Confidence and Poker (mini editorial)
As a few of you may know I have been running semi-hot lately. Off of winning a fair amount of cash in a tourment, I have been able over the past 2 weeks to triple my bank roll online (even while cashing out a hefty chunk of it from my tournament winnings).
So just speaking from the top of my brain here.
Now while I realize that poker is a game of skill and luck, I am also beginnning to it is also about confidence. This confidence seems to come in across in many ways.
First is the confidence in your own abilities as a player .
Secondly to know that when you sit down at a ring table or a tourney, that you are going to be able to bring your "A" game (however "A" it may be, in my case it is still is probably an "A" Minus the plus is coming :rolleyes: ) to the table.
Third it is the confidence in knowing that when you are playing in said ring game or tourney, and have just taken a beat (bad or otherwise), that you know you can still continue to play your "A" game and not go on tilt. The confidence in your own ability to not let it affect you to much. (I am not really sure if this is very different from #1 but I think it is).
I have begun to realize that confience was one of the key elements missing from my game, I am not really playing much different than the way I was before (maybe a little tighter and smarter but that is mostly just more experience), but I am certainly more confident in my ability to play the game the way I should all the time, and not to take poor chances when I am running bad.
For example when I sit down to play a tourney now, were as before I would always play with the idea in my head of "Boy I hope I make it to the money". I now start playing the tournament with the attitude of "I wonder how far I will make it into the money stages". Since I have adopted this "new attitude" I have made the money more times in tournament play than I ever have before.
Interestingly, this kind of info I have never found in any poker book that I have read (granted I haven't read a lot of them, so maybe I just haven't read the right book yet). But I have begun to realize that it is a very important aspect of the game and perhaps one that is almost as important as skill at the game.
Just my 2 cents...
So just speaking from the top of my brain here.
Now while I realize that poker is a game of skill and luck, I am also beginnning to it is also about confidence. This confidence seems to come in across in many ways.
First is the confidence in your own abilities as a player .
Secondly to know that when you sit down at a ring table or a tourney, that you are going to be able to bring your "A" game (however "A" it may be, in my case it is still is probably an "A" Minus the plus is coming :rolleyes: ) to the table.
Third it is the confidence in knowing that when you are playing in said ring game or tourney, and have just taken a beat (bad or otherwise), that you know you can still continue to play your "A" game and not go on tilt. The confidence in your own ability to not let it affect you to much. (I am not really sure if this is very different from #1 but I think it is).
I have begun to realize that confience was one of the key elements missing from my game, I am not really playing much different than the way I was before (maybe a little tighter and smarter but that is mostly just more experience), but I am certainly more confident in my ability to play the game the way I should all the time, and not to take poor chances when I am running bad.
For example when I sit down to play a tourney now, were as before I would always play with the idea in my head of "Boy I hope I make it to the money". I now start playing the tournament with the attitude of "I wonder how far I will make it into the money stages". Since I have adopted this "new attitude" I have made the money more times in tournament play than I ever have before.
Interestingly, this kind of info I have never found in any poker book that I have read (granted I haven't read a lot of them, so maybe I just haven't read the right book yet). But I have begun to realize that it is a very important aspect of the game and perhaps one that is almost as important as skill at the game.
Just my 2 cents...
Comments
I agree that confidence is important in any poker game.
I recomend that you start keeping track of your wins and losses. if you are doing this already......good
I keep track of every $ I spend on MT tournaments including entry fees. I know the date I played how many entrants there were and what place I finished in.
I do the same for sit and gos and satelites.
I also keep track of any ring games I play.
At the end of every month I add up my totals and start all over for the next month. I have a 1 or 2 pages of stats for each month.
I find it very usefull to look back on my most profitable months when I am going through a bad run of cards. I find it helps to restore confidence.
Bad runs happen to everyone they cant be avoided.
Having accurate records that show exactly how much $$$ you make playing MT tournaments over the course of a year or two will help you keep a positive attitude during any losing streak.
Thanks I will check it out.
And very true. I was in a sit'n'go and got busted down to T$200 in the second round. Had trip queens on the flop busted by some tourist who runner runnered me to hit a little straight with A4o.
Stayed calm. New, after having watched two rounds go by that not a single player we stronger then me. Saw two players collapse and go out before I played another hand. Managed to double through on the next I played, tripled shortly thereafter and took the chip leader to under T$100 soon after to take the lead.
As it turned out three of the players were decent, but I had me lead and unwavering confidence and won the tourney. Is a good feeling that.
Experiences like that help build the confidence. Being in a tough spot and staying calm and continuing to play smart and with confidence goes a long way.
Again, great post.
Mike