Full Moooooonnn Owoooo

Does anyone have a hard time playing like I do, around the time of the full moon?
We all know that stuff happens; ambulance workers, cops or anyone working with the public knows this is a volatile time.
I find that for the few days heading into a full moon, my games, or the cards, or other people, are off -- I can't win, my game suffers.
For a few days after, things usually improve a lot. I look forward to the waning moon because the fishies seem to be biting like crazy.
I know some of this may be psychological, but I don't think so. I always know when there is a full moon around, without looking at the calendar or the sky. We know the moon has a huge physical effect on us, as it does the tides, because we are 85% (or so) water.
Any other experiences or thoughts about this full mooooon thing?
(BTW this belongs in the Strategy section because I know there is an effect on peoples games -- I heard advice from a poker pro a long time ago: Never play on the full moon).

why is everyone skeered o this??

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Uh.. no. No difference here.

Is this a serious post?

how do you do that?? super powers? or is the full moon always usually on the same day? hmmm.. maybe its a placebo effect for yourself.

Yes of course it is. Why do people like city kids not believe that the world around them has an effect on them? Effects of the FM are well documented among animals, plants, people etc. Look it up.
I am looking for its effect on poker.

Not super powers, normal human/animal senses. The natural world around is not a mystery, or something apart from us, like a computer screen.
I dont think you know what 'placebo' means, because it makes no sense here.

Hmm. Research seems to suggest the full moon effect is somewhere between small and none:


Full Moon Effect On Behavior Minimal, Studies Say

How does the moon affect us? - Health News, Health & Wellbeing - The Independent

The moon definitely influences many things, from plants to hair.

I first became a believer over mowing the lawn. It seemed I was mowing every week (on my old push mower), and still it was getting out of hand. So the next year, I mowed once in a fertile, waxing sign to make it grow and right away had the greenest lawn in the neighborhood. Then I mowed in a waning moon, sterile sign and only had to mow about once every 6 weeks! I'd sit with a drink in the shade, watching my neighbors riding around on their fancy lawnmowers every few days.

Now I run a plant nursery and do everything by the moon, from cuttings to fertilizing to harvesting. Amazing what a difference it makes!

So why not poker? It should affect everyone, but I imagine it makes the maniacs even more manic!

This is much like my students do, make a fast google to prove something. Two articles (of your choice to back you up) are inconsequential re the literature and common experience (Farmers Almanac for instance). Here are two that confirm what I know, no point in going on all day posting links back and forth I hope, peeps can do their own research if they believe all the answers can be googled or answered in the academic literature...

Full Moon & Human Behavior

Full Moon Ion Effect

He was talking about the placebo effect, not actual placebos.

Anyway, we don't "know" the moon has a big effect on us... in fact the opposite is true, it has been demonstrated to have little effect. The fact that we are made of 70% water means nothing... the moon doesn't affect water differently from any other substance.

The full moon is basically meaningless for anything measurable, but you can keep up your superstition if it makes you happy. And remember, if you didn't hit your flush last time, it probably will come next time!

^^^^
Yes, there may be a placebo effect, and a kind of communal reaction caused by belief, which can lead to consequences, and that indicates that the effects of a full moon on human activity are real... or demonstrable.

Ok, you win. Clearly there's no point in arguing when you have no evidence, nor any signs of being open to contrary evidence. Neither of these websites seem very reliable, nor do they cite their studies.

The study of lunar effects on behavior, etc. is not real science, much like astrology. This has been demonstrated repeatedly. If you would like to refuse to accept this, that's your choice. I'm done here.

I've merged these threads, as there really isn't a need to have two open on the same topic. Not sure how it would fall under Poker Strategies, so will just leave this one here in General.

Hardly, just the first two I found.

Actually, I have no firm views on the matter, and will cheerfully accept your point of view if the evidence is there. It is not something I had previously thought about.

So, you found a reason for your downswing. It's not your fault. It's the moon's fault!

Would you like some tires with zero death crystals?

YouTube - Head and Shoulders Death Crystals

Txs bender, I missed this before, among the pseudo-science questioning (its all good). Your phenomenological observation (common sense, observation) has shown u something that 'science' cannot prove or disprove, and so dismisses. I have high regard for gardeners, I am one too, and fishers and hunters and anyone who has sense of and closeness to the land and world around. The kids in the cities with their concrete world will always be looking for 'concrete' answers about nature, since they cannot observe it or participate directly (it is really sad how much people have put all their trust in 'science,' computers and industry -- all they know about where we are).

Txs Juiceeq for merging these, I was trying to do so earlier but cant or dont know how.

Surely phenomenological observation would be empirically demonstrable and is actually the foundation of science?

Cheap shot, I am not talking about a downswing, I am talking about a phenomena I observe around 13 times every year. And in my experiece, in poker, I do much better just after a FM than before. In fishing, I also do better. Etc. There are natural cycles in this world, ignore them if you wish, or go read another blog about science.
BTW any women here who can talk about moons? Thot not... scaredy cats...

Yes of course, particularly with regard to Indigenous knowledge, but academic science is often self-indulgent and limited by its own (often political) agenda, not that of the world around. It is unfortunate that most people liken the word 'science' to 'god;' they are missing a lot of their own lives.
With regards to the phenomenon I am describing, most people here will seem to believe what they read (science); not the world around. 'Science' as an authority and institution we have contrived can lead us astray.
For example, what we all read every day: "Scientists say that..." and people buy it. Nothing wrong with science, but not questioning the origins of its empirical assumptions is a mistake. And its arrogance in dismissing Indigenous, folk or common knowledge is a fundamental flaw: I am talking western (Eurocentric) science here.

