Poker and Life
Just wanted to babble mostly to myself about poker and maybe a little about life. I haven't played a lot of poker since the World Series. This is due to a whole host of things and I won't be getting into all of those here. Mostly it was due to the ill feeling in my stomach after having the poker Gods line up against me so squarely in Vegas. I didn't do much complaining about it to others or myself. At least, I don't think so. That is just the nature of the game. I've gone over the hands in my head a million times and I wouldn't play one of them differently. What I have done though is hold on to the disappointment and that sick feeling in my stomach. I'm disappointed in myself for that. Great players forget this instantly and maybe turn it into some kind of positive. Good players get over it quickly. I did neither of those so where does that put me?
The hands I would play differently are many of the hands I've been playing lately. Like I said, I haven't played a lot lately but when I do my heart isn't there. I'm less disciplined. I'm more likely to get aggravated. I have lost my focus and my inner poker "zen". Without these, I shouldn't even be at the table. That's the absolute truth. Instead of sitting down focused and ready to put in a good session, I came to the table unsure and somewhat unwilling to even play my best game. That might not have been a conscious decision, but it was a decision I made on some level nonetheless. Thankfully, I caught this going on before I did any real damage to my bankroll. Self-awareness is one of the absolute keys to success at the poker table. It's the same thing in life. If you don't know what you are doing or why you are doing it and you aren't focused, things are less than likely to go your way. You are the "donkey", no matter where you are. Some of the time you haven't even bothered to figure out what "your way" is or you just don't care. It's less than likely that you will accomplish something with those cirucumstances.
Life gives you a little more room for error though. If I show up at the poker table less than 100%, maybe I can still win but I'm going to need some favorable conditions. I better be at least 90% though, or forget about it. If I go to work at 50%, I can probably get through the day and come out on the other side just fine. Most any place I go, I can show up tired, a little out of it, or just unfocused and it will be no big deal. I don't want to do that though. If I'm going to do that, why bother showing up in the first place? Maybe out of obligation? I guess so. This is just inevitable. As a poker player though, if you can apply the focus and analytical spirit that you bring with you to the table to other parts of your life, I think you'll find that they are richer as well.
I felt like I got my poker focus back to night. I played 3 hours of good limit hold 'em and I only had one hand that I think I played poorly. That was a good thing. I need to get my act back together and knock the rust off my game. I have poker goals this year, after all. Additionally, I'll need my focus for Camp Hellmuth. More than that though, I need my focus outside the poker table. Really, it's all connected.
The hands I would play differently are many of the hands I've been playing lately. Like I said, I haven't played a lot lately but when I do my heart isn't there. I'm less disciplined. I'm more likely to get aggravated. I have lost my focus and my inner poker "zen". Without these, I shouldn't even be at the table. That's the absolute truth. Instead of sitting down focused and ready to put in a good session, I came to the table unsure and somewhat unwilling to even play my best game. That might not have been a conscious decision, but it was a decision I made on some level nonetheless. Thankfully, I caught this going on before I did any real damage to my bankroll. Self-awareness is one of the absolute keys to success at the poker table. It's the same thing in life. If you don't know what you are doing or why you are doing it and you aren't focused, things are less than likely to go your way. You are the "donkey", no matter where you are. Some of the time you haven't even bothered to figure out what "your way" is or you just don't care. It's less than likely that you will accomplish something with those cirucumstances.
Life gives you a little more room for error though. If I show up at the poker table less than 100%, maybe I can still win but I'm going to need some favorable conditions. I better be at least 90% though, or forget about it. If I go to work at 50%, I can probably get through the day and come out on the other side just fine. Most any place I go, I can show up tired, a little out of it, or just unfocused and it will be no big deal. I don't want to do that though. If I'm going to do that, why bother showing up in the first place? Maybe out of obligation? I guess so. This is just inevitable. As a poker player though, if you can apply the focus and analytical spirit that you bring with you to the table to other parts of your life, I think you'll find that they are richer as well.
I felt like I got my poker focus back to night. I played 3 hours of good limit hold 'em and I only had one hand that I think I played poorly. That was a good thing. I need to get my act back together and knock the rust off my game. I have poker goals this year, after all. Additionally, I'll need my focus for Camp Hellmuth. More than that though, I need my focus outside the poker table. Really, it's all connected.
posted by chrismilone @ 11:13 PM
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