Playing to feel good

Whether you're a good player or an aspiring bad player (like me during a bad day), try and remember that although you may want to win every time you play poker, it isn't always going to happen. Make your life easier and don't aim for that. Try instead to play in a way which makes you feel good.

Some people feel good when they execute a great bluff. Some prefer making an excellent read, and acting upon it confidently. Others feel best when they make a tough but correct laydown. I like all of these things, and I like them best in combination. When I'm playing well, I honestly don't care about the results. I just enjoy the act of playing itself, and for a pro who may otherwise face burnout I think that's pretty important.

Those times when I'm playing below my 'A-game' is when I start to focus on results, bad beats and other such irrelevant short-term factors. You've probably heard it before, but play well and you will be rewarded over time. Play badly and you will be punished. You can't change that, but I have had to learn that the hard way!

So another week as a pro has ended, and it wasn't too bad, considering. Over the last weekend, I played about 5 hours, and managed to lose almost 3k. Some of it was due to setup hands (flopping an OESFD with 5c6c against a big donkey, playing it very aggressively and finally hitting my baby flush on the river - only to lose the eventual $1600 pot to his Kc9c). Most of it though was I think playing poorly, and so my meagre profit for that week was erased and I had another annoying negative profit week. Over the subsequent week, aside from one day where I was spewing at $1/2, I feel I played very well, and pulled my results back into the black. When I do play well, I find it so easy to recognise what it means to play badly.

I was going to title this post "How to win at mid-limit poker #4 : Don't get tricky". I wanted to outline a few donkey plays I've noticed myself making when I'm playing poorly to remind myself that I too make dumb-ass plays, and that if I can stop making them I can plug one of my biggest leaks....

Whenever I'm playing below my A-game, I notice I start getting tricky. This is a sure sign of bad play, and maybe a form of tilt for me. Getting tricky for me has recently involved:

• Representing a Q on a flop of Q Q 9 on several streets (and thereby ignoring the calls of my opponent who actually holds said Q)
• After 3 betting preflop with TT, check-raising when a flop of A K 3 comes down
• Calling a pot sized bet on a monotone flop with an underpair (not of that suit) just to 'see what my opponent does next'
• Bluff check-raising my opponent on a draw-free flop, and then continuing to bet into them after they have called

I have noticed I still have a worrying propensity to make donkey calls purely on the basis that I know I'm up against a long-term losing player. I simply ignore the large size of the river bets, tell myself they are bluffing and make the call with my weak hand. It's another of my big leaks, and I recognise it fully. I'm working on fixing it in my head, which is I guess all I really can do.

Other than practive, blog reading and reviewing my play through PT, to improve my game I've also started listening to cash plays radio podcasts with Bart Hanson taken from Poker Road. There are some interesting bits of advice in there, some from guest players. I don't agree with some of the advice, but I'm thinking about it and any interaction with poker material must be of some benefit.

Anyway, just wanted to post something as it's been a while and I haven't been particularly forthcoming of late, so hope all is well with you and that you keep me posted with life and poker in your own blogs. Catch up soon amigos...