Back down I go....

Back down I go....

Just been reading some of DoubleAs old blog entries, and as always I am left impressed and envious with his reasoning and ideas. I have been reading lots of his older stuff each day of late, and I always feel that I read it too fast as there is so much to absorb and to consider. If I continue to climb any further, a lot of his ideas will prove truly invaluable, providing I can employ them correctly.
In one of his posts (or more probably several) he talks about having the discipline to use the knowledge that you have all the time, thereby making it a habit. If I can do this I know I will find beating the game and moving up in levels much easier and quicker, so playing as best I can, or ‘professionally’, at all times is one of my current goals.
Another goal I have decided upon (aside from not playing drunk!) is to always play for the right reasons. I play poker for fun, and the most fun I have is when I’m winning. More specifically, my enjoyment comes from pulling off great bluffs, or from outplaying my opponents in a way that gets me all of their chips. I play to beat the competition. I need to recognise when I’m not in a good position to do that, due to being tired, distracted, or simply outclassed, and then either find a new table or just stop playing.
Hopefully by sticking to these goals, my discipline while playing can continue to improve, and my results will *ahem* follow suit.

The above has been prompted by the fact that recently I have been a little dispirited with my play. I have been playing hit and miss at the $2-$4 level on UB, but mainly it’s because I have just started playing NLH on FTP at the $1-$2 level and I seem to have become a losing player! I am still thinking and reading about poker every day, but over the last 7 days I have failed to post a winning session at $1-$2. Here are my thoughts on why:
1) At $1-$2 I expect to win. If I occasionally win at $3-$6, and usually win at $2-$4, then surely I should always win at $1-$2, right? This means I am instantly complacent about the competition on these tables, and it occurs to me they are far more hungry, if not quite as skilled at this level.
2) $1-$2 isn’t $2-$4. I continue to use standard $2-$4 plays and multi-street bluffs against people who are happy to call off their entire stack with TP9K. Just because I know I would play an overpair the same way doesn’t mean they do, or that they will fold their horribly weak (but still best) hand.
3) I don’t rate players at the $1-$2 level as intelligent. This I think is my biggest problem, as I have convinced myself that a turn raise from a $1-$2 player does not indicate a set as it would normally, but instead I put them on a straight draw, and surmise they will fold to an allin. I think ego is the cause of this, and by pretending that the money I have on that site is all that I have I should be able to rectify the situation.
If I continue to lose, I will drop down another level, and I think this experience will prove to be a very good refresher on poker winning basics, and bring back my proven TAG style, free from any evidence of FPS (Fancy Player Syndrome). After all, let’s leave the tricky stuff for the £25-$50 game :- )