Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Books

I have been reading more books. I purchased 3 this month. I finished the first one last night. Poker is a technical game first, but a psychological game as well.

I have really been trying hard to work on the mental side. I have learned and now practicing some basic fundamentals. Poker is a game where the scorecard is money, but if you worry about the money, it will effect your play. You become less aggressive, less confident, pass up opportunities and make many other mistakes. I am trying not count my chips! I am messing up my stacks, mixing the units and basically leaving chips in uneven messes! I am only concentrating on the decisions I make. Nothing more, nothing less! The more good decisions I make, the more money I will make in the long term (maybe not in the short term).

Interesting question from the book. If you could win $50 100% of the time or $60 90% of the time, which would you choose? Play it out 10 times or 20 times. You will always make more with a less win rate in this example! So going back to the long term goal of amking the correct decision; and that being the only decision you care about, how important then is a session or even a week of sessions? Those things become irrevelent, so I am working hard at putting no value to any given session or amount won / lost during it. The long term is exactly that. So what if you win or lose today, as long a your decisions are correct.

This how I want to play and will play! It is hard to think this way though. The book says "desentitize yourself to money". "The money will take care of itself". "The only thing you are in control of is your decisions!" I believe this 100% and vigorously trying to develop the skill.

Keep you posted.

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