Emotions, Emotions
As promised I wanted to put something else up this week on the blog. I have not played this week, except online, which does not really count in my book for playing as I play $3/6, $5/10 and $10/20 short tables and it does not have any real impact on my bankroll or results. Just fun and practice, and of course some loose pocket change to spread around on the internet. I did want to talk about emotions, and how they can impact your game, winning, and table selection.
I was playing with a friend last week and witnessed some very hard emotional swings on his part and it got me to thinking again about emotions so I figured I would share them with you.
Emotions are feelings that really need to be well under control if you are going to play poker seriously. You can learn a lot by watching others emotions at the table. By staying alert and observant others will put their emotions on display. Are they winning and confidant? If they are will they "play the rush" and push marginal hands, or are they just really feeling confidant and playing their A game and you need to stay out of their way? Are they losing and looking depressed expecting to lose every hand that they play and playing passively. Can you take advantage of that attitude and push them off winners, because they expected you to hit your hand? Are they "On Tilt" or "Steaming", have they just lost with a big hand and now just trying to RAM a hand through? You need to be really aware of your own mood and emotions and make sure that they are not outwardly visible. Good players can pick up on them and use them against you in the game.
Emotions will cloud your judgment and make you chase or make a play that you would not have otherwise made if you were thinking clearly. Don't get mad at players. I see people take a bad beat and then feel like they must pay them back. They get into pots with hands they would not normally play just so they can put a beat on them. Bad idea. If you are playing a solid game and making good decisions you are happy when they make a bad play and get there. Rap the table and say "nice hand". It will encourage them to do it the rest of the night. The thought and the rush of chasing and hitting will be fresh in their head all night. I guarantee you that if you keep playing your game they will chase against you all night. Don't give them free cards and they will pay you back and then some as long as you have made the right decisions with you cards. That is provided that they just don't get lucky all night. Which does happen, and then you are just destined to lose. Don't let emotions cloud you desire to keep playing. If you are up against one of those days where the fish just hit all day on you, set your limit and leave. Even if the game is good, and you are really pissed that your big hands are not holding, you are probably steaming a bit, and not playing your A game anymore, get up and leave. There will be another day. When the fish smell a feeding frenzy, they will keep on you all night as you have shown them they can suck out on you. They will still make bad decisions, but they will get there more than they should. If you punish them a few times with the best hand, they will stop chasing as hard and even lay hands down or just go broke. When they hit it just is not your day. Pick up and leave. Don't let ego, or emotions make the call. Use your head and get up with what you have left. Last thought on this. If you don't have enough money to play a hand hard all the way to the river, pick up what is left and leave. Don't sit there and lose all the money in front of you. That money will be in your stack the next time, and the numbers when you add up results at the end of the week, month, year.
I was asked earlier about table selection as well. Emotions can definitely impact your game there. You should always look to play within your bankroll. Don't let ego get the best of you and sit in a game that you know is too big or you can't beat. I was in LA on Sunday and went to the $100/200 game. Now that we have a $100/200 game in Seattle it is not that big of deal to play that game down there. But I did not want to play $40/80 even though that game was a much better game to make money in. I just said I want to play 1/2 so screw it I am playing 1/2. I knew it was full of regulars, no soft spots, and most likely not a money making game. But I made an emotional decision to play, I just wanted to play. Had I been using my head I would have played the $40/80. That game is big enough, and plenty hard down there, but I made the wrong decision and guess what it cost me almost $5,000. I hope I relearned that lesson. Aaron, my friend, is famous for not being able to play in smaller money making games. He has to be in a very big game, usually too big for his bankroll. He is always taking shots. He will play $25/50 NL and win $50,000 and then take that to the $200/400NL or higher with a backer. Stupid. He can't afford one bad beat in that game, and it invariably happens. He will run it up a bit and then someone will hit on him and felt him and he is done. He will turn a winning trip of up $80,000 or $100,000 into a dead break even trip in one hand. STUPID. If I had his game and my game management skills I would making over $1,000,000 in poker a year. I just wish I had his game. I have offered to come with him on trips to tell him which games to play in and make sure he does not get into the big game, but he just won't listen. Maybe one day he will learn. I hope this WSOP. He needs the win. Hope you are going to have a great 3 day weekend and play some cards. I might get one night in. Talk to you next week and hope you are all winning. SJ
I was playing with a friend last week and witnessed some very hard emotional swings on his part and it got me to thinking again about emotions so I figured I would share them with you.
