Lack of disciplie and going against your instincts.

[Unknown Soldier]

For example:

I knew someone wasn't bluffing me earlier, but i made excuses and called down anyway. Anyone else have this problem, any way to combat it?

[pureklas]

Alot, see my bet/fold thread that you just commented on. I made it because i find myself bet with the intention of folding but then talking myself into a call. Feel like such a degen after each if these kind of pots.

[Unknown Soldier]

anything you do to stop it?

(btw, WA/WB means you either have very good equity vs him or very bad. For example AK on a A72r board. If you're ahead he has at most 3 outs, if you're behind you have at most 3 outs. Your example was not WA/WB because the board was drawy, if he has a flush draw he has 9 outs which has decent equity vs your top pair. On the river it's always WA/WB because you are either 100% to win or 0%.)

[pureklas]

Is there a particular book this was discussed in? I find I do it more when i'm tired but as yet no solution - hoping for some good ideas in this thread.

[Yoshi63]

In general it's important to keep the player's entire line in mind. If a bet on the river doesn't keep any consistency with the way he'd played the hand up till now, it's often a bluff. When he's been representing a better hand on all streets and continues to fire on the river, he's usually serious. There are certain opponents capable of running bluffs like the seconds one, but DO NOT assume that everyone does this, because most people do not. Assume they have hands until proven otherwise... let other ppl do the calling down to figure out.

[Unknown Soldier]

thanks for the reply yoshi, but that was more poker strategy orientated, as opposed to a psychological view of the situation. (my mindset, and why i went against my instincts)

in the particular hand i played he raised my cbet, I had top pair in position, so i called. The turn was a terrible bluff card and he was a good player, so i knew he probably wouldn't bluff at it (so i had the strategy down cold). However, i reasoned to myself that there weren't many combos that beat me. (any excuse) And called down (lack of discipline, and went against my instincts - what I'm trying to cut down on). Sure enough he flopped a set.

That's my example in full, but it's a general problem I feel I have.

[jackflashdrive]

I think that it is easiest to go with your instincts when you are playing sufficiently bankrolled. When you are playing with a 100 buyin roll the decisions just come so much more naturally.

[CrustyFace]

I guess with being so well rolled it becomes less about the mony.

[Unknown Soldier]

it shouldnt be about the money anyway, that's another mental block us poker players have to overcome. We play with BBs not $$s.