Redefining winning

herschelw

I haven't been around as much the past couple months. I've been crazy busy lately running my backing fund. I just started a new poker blog at pocketfives.com and thought I'd repost something I wrote there that could be interesting for us to discuss. Also, if you all ever post a question for me and I don't answer in a reasonable amount of time feel free to shoot me a note by email to jerry at pokerpwnage.com.

Redefining winning......

I played mtt's online for the first time in 2 months yesterday. 12th, 14th, 10th. Sigh..... I'm not much for bitching and moaning though. After I busted my last tourney 10th(the UB $215 buyin $80k guar) I honestly had a big smile on my face. It's taken me 3 years to be able to smile after busting 10th in my last tourney but I finally am able to do it. We grow up being taught winning is everything. We're shattered when our favorite teams loses and as a child on a sports team we're taught how to "be a winner". The vast majority of people in poker don't really understand what winning is in this game. Taking first place in a tournament is not winning.

In the past year I redefined what winning in poker means to me. I used to think taking first in a tournament was winning. Taking first in an mtt isn't really winning. Truly winning in poker is being able to walk away from a tournament knowing you made great reads, great decisions, and minimal errors regardless of result. Even if you're a fantastic player taking 1st place is still the upside of variance. I realize that you don't consistently take 1st place unless you're actually good. However, you also don't win a given tournament without well in it. Redefining winning has helped me to disconnect myself from the result and focus more on the process thus improving the result in the end. More importantly it's made me a happier person day in and day out.

You can find other thoughts on the mental aspect of poker at www.pocketfives.com/herschelw

GTA Poker

I feel warm and fuzzy

philliivey

GTA Poker;225818 wroteI feel warm and fuzzy

lol

So does this mean we still won on our stake?:)

ReefAquarium

herschelw;225780 wrote Taking first place in a tournament is not winning.

Crushing the "winner" in the after tourney side cash game for his score is winning.

Milo

Sorry, but winning is just that . . . winning. I think the word you're redefining is "success".

GTA Poker

...or ghey

herschelw

Milo;225830 wroteSorry, but winning is just that . . . winning. I think the word you're redefining is "success".

I think what I'm redefining is what for me equals satisfaction in poker. I think we should feel satisfied whenever we've played well and let variance both good and bad run it's course. With that said we also have to have a focus on constant improvement regardless of result because if every time we lose we say "oh well I played good and just ran bad" then we're never going to realize when we're playing bad.

kingkao86

True, but I rather be lucky than good.

GTA Poker

herschelw;225850 wroteI think what I'm redefining is what for me equals satisfaction in poker. I think we should feel satisfied whenever we've played well and let variance both good and bad run it's course. With that said we also have to have a focus on constant improvement regardless of result because if every time we lose we say "oh well I played good and just ran bad" then we're never going to realize when we're playing bad.

I think that differs for everyone...and I think you now have to rewrite your article

philliivey

kingkao86;225852 wroteTrue, but I rather be lucky than good.

Fish!:D

philliivey

I am happy and satisfied winning $500 in a session last night:)

[deleted]

GTA Poker;225853 wroteI think that differs for everyone...and I think you now have to rewrite your article

no i re read the 2nd explanation and then the first. it was well written and i'm a person who has realized i can lose a tourney but know that the plays i made are worth money long-term anyways. I can win a tournament but know in the long-term i'm not worth that much because of some of the plays i have to work on.

i don't think it needs to be written i just needed to read it twice.

i hope for my poker sakes i totally understand his point.

Wanita1

herschelw;225780 wrote
Redefining winning......

We grow up being taught winning is everything. We're shattered when our favorite teams loses and as a child on a sports team we're taught how to "be a winner". The vast majority of people in poker don't really understand what winning is in this game. Taking first place in a tournament is not winning.

In the past year I redefined what winning in poker means to me. I used to think taking first in a tournament was winning. Taking first in an mtt isn't really winning. Truly winning in poker is being able to walk away from a tournament knowing you made great reads, great decisions, and minimal errors regardless of result. Even if you're a fantastic player taking 1st place is still the upside of variance. I realize that you don't consistently take 1st place unless you're actually good. However, you also don't win a given tournament without well in it. Redefining winning has helped me to disconnect myself from the result and focus more on the process thus improving the result in the end. More importantly it's made me a happier person day in and day out.

You can find other thoughts on the mental aspect of poker at www.pocketfives.com/herschelw

A very good point. I start off playing in a tournament with the goal of trying to error as little as possible. Hopefully play a nice clean game. The next baby step is to place and from there try to work my way up. If I played a solid game I am usually content. If I win something nice then of course I am excited about it.

I found setting small goals at a time in a tournament helps disconnect from not placing. Of course if I screw up a hand and realize I made the wrong play I can get a bit pissed at myself but if I have thought the play through before carrying it out I am usually ok with it.

philliivey

bubbled in a 27 man with AA, stars rapes me once again, was chip leader at 1 point and I had the highest vpip out of everyone that was on the final table which is really really rare, I know I played good so even though I bubbled I still won cause I played solid right?:)

Wanita1

Yeah, that bites. For me it is just trying not to let other people's lucky donk plays put me in a bad mood. Win control of my own mood I guess.

philliivey;226025 wrotebubbled in a 27 man with AA, stars rapes me once again, was chip leader at 1 point and I had the highest vpip out of everyone that was on the final table which is really really rare, I know I played good so even though I bubbled I still won cause I played solid right?:)

philliivey

Wanita1;226042 wroteYeah, that bites. For me it is just trying not to let other people's lucky donk plays put me in a bad mood. Win control of my own mood I guess.

I had quite a few opportunities that game, was able to do squeeze plays, 3bet etc etc, so that was nice, just had horrid luck at the end when it counts the most.

syphilaids

This article is good man, the biggest downfall of poker players in my experience is depression or anger. I have 2 friends that I consider to be the best poker players i've seen online or live.
Player #1 was a winning player at 100-400NL, and 2-4, 5-10 limit razz. He recently quit poker due to the anger issues of variance. He is now a math tutor and much happier.

Player #2 currently is a HORSE player at 200-400 limit with a WSOP bracelet on his arm. I watched him play a hand where he lost $6500 in razz when the guy sucked out on 7th. His reaction was "ahahahahahaha thats hillarious! oh well next hand!"

Staying optimistic is one of the most important benefits to the game. A happy player has such a better edge.

Wanita1

[QUOTE=

Staying optimistic is one of the most important benefits to the game. A happy player has such a better edge.[/QUOTE]

True. Some players get mad at a donk play getting lucky but over all they make losing plays which help the solid players win more readily. I think it is a good idea to try not to react in a negative way towards these types of players as we want them to continue to play. In the short term it can be frustrating to play them but in the long term profitable.

Keeping your cool is better for your own health and enjoyment.