That's what I was taught, yes. If a phenomenon is observed, an explanation is required of science. If none exists, one needs to be put in place.

I'd check my databases for anomalies during the full moon, but the problem with the premise of this thread, though, is that poker is a zero-sum game. Everyone can't be doing worse during a full moon. Someone must win. So it might not help if I check my stats since I don't know if I'm supposed to win or lose.

Is there a test I can take, Makwa? I grew up on the countryside, btw, if that helps. Woods all around my house, and no real city to speak of for miles.

To my limited mind, that is a great advantage, and helps account for your success at the game. Can I do a case study on you?

In the countryside you grew up in btw, does anyone pay attention to the state of the moon on a seasonal basis? No need to answer, even the city kids know the answer to that one. But I would like to hear your thoughts...

BTW this all came about because I am staring at a huge harvest full moon as we speak.

Not sure what you're getting at, surely any phenomena that's observable is measurable, whether by natives to an area or not?


Is there another type, tautology surely?

Hell of a sweeping statement. Science begins with a hypothesis and then seeks to prove it. If it can't be proved by the evidence then form a new hypothesis and start again. Science isn't supposed to be infallable it's an attempt to explain how the world works by a set of rules and new evidence is constantly being added to the debate.

Don't agree with that. What you seem to be getting at is that we should believe in the power of the unprovable or in other words have faith. That's fair enough and believe in what you like, but the moon affecting poker is going to require a bit of evidence and as FP said, one man's loss is by definition anothers gain.

Irex, emprical science exists in a vacuum of its own construction. That is its limitation.

It cannot explain what it does not contemplate, or the factors it ignores in its construction. And what we are discussing takes in more than science can prove in its limited state today.

Why do you stare at my finger when I am pointing at the moon?

Sorry, didn't realise you were just trolling.

No, thats day after tomorrow, after the moon (here)...

"The night clouds dissolve

Hotei pointing at the moon

holds no opinion"

('Moon of Enlightenment', from Tsukioka Yoshitoshi's One Hundred Views of the Moon, via monkeybuddha.blogspot.com)

This aint about western science, stats, math or anything else you learned in skul. I am asking if anyone has had experience with the phenomenon I am describing, not looking for an argument on the origins of science or its validity. If all your understanding must come from there, too bad.

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[x] makwa smoked some good shyt today

The nun Wu Jincang asked the Sixth Patriach Huineng, "I have studied the Mahaparinirvana sutra for many years, yet there are many areas i do not quite understand. Please enlighten me."
The patriach responded, "I am illiterate. Please read out the characters to me and perhaps i will be able to explain the meaning."
Said the nun, "You cannot even recognize the characters. How are you able then to understand the meaning?"
"Truth has nothing to do with words. Truth can be likened to the bright moon in the sky. Words, in this case, can be likened to a finger. The finger can point to the moon's location. However, the finger is not the moon. To look at the moon, it is necessary to gaze beyond the finger, right?"

Source: Zen Inspiration

walter pointing at the "moon"







This was the first time I had heard Walter say "moon" and identify it. He's not outside in the evening very much...he must have learned this word at school.
Source, txs to: walter pointing at the "moon" and "tower" on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Yas yas, txs txs.

And good thanksgiving full moon to boot, w turkey and all the trimmings. Any canucks out there, happy thanksgiving!! Please drop by if u r in Ottawa. You Americans, we will celebrate yours too in Nov. near the full moon. You Brits and others not from here, as you were, carry on, sure you also have seasonal, moon-related events, so enjoy... Do these events affect your poker game (trying a different angle here)...?

gosh, i dont know about the changes in the moon....never paid that much attention as to my poker game, I just know I suck like 99% of the time, so maybe I could use it as a good luck charm or something!

Hey my bad if it came across that I was making fun of you. I was not.. I would've posted this sooner but my 24-hour limit of 7 posts was used. I love space .. LOVEEEEEE.. the only thing I watch on TV is discovery / travel / science / history channels.. The world is amazing and i'm probably one of the biggest tree huggers you have ever met. however i'm not able to tell when there is a full moon without looking at the sky or seeing it on the calendar. The placebo effect does make sense in that thread as it would be something that works for you. You feel that the full moon does have these effects on you and you've said that over time it has proven itself to be true for you. There are others who say that they've done research and have read it has little to no effect.. they are either just too logical or it does happen to be a placebo effect for you. I don't think a placebo effect is a bad thing either. The mind is the most amazing powerful thing out there and if one could gain control of it and turn up the percentage we use they can be greatly rewarded with special abilities and such. Once again sorry if my post came off offensive.. I don't think i'll be able to post this for another 8 hours or so but i'll make sure it gets posted =) Have a good one.

^^^
I am not discounting other factors (such as physical), but the 'placebo effect' of the belief that the FM changes things, therefore it does, does come into play I think. Particualrly, a communal placebo effect, in that many people in society believe the moon alters things, so they alter their behaviour. This can extend to the poker room or anywhere...

The FM has many benefits. For instance, if you turn the money in your pockets around upon first seeing the FM, you will get more -- so I always do this on the way to the game!! Its always worked so far -- superstition turning to the placebo effect?? Wooooooo..sh...shhhh K now Im gettin silly. Or?