Posts - August, 27, 2007
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Donking
August 27, 2007We all do it. Some more than others (thank God). We may be otherwise good players but every once and awhile we can't help ourselves. We just have to do it. We play that hand. You know the one. The one that we should fold. The raise that we shouldn't call. And there go our chances in the tournament. There goes the cash we've been grinding out the last 2-3 hours to earn.
What possesses us?? We know how to play. We know that we have to be patient. We know that every hand is independent of every other hand. But we do it anyway. Maybe we've been watching other players risk way too much with way too little and drawing out. Maybe we've been card dead for awhile and FINALLY are looking down at playable cards. Not great, but playable. So we overplay our hands and watch as our hard earned (won) chips go flying away.
What can we do?? The human mind is an amazing thing. It can make us ignore the obvious. It can tell us our middle pair is good. It can tell us that of course we're going to hit our draw. Everybody else has been hitting theirs. So surely we'll hit ours. Bzzzzzzt. Wrong answer.
When we find ourselves slipping and that little voice starts getting louder telling us to play those marginal hands, what can we do?? We have to stand firm. We have to do things to break up the grind and stay sharp. I like to put my opponents on hands especially when I'm not in the hand. Then I can watch the action with a little more interest. Just a mental game. Taking notes of everything my opponent does. Maybe I can pick up a tell. At least I'm not bored and getting mentally drained. At times, I even get tired of this. This means it must be break time. Walk around. Shake the cobwebs from your head. Easy to do in a ring game. Not so easy in a tournament. With set breaks, you may find yourself watching the tournament clock a little too much. Make it a point to ignore this clock. You need to know how much longer in a level but not how close you are to that smoke break. You can't really concentrate on poker when you're staring at a clock.
So while it happens to us all, do everything and anything that you need to do to keep your head in the game and play at the top of your game. Eliminating mistakes is the easiest way to elevate your game to the next level.
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