Quote Originally Posted by nibbles
As I sit here stewing about my loss (can't call it a bad beat because I was behind the entire hand, but for some reason it feels like a bad beat)... Results aside, was that a bad call? The pot only had 57 cents, I was far from pot comitted with less than the nutz
Quote Originally Posted by dranger7070
Thats just a SICK cooler imo.
QFT.

Your call was fine nibbles, that's not a bad beat but it's a cooler which can be even more frustrating, when a strong hand is beaten by an even stronger hand. The reason it can seem even more frustrating than a bad beat is that in the majority of pots you wouldn't have had your money in bad you had a really strong hand but was just unlucky. But you shouldn't be frustrated really because that hand has made you money. Not in that specific hand sure, but over the course of the next x amount of times you play those hole cards with that flop you'll profit from that play - making that river call at these micro stakes will always be +++++ev so don't worry about losing that pot.

Quote Originally Posted by nibbles
I was far from pot comitted with less than the nutz
I think you know this but remember you're NEVER pot comitted in a cash game. The money in the pot isn't yours any more so don't worry if there's 0.01c in the pot or $10, all you're interested in when deciding to stay in a pot is if the pot is laying you the right price

I mean, everyone is a good poker player when they are getting good cards, but how do you play when you aren't getting the cards.
Great point. Jyms put this point across very simply in one of his GS videos, and it kind of stuck and helps to remind me what it's all about. He said it's easy to make money in a hand of poker, the tricky bit that will make you into a good player is not losing money. On the subject of GS seen as you asked, yes I think it's well worthwhile and will help your game. It's plugged a few holes in my understanding of basic ABC poker, but I think the most important part for me was to watch for hours (because there are a lot of videos) winning players play winning poker. They play just how we're told to play by the winning players at FTR but watching the videos at GS has really reinforced/built upon the huge amount that FTR has taught me.

Right now I feel like breaking all my rules and playing SnG's or move up to 5nl to recover my loses quickly.
Don't do it!!!! This is the cycle of poker degeneracy - and is doomed to failure. I was trapped in this for about five months. After constant encouragement and slapping into shape by FTR I think I'm finally out of it but it's not a nice trap to fall into. The trap is one of mindset and how you view winning at poker. How do you become a winning poker player? By having a winning session? No. By having a winning day/week/month? No. By playing disciplined winning poker every time you sit down to play, regardless of the result of any one hand or session? Yes! You know this because you have already said you know degenerating up the stakes would be a bad idea - but I'm just saying it to remind you that you're exactly right

Yesterday I literally had the worst ever session I've had since I started playing poker, I ran so bad I couldn't beleive it, and it was continual over the whole day I think I lost about 90% of showdowns and I was in front in about 80% of them when the chips went in. Luckily for me (because in the past I'd be tempted to gamble up the stakes when this happened just like you) I had spent the first couple of hours before I played writing down why I play poker, and what matters when I play, asking/probing/clarifying what will make me a winning player. I actually have written all this down in detail for myself and spent a long time doing it but in a nutshell my number one point was to recognise that the only way to win at poker is to approach it as a long term game, it's a game of probability and you have to give the probability a chance to even itself out by playing the right play over thousands of similiar hands. My number two point was: stay emotionally unattached from every hand, and my number three point was, recognise that every hand is unique and don't let past losses influence you. Simple but when you've really absorbed the truth of those three points the urge to move up to recoup losses or hit yourself when you lose a hand will start to fade until it's practically gone - but you have to really understand the truth and internalise all three points for that to happen. At no point yesterday because of the time I spent thinking about those three did I really feel *too* bad. That surprised me because it's a big diffence for me after such a losing day. Today I just went back and did exactly the same thing, tried to make the same descisions and stay emotionally out of every hand, and guess what... I've made the losing session back from yesterday and some!

Another bit of insight, when I win I like to savor the victory. I like walking away up for the session / day. But when I lose I wanna get right back in there and try to win my money back. That has definitely got to be the sign of a loser. Wanting to play when losing but not when winning
This is showing that you aren't thinking quite on the right level - (don't get me wrong it took me 5 months to get out of this way of thinking - so I'm not denigrating you for it!) This thinking is too hand/session focussed. Pretty much the exact same reasons that'll stop you from degenerating up the stakes will make you realise that the hand/session you play right now, really doesn't matter in the slightest.

We're lucky to have the benefit of FTR and the many great consistently winning players that make it up to learn from. :P Aside from their varying levels of technical insight and knowledge of how to play any particular hand in any given situation, they all have one thing in common... they recognise that poker is a long term game and this thinking filters down to every desicision they make at the table. As soon as you realise this and really take it on board you'll be amazed at how insignificant winning or losing any one hand/session will become. Instead of fighting your instincts because you know you shouldn't be gambling up to recoup a loss - or tilting because you just lost 20% of your BR - you'll start to see those feelings dissapear and before you know it you'll be asking yourself just where they have gone! I think we're at similiar crossroads in our poker journey I'm going to keep watching your blog with alot of interest =)