(kind of LC) how to improve mental fortitude?

[fitnessfreak]

wow, this thread is awesome. i have very similar problems to jfish in terms of keeping motivated and focused when im running badly.

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1. don't talk in the chat
2. don't brag about your results (that might cause you want to do extra well)
3. set goals for the week/month
4. have a healthy social life...a lady friend of some sort etc
5. find a way to remind yourself of the long run
6. don't compare yourself to other people and don't base your self-esteem on your short term results.

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all of these suggestions are fantastic, and i have contradicted every one of them at least once in the past and paid the price.

i cant really offer much advice on this issue as i havent really overcome these problems myself, but i did take up going to the gym about 2 months ago and i definitely think that doing exercise and just being healthier generally is helping me keep motivated and handle bad runs better. if nothing else it gives u something to focus on besides your poker results.

[JEFF or DAD]

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If it didn't happen already, I'm sure Victor hit the vaunted jfish ignore list now.

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i wanna get on this list i wanna stop educatin the jfish

[jfish]

today i played 2-3 tables and talked out loud through every decision. i played with tough regs and think i was definitely +ev in the games. im going to do this for a while and probably make a video for people to critique.

feels really good when you know you played your A game.

[Victor]

"today i played 2-3 tables and talked out loud through every decision."

i gotta admit that this helped me a lot too. i would just pretend to be stox (or taylor) and i think i made much better decisions. to the point that i even wanted to make a vid for them, but well i dunno about that.

[jfish]

yep haha its kinda why i want to make a video now.

[Eagles]

I saw this thread and thought I should read it but was too lazy which was prob a mistake. So I finally got around to reading it. Anyways I'll give some of my advice.

1. Whenever I'm spewing I just decide to play a few sessions where I play a pretty straight up TAG low variance style. I find it lets me concentrate more and get less emotionally invested in my results.

2. Whoever said play different games I strongly disagree. I played a lot of random different games because I was bored with cash and ended up losing a bunch of money doing it IMO its a very bad idea. Unless your willing to really work hard to get good at the game.

3. Just stop playing when you know you aren't playing well. For the most part I know when I am not playing my A game so normally I either quit or tell myself if I make one more obviously bad play I'll stop.

4. I agree with Go_blue's post way too often I concern myself with being the best player and getting my ego involved. Realistically other people's results/winrates do not affect how much money I make so I should stop worrying about how much money other people are making and worry more about my own game etc.

[winningfish]

jfish I really enjoy the questions you pose. I find it the same way that's why I don't play HU much at a table except if/when I want to, HU SNG. I find it far easier to concentrate and read opponents when I'm given time and that is 6-handed. HU takes me out of my rhythm and I can be tilted more easily or give in to opponents without getting into his mindset. I don't suffer this problem if it's in a tournament at the end, in fact I almost always win SNGs once I make the final whatever, but at a live table it's hard. Even if it's 3-handed and say one is a super NIT who folds all the time so it's mostly HU, I just leave the table.

I'll read more of this long thread now, interesting point you brought up.

[keikiwai]

interesting thread

i've def. had some tilt / horrible play issues, but i think i'm much improved, here's what helped me:

1) not being strict w/ the # of tables i play - some days my head doesn't feel as clear as on others, if i let myself play fewer tables on days i feel slower i do much better

2) randomly getting up every now and then - a few short 30 second breaks really clear my head

3) music - if i play w/o music i simply cannot concentrate

4) talking about hands outloud, or pretending to talk about them outloud (you know a sort of loud voice inside your head....... if that makes any sense w/o making me sound crazy)

5) being able to stop playing w/o the need to rostucko - my biggest losing days have been the days i've played the longest when i was trying to rostucko... i just end up playing progressively worse and worse. this is the hardest for me, and i think the rostucko instinct is hard wired into a lot of people, but being able to ignore now really helps my game

6) varied days - i play best when my day consists of other stuff besides 2p2 and poker, so if i hang out w/ friends, excercis, whatever i'll play better....... i have had to learn not play at all after drinking w/ friends... LOL..... whoops