What was the best poker advice you received this month?

[HoneyBadger]

For me it was Bob. T's brilliant reply to my whining if I was the only one with downswings:

[ QUOTE ]

No. In fact, I am running bad this month. I just dont talk about it when it happens. I'm sure a lot of other long time posters are the same way. It just doesn't do any good to talk about it, so you just ignore it and it goes away.

Here are a couple of hands from the last couple of days.

[snip hands]

There have been a couple of other ugly hands, but I am down about 150 BBs, since Friday. Feel better!?


[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know why, but it suddenly struck me: "Why do I complain? What does it help? Just ignore it and it goes away." I've repeated that sentence a couple of times afterwards when I was running bad, just ignore it and it goes away, and it worked miracles. I did tilt less and less, but now it seemed tilt was completely gone. What was I going to do about it anyhow? Stop playing? So he sucked out, again; so what? Just ignore it and it goes away. And so I ignored it, and it did indeed go away.

That one line has made me more money this month than any other piece of hand advice. So what has been your moment of wisdom this month? Care to share?

[KitCloudkicker]

this month, not much, as i've only played once (10/20 at the borg, where i ran super hot).

but the best advice i've heard in the last 6 months (more or less).

play. laugh. talk. have as much fun getting bad beated as you do giving bad beats. make a ridiculous raise or bet now and again and laugh when you hit something absurd. poker is supposed to be fun, so enjoy it.

[KitCloudkicker]

Another gem happened about 1 1/2 years ago. I had just finished up a horrible live session. My friend was at my table while this happened. We talked afterwards.

He said:

"you know what your problem is? you're the type of player that waits til he gets Aces or Kings, overplays them every single time, and then gets pissed when people playing "crap" keep raking your pots. You really should learn to play flops, instead of playing 2 card poker."

That statement more than anything changed how I play.

[threeducks]

[ QUOTE ]
Another gem happened about 1 1/2 years ago. I had just finished up a horrible live session. My friend was at my table while this happened. We talked afterwards.

He said:

"you know what your problem is? you're the type of player that waits til he gets Aces or Kings, overplays them every single time, and then gets pissed when people playing "crap" keep raking your pots. You really should learn to play flops, instead of playing 2 card poker."

That statement more than anything changed how I play.

[/ QUOTE ]

wow - what a pearl of true wisdom. A statement like that would improve my game. In fact, thanks for sharing.

I asked what should I do long term when I raise with AA otb and get ck/raised with a Q-4-4 flop w/2 hearts. The reply was short term raise and long term was to eat right, quite smoking, exercise, quit poker and take up knitting.

(the hidden message between the lines was 1) suck it up and take it like a man and 2) if you don't like your A-A cracked once in a while then tough: quit). [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

That changed my attitude.

[Frond]

For me I think that it was from Fishyak. We were PMing about maniac tables and his advice was to just be patient at these tables and not play marginal hands with maniacs, like so many at the table try to do: ie, playing hands you normally wouldn't play to try and take them on just because you think they are FOS. It plays right into their hands.

[TheCount212]

Negativity creeps into our decision-making process and causes us to make more mistakes than if we "wipe the slate clean" in our minds and play as we normally do...

[Cpt Canuck]

Great thread.

In the last month I haven't received any great advice.

But, the mantra that runs through my head when I play is (and I can't remember where I got this)...

"You can't control the cards, you can't control your opponents, you can only control yourself. Worry about the things you can control."

When I hit multiple bad beats, or bad downswings, this more than any one thing helps me keep my head.

[Bob T.]

Glad to be of service.

This one wasn't this month, but it is one that I have kept in mind a long time.

I checked behind on the river in a headsup pot, when a scare card came, and Dynasty told me

'If you bet, and PAY OFF EVERYTIME, you will be make more money than if you check behind in that situation.'

[ProfessorBen]

Stab preflop.

[Frond]

Oh, and Kit saying to just bet!