How do you become less results/money oriented?

J

Jonny03UK

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I think this is a serious problem of mine when playing poker and I think it's going to be a hard, if not impossible, problem to fix.

Problem is in general I've always been a tight guy, strict with my money and generally pretty good with it too. I've inherited it from my Dad who is perhaps the tightest man with money I've ever known. If he can save money on something... he WILL save money on something. Because of his ways, it's just naturally passed on to me and not being the richest guy ever, I tend to save money and watch my spending too. Money isn't a problem but I kind of just don't like spending.

So obviously this translates into poker in the fact that I do not in any way like to see money go. Meaning even if it's a +EV decision and a donk sucks out, I find it really hard to take. I'm only playing at the micros too! Just now I've finished a session and had to really fight my way back to make it a positive one. I made a couple of bad calls earlier on in the session which cost me. I decided to move up from 2NL to 4NL and try to win it back. Don't worry, I am rolled for 4NL no problem but I know that having to move up cause I want to win my money back is a bad thing.

So the questions are:

Is there any reading material out there that you'd suggest to try and overcome this problem or at least lessen the problem?
How have you personally become less results/money oriented yourself? I'd like to see how others have dealt with it.

I really don't want this to effect my game too badly. Especially as I'm not far off being rolled for 10NL; I can just see myself struggling with seeing larger amounts of money going into the pot and exchanging hands.
 
SYWTWAF

SYWTWAF

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How have you personally become less results/money oriented yourself? I'd like to see how others have dealt with it.
I identify with much of what you say, in that I consider myself pretty frugal as well, and quite risk averse. I've rid myself of almost all sense of "money-orientedness" by practicing extremely tight bankroll management. I play at stakes far below what my roll can adequately handle, in games where I'm certain I'm profitable, and with the knowledge that my risk of ruin is about as close to 0 as it can get. Doing all that allows me to face specific results with an air of indifference. I know I'm consistently putting myself into profitable situations, and I know it's literally impossible for me to go broke, so I really don't care if I lose a pot here or there or ten times in a row.

The problem with my over-managing style, though, is that I perhaps have more trouble moving up than most. I'm currently trying to progress by occasionally incorporating and getting used to games at the next level of stakes. Along the way I ask myself if I'm holding my breath in anticipation as the cards are dealt, or if I feel a pang when I watch my bankroll drop after busting out of several consecutive tourneys. Answering yes indicates that I'm still afflicted by results-oriented thinking at this level, and thus that there are still mental humps I need to overcome before I'm ready to fully transition just yet.
 
MediaBLITZ

MediaBLITZ

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Well I am inherently unmotivated by money and more about winning - even if its free bar poker. The feeling of winning or losing is very close to the same for me whether it was free poker or a $125 tourney at the casino. BUT I HATE losing and am willing to bet that (for me) it is an issue on level with yours about money. I got much better by focusing on the usual - correct decisions and the math involved proving the correct decision. Using Poker Stove to confirm (or deny) my decisions and in the process become a better player (which I have worked at as being a bigger objective than winning). If becoming a better player is your focus and you can count the money as an investment into that you may be much better off.

I hear the Jared Tendler material is something you might want to check out.
 
Arjonius

Arjonius

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To some extent, it's a matter of desensitizing yourself. The more you play at a given level, the more losses you'll experience even if you're an overall winner. Over time, these losses will affect you less, basically because you get used to them - how quickly will vary from person to person.

When you move up in stakes, let the process repeat. Note that this doesn't mean anyone can eventually become comfortable playing for nosebleed stakes since personal factors can create personal "ceilings" where people decide it's no longer worth trying to play another level higher.
 
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