Reading hands after folding

[Dtroitkid]

I often make amazing reads on players when i am not involved in the hand. My problem is that i can't seem to do it while i am in the hand. I don't know if i even pay attention and try to get a read. Not sure what is distracting me, maybe the anxiety that comes with gambling.

any advice on how to remove myself from the action?

[blackasthma]

Good that you're paying close attention when you're not in the hand. I don't know what advice to give here, but maybe your opponents are playing differently against you in a way that makes reading more difficult. Also, maybe you're too focused on counting pot size, outs, etc. I don't think there should be anxiety in what you do - that would definitely make me uncomfortable. Try slowing down a bit in the hand and thinking things through. Sounds like you should be beating these guys...

[Dtroitkid]

maybe anxiety was a bad word choice, how about "less relaxed".

Taking more time would probaly help. I never really even look for reads, but sometimes (when I'm not in the hand) I notice something that tips me off.

[MrDetroit]

You might be making better reads when not involved in a hand because you have 1.) no pressure on you, 2.) you're not being biased.

When you actually are involved in the hand with your own money, there are alot of other things you have to consider and also you have to justify your own hand based on your read.

[cuserounder]

Slow down your thought process.. Often players have a tendency to think "Oh my God, I have AA, time to make money!"

That kind of thinking leads to ignoring or not making reads, and instead just trying to get money into the pot.. Think through the hand and the line your opponent is taking without being attached to your hand.

Also, you don't have to count the pot as the hand plays out, you can do it when it is decision time... IE in 1/2 NL: "I raised 10 preflop, 4 calls plus blindds is 43.. I bet 25 on the flop, one call.. 93.."

[aaokwitme]

[ QUOTE ]
You might be making better reads when not involved in a hand because you have 1.) no pressure on you, 2.) you're not being biased.

When you actually are involved in the hand with your own money, there are alot of other things you have to consider and also you have to justify your own hand based on your read.

[/ QUOTE ]

this is good advice.

You could allso try playing a few hands with out looking at your cards and see if you do better with reads. If you do better at reading others this way its because you are thinking about your own cards to much and not the other players enough. If you do worse at reading when not looking at your own cards then its because of the pressure.

[goodgrief]

Maybe drop down a limit. If you are bored, there is no pressure, and you can focus on making good reads. I think maybe you have to be playing at a limit where the wins and losses don't create anxiety. Of course it is no fun being bored. But you can look at it as practicing your scales, if you ever played piano. A necessary part of the learning curve. I assume you are playing with the goal of making money, in which case you don't care if you are bored while you are learning. If you are playing with the goal of having fun, I wouldn't know what to suggest. I only gamble for cash. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[garcia1000]

Do you really make amazing reads when not in a hand, or are you only remembering the great reads you made and forgetting the ones that turned out to be wrong (representativeness heuristic)?

[Dtroitkid]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you really make amazing reads when not in a hand, or are you only remembering the great reads you made and forgetting the ones that turned out to be wrong (representativeness heuristic)?

[/ QUOTE ]

obviously sometimes my read is incorrect.

When i am not in a hand, there are times when i feel with great certainty what a player has--and i am often proved right on these occasions.

this never happens when i am involved in the hand.