Emotions are feelings that really need to be well under control if you are going to play poker seriously. You can learn a lot by watching others emotions at the table. By staying alert and observant others will put their emotions on display. Are they winning and confidant? If they are will they "play the rush" and push marginal hands, or are they just really feeling confidant and playing their A game and you need to stay out of their way? Are they losing and looking depressed expecting to lose every hand that they play and playing passively. Can you take advantage of that attitude and push them off winners, because they expected you to hit your hand? Are they "On Tilt" or "Steaming", have they just lost with a big hand and now just trying to RAM a hand through? You need to be really aware of your own mood and emotions and make sure that they are not outwardly visible. Good players can pick up on them and use them against you in the game.
Emotions will cloud your judgment and make you chase or make a play that you would not have otherwise made if you were thinking clearly. Don't get mad at players. I see people take a bad beat and then feel like they must pay them back. They get into pots with hands they would not normally play just so they can put a beat on them. Bad idea. If you are playing a solid game and making good decisions you are happy when they make a bad play and get there. Rap the table and say "nice hand". It will encourage them to do it the rest of the night. The thought and the rush of chasing and hitting will be fresh in their head all night. I guarantee you that if you keep playing your game they will chase against you all night. Don't give them free cards and they will pay you back and then some as long as you have made the right decisions with you cards. That is provided that they just don't get lucky all night. Which does happen, and then you are just destined to lose. Don't let emotions cloud you desire to keep playing. If you are up against one of those days where the fish just hit all day on you, set your limit and leave. Even if the game is good, and you are really pissed that your big hands are not holding, you are probably steaming a bit, and not playing your A game anymore, get up and leave. There will be another day. When the fish smell a feeding frenzy, they will keep on you all night as you have shown them they can suck out on you. They will still make bad decisions, but they will get there more than they should. If you punish them a few times with the best hand, they will stop chasing as hard and even lay hands down or just go broke. When they hit it just is not your day. Pick up and leave. Don't let ego, or emotions make the call. Use your head and get up with what you have left. Last thought on this. If you don't have enough money to play a hand hard all the way to the river, pick up what is left and leave. Don't sit there and lose all the money in front of you. That money will be in your stack the next time, and the numbers when you add up results at the end of the week, month, year.
I was asked earlier about table selection as well. Emotions can definitely impact your game there. You should always look to play within your bankroll. Don't let ego get the best of you and sit in a game that you know is too big or you can't beat. I was in LA on Sunday and went to the $100/200 game. Now that we have a $100/200 game in Seattle it is not that big of deal to play that game down there. But I did not want to play $40/80 even though that game was a much better game to make money in. I just said I want to play 1/2 so screw it I am playing 1/2. I knew it was full of regulars, no soft spots, and most likely not a money making game. But I made an emotional decision to play, I just wanted to play. Had I been using my head I would have played the $40/80. That game is big enough, and plenty hard down there, but I made the wrong decision and guess what it cost me almost $5,000. I hope I relearned that lesson. Aaron, my friend, is famous for not being able to play in smaller money making games. He has to be in a very big game, usually too big for his bankroll. He is always taking shots. He will play $25/50 NL and win $50,000 and then take that to the $200/400NL or higher with a backer. Stupid. He can't afford one bad beat in that game, and it invariably happens. He will run it up a bit and then someone will hit on him and felt him and he is done. He will turn a winning trip of up $80,000 or $100,000 into a dead break even trip in one hand. STUPID. If I had his game and my game management skills I would making over $1,000,000 in poker a year. I just wish I had his game. I have offered to come with him on trips to tell him which games to play in and make sure he does not get into the big game, but he just won't listen. Maybe one day he will learn. I hope this WSOP. He needs the win. Hope you are going to have a great 3 day weekend and play some cards. I might get one night in. Talk to you next week and hope you are all winning. SJ
posted by Seattlejohn at 4:30 PM
2 Comments:
Emotions, Emotions...
let me tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog. I am learning a lot about the life of poker players.
...and how does love relationships work in all of this?
Is it difficult for professional poker players to sustain a serious relationship? it seems poker players live a very different kind of life, I find it somewhat intriguing.
Ivonne.
I hope Aaron appreciates what a friend he has in you. Poker players need to be brutally honest with themselves. If that's not possible, having a friend willing to say, "walk away," is the next best thing.
Emotions - I've been running well lately, but after a series of brutal suckouts on Saturday night (at the Muck, of course), I slammed my hand down on the table before I got up and walked away.
I need to re-read your post before I go back.
Final thought - to your last commenter:
Poker players have unusual relationships. There are several couples that play at our local casino, and I think poker is the basis of their relationship. I'm not saying it's a good thing. Usually, it's the guy who plays with a (hopefully) understanding wife back at home.
I can't tell you how many players I've met that are divorced.
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