Self-study methods.

[EGO]

I was responding to a locked topic with what I thought was a well-thought out reply, so I thought I'd share it here.

The OP in the locked topic was asking about a downswing that he took. Since it was locked, I'm a little apprehensive about posting my response as-is, since it's directed at the OP in that thread. I'm too lazy to rewrite my post, so I'm leaving it as I posted it, between the hash marks.

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*grunch*

[ QUOTE ]
Why is this?

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds like a fairly standard downswing. Here's what I do when I go on a downswing of 30+BB in a session.

1) Open PT, and filter for the date you want.
2) Go to the games tab, and select "get all".
3) Open the replayer window, and in the lower left corner see the options for replaying.
4) Select "only hands I VP$IP".
5) Press play, and possibly take notes.

(My PT is busy auto-rating, so some of the quoted material might not be exact, but you'll get the gist of what I mean.)

I usually find myself pressing too hard with hands like ATo and KJo pre-flop, defending my blind too much, and turning into a fish with 2nd pair on ace high flops when my "obviously beaten" opponent just won't lay down a better hand. This is just a few of the things I notice about my otherwise solid play after I've taken a few beats and am no longer making the money I "deserve". The method of self-review I just outlined... I just performed it on myself, taking notes as I went along. I learned alot that I suspected but never really took the time to delve into.

Your mileage may vary. Hey, maybe you played perfectly. I'll bet you didn't. I'll bet you a dollar that you didn't. If you still say you did, then I'll bet you another dollar that you've got some learning to do.

I think poker is as much about self-honesty as it is the outs and odds, hand reading, table selection, etc.

None of this may apply, though, just ruminating over my frequent downswings and 140,000 hands of just above breakeven poker.

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I'd like to thank John Vorhaus for reminding me to take a critical look at myself. I've spent far too long studying the way other people play, and some self-examination has been very enlightening.

I'm wondering, what do other people do to study their own play?

[bennyhana]

nh sir.

this would have been a good reply to the locked thread. i don't think it was lock worthy, but some of us are nittier than others.