Big Leak in My Game

I've been aware for some time about one of my major leaks: I tend to call down anyone who I think might be bluffing regardless of pot size, bet size, etc... I get burned a lot because many times (in fact, most times) people aren't bluffing. I KNOW I shouldn't call, but I do it...

Today, I was really working on this weakness. Basically, I forcing myself to really stop and think before calling down a big bet. Anyways, I got to thinking about something that happened a few weeks ago. Some asshole broke into my wife's car and stole her CD player. Now, it was a shitty CD player; not worth even $100. Easily replaced. I didn't care about having to spend the $100. The only thing I cared about was that some asshole was out there listening to a radio that's not his. And I wanted more than anything to find out who did that so I could take back that radio and beat his ass. Of course, I'll never know who took it. I should forget about it and move on.

Maybe you'll think that this is a stretch, but it's kind of the same situation with a bluffer in poker. I have a chance to find out if some guy is trying to steal my pot; all I have to do is call down his big bet. "Try to steal MY pot?! How do you feel now that I own your stack bitch?!!" or something like that... I end up in this mindset that everyone is just trying to steal my pots. I'm like a dog that's eating and another dog gets too close to his food bowl. To NOT call down every bet when I have a decent hand takes a lot if discipline.

Anyways, I don't know that there's any real point to this whole story. Just thought I'd share...

you are not alone. a lot of people when they are new have this tendency to see weakness as strength and strength as weakness. Everytime someone bets small they think they're slowplaying a monster, everytime they bet big they're bluffing.

to me, folding takes the most skill in poker. any fool can win money with aces but its the guy who doesn't get destacked when his pocket aces are up against a set on the flop who is the biggest long term winner. as for your case, you just gotta get those ideas out of your head. people don't win most of their money in poker by bluffing, they win it with good hands. your most surefire way to make money is to be smart, and play the best hands.

I'd say the biggest thing that helps me is picking the best games to play in. You don't have to be Johnny Chan to sit down in a really loose $1-2 game and leave with $60 profit.