Keeping Emotions Checked

I'm curious what strategies others may use to maintain playing logically and not allowing emotions to hasten action within a hand. Forgive the clumsy wording here but what I'm getting at is that feeling of things speeding up in your head causing you to act without thinking it through completely.

Try reading, if you haven't already the book named "Zen and the art of poker". They preach the way of Zen while playing poker, and putting emotions aside is a big part of it. Not getting attached to hands is key. Also playing quickly is another talked about strategy but only so that others do no see hesitation or weakness, playing at the same speed so others don't pick up on anything.

Also as my good friend Inscore always says, have a "Short memory". Meaning that if you lose to a suckout or unbeleivable hand, just forget about it. Don't let it effect your play in the following hands.

Cool thanks, read a little of your blog "sharkscope"? Interesting!

lol yeah sry my graphs are not showing , and I'm trying to get them back up.

notevnifubeg said:

Cool thanks, read a little of your blog "SharkScope"? Interesting!

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My opinion is also that it is very good.

I found during my rookie years after losing to ridicules play, I would steam so bad for so long, I didn't have a chance and would always lose. Now after years and losing thousands of hands to ridicules play, I've become prepared for it at any time, and steam for only a few minutes, knowing not to get involved in anything during those few minutes unless absolutely no choice. For most people like myself, it takes years to develop.

quads said:

I found during my rookie years after losing to ridicules play, I would steam so bad for so long, I didn't have a chance and would always lose. Now after years and losing thousands of hands to ridicules play, I've become prepared for it at any time, and steam for only a few minutes, knowing not to get involved in anything during those few minutes unless absolutely no choice. For most people like myself, it takes years to develop.

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I know just what you're driving at in terms of experience changing reaction. Players answering my pre flop raise of AA from the button with their 7-8 off in early position, and then calling to the river with a gutshot straight draw that fills on the river was getting dangerously close to causing random baldness from sudden follicle extraction.

I've also noticed my game changing ever so slightly, but noticeably, I'm not as hesitant to throw monster starting hands away when they appear to be second best, it's easier to dump KK, when the flop brings an A to a player that has answered my pre-flop raise. Marginal starting hands have also lost much of their allure. Could it be that I don't have to be a Donkey the rest of my life?

i think once you can play more systematically, emotions go away on their own

KingCurtis said:

Also as my good friend Inscore always says, have a "Short memory". Meaning that if you lose to a suckout or unbeleivable hand, just forget about it. Don't let it effect your play in the following hands.

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It's also good having an actual short memory. Playing live, I'm terrible for forgetting my hole cards. Does make me difficult to read, I imagine.

vanquish said:

i think once you can play more systematically, emotions go away on their own

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Vanquish, may I ask you what process you go through when you play "systematically"?

I believe I know what you mean, but my experience with assuming is fraught with painful life experiences.

notevnifubeg said:

Vanquish, may I ask you what process you go through when you play "systematically"?

I believe I know what you mean, but my experience with assuming is fraught with painful life experiences.

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like open raising AK im MP, getting 3bet from button by some semi-LAG 2/3 stack guy, shoving, and seeing that you lost to AJ. at that point, it's like, oh well ship the sklansky bucks, and move on to the next hand. this becomes a lot easier when you have a few tables open and you're always focusing on making the decision without thinking about the results.