomorrow as head to Tahoe for a week of fun on the felt and sun.

I am interested in hearing your thoughts on these subjects and how you have overcome these major issues as a player and steps you have taken to beat these flaws. i look forward to hearing your thoughts.

[tehkris]

yes

[Albert Moulton]

This is a really long thread that I have to admit I didn't read in great detail.

It seems to hit on many of the subjects coved in The Psychology of Poker by Alan N. Schoonmaker, Ph.D. I would recommend that you read that book and take the self-assessment tests at the end of each chapter.

It's the best psychological analysis of why people play poker, and why some of those people consistently win money that I've seen so far.

As to your question in the OP title... I'm working on it. The long run in the game doesn't really end until you're dead.

[Dallas Dru]

i agree the book is very well done. i wrote this mostly to look at what i was doing wrong and be honest with myself so i could eventually correct flaws in my game. i hope that it allows you to question some things that you do wrong with your game

[Flip-Flop]

I haven`t read the book but I`ll chip in.

This is my list of things needed in order to be a consistent winning poker player, in order of importance... at least in my case:

1. Tilt control
2. Bankroll management
3. Poker skills
4. Game selection
5. Quiting strategy

As you see I value self-control and discipline the most, much more then poker skills.
After a long time of wrestling with discipline issues I felt like I finally made some progress so I decided to test myself and I advise anyone to try the same or something similar.

The test was simple. I decided to quit smoking cold turkey after 20+ years of smoking like a locomotive.( around 2 packs a day for a year before I quit )
I also decided to make it as challenging as possible so I did not throw away my last pack and I didn`t wait for new-years-eve to make the pledge or some silly thing like that either, I had 5-6 cigarettes left in my last pack and I kept it at a table in my living room with a lighter close by.
I passed the test, never smoked since and never felt better.
I also felt like I was finally mature enough to handle some bad beats the right way.

As for my quiting a session strategy, it`s very basic:
- Play on when you play your A-game, quit the session when you don`t.
Very simple in theory but good luck in applying it to every single poker session. [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

[Sarcastic7]

This is interesting because I just read this book last week. Actually during the same period I was reading "Your worst poker enemy" while at work.

The book is a great insight I am glad and proud to say with confidence I fall into the category of "Stone Killer" The book was an excellent read and is a must for anyone serious about the game.

For myself, the only real hole in my game is I get bored correctly folding pre-flop so much and don't utilize this time beneficially enough studying the other players. (As I play exclusively on the strip, I am generally facing strangers) I am always noting whose playing what cards and remembering who the looser players are, but not REALLY watching them.

Since reading this book I have started taking better notes on the games, and making notes on the players. I can spot another local from two tables away and I am taking notes on all of them.

[Dallas Dru]

yeah i would have to agree with you. it is actually a great concept to put at work and can pay major dividends in the long run. it also keeps your focus to the game, which i in the past have had trouble doing at times when i am on a dry card spell.

[Shizzle12345]

for 2 months i was godlike in self control (this one is by far the most important one). And then i blew up and tilted away waay too much. This kidna did hurt my self confidence. Walk away walk away walk away, so hard to do.

I see players like ivey and lindgren do this on tv. I believe ivey got busted in a big hand and just walked away. Those guys have amazing self control and rarely have tilting sessions. I believe tilt is the reason for most big break even stretches and not luck (thats what i like to believe at least lol).

[Edukashun]

Good post and so true, every time I start tilting I really struggle to give up especially when I believe (rightly or wrongly) I've got an edge on the table. This often results in me playing terribly but not realising it until I lose a big pot on a stupid bluff or a horrible call.
Until I sort this out I'll never be a long term winner even though I'm certain my poker skills are above average and in a vaccuum more than good enough to crush the micros. I'm learning self-control is the MOST important part of this game and it seems I'm still lacking in that department.

[Stake Monster]

Good post.