I'm not feeling confident in my game

A

amirsal

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Hi,
I'm 20 years old, played poker with friends like once a month for like 2 years.
about 4-5 months ago i've decided I want to take it to the next level, trying to profit from it. I began learning and reading, playing online real money MTT's mostly (My favorite game). I've had some deeps runs, I'm mostly busting before the money, or a short time after the bubble explodes, but I have made a couple of final tables and top 100 out of 1.5-2k players mtts.

I've also started recently playing live mtt's localy (relatively small ones, about 50-70 players). I've played just 2 live tournaments, the first i've finished 11 out of a field of about 55. and today I've made it to the final table and busted 9th out of a field of 60+.

What I came here to say, and get your opinions about it, is that I'm not feeling like im actually playing well. I don't know if it's just a confidence thing or a real problem. I feel like I'm being a nit, and just running good these 2 tournaments.

I don't recall making more the 2-3 moves during the whole tournament (I'd say I played about 15-20% of hands, perhaps 10-15 hands or so.
During the tournament I've tried noticing patterns and physical tells, but I kept losing concentration and just playing the hands i've been dealt and nothing more.

Do yo guys mind sharing your opinion about this? maybe you've experienced the same thing in the past? I'm feeling really insecure and discouraged to continue attending these live events.
 
dbchristy

dbchristy

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Ive been playing cash since 2007. I have lost my confidence. I feel Im a joke player..sigh comes and goes
 
Mason Pye

Mason Pye

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Maybe you should take a little break and within that break, study a bit so you can come back better
 
R

Rumme1

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Ive been playing cash since 2007. I have lost my confidence. I feel Im a joke player..sigh comes and goes

Several things must be considered.

what stakes do you play ? If its only micro/ small games, then what is your goal ? Is it just a hobby to pass the time, or are you serious about moving up to bigger games and making poker a solid form of income to pay bills, etc ?

I dont play in 1 cent 2 cent games , that have a $1.00 buy in , but I would imagine playing in those games is much different then playing in games that are a $200 min buy in with $1- $3 blinds.
 
SBEP

SBEP

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U r a NIT player, nothing wrong with that, its just when u play like that, ull not make it as often on FT as if u played a bit looser, NIT is good to make it in the money, but far less then a well balanced player, and they always have problems when on bubble play, they are always short stacked :D
But playing loose, is also not that great, i mean ull might have variance on your side lets say at the beginning, but when the variance turns its back on you, ull crush haaaaaard :D
So u have to be a balanced player, and by that i mean, u have to adapt very well on the table u are playing, if the table is tight u play loose, if its loose u play tight, u have to adapt, and always play to win the damn thing, whats the point if u just make it ITM, its pointless short as long term, when u play to win, ull find your self in better spot, game wise and mentality wise...
So u have a long road ahead of u, but thats the beauty of everything, it makes success that much sweeter, the harder the road, the sweeter the reward.
 
Syltan

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Sooner or later there comes a time when you think you absolutely can't play and you're the last fish!! Need to rest for a few days, the broadcast will look through the article to read
 
BentleyBoy

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Amirsal.....SBEP is correct. Review how you play as it does sound like SBEP has Sussed your game out straight away, which means players on your table will too. The advice to take a break is also good, however, during that break, don't play poker, but read and study....and play a game that requires concentration, like 10/10 or Tetris ( but doesn't have money riding on it ) to refocus your concentration levels. Try to be fully aware of how you play and how you could mix that up a little...... Being tight at the start but also floating a few weaker hands when the position and pot odds are good to try and get involved early on to build a stack, then loosen and tighten as the game develops and situations arise. Also don't just focus on your dealt cards. Play the situation.

Good luck
 
AlyLauren

AlyLauren

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Its normal that you don't feel positive in your games you can't always be lucky, but remember to keep in mind that your goal is to win on the competition and for this to happen yo need to be positive.
 
midgetfactory

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I think every poker player can feel as you described in your post at some point in their career. Poker is a game of skill and sometimes luck can beat skill. Just keep getting it in when you should and it should balance out, and your confidence should come back
 
Greg Austin

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your fine!!! If your making it to the final table your doing great. I think your just being hard on yourself. Maybe you just need to learn to losen up a little bit after the bubble. Get in there and gamble a little bit!!! you have to losen up or the blinds will choke you to death. raise on that button, abuse it....maybe you havent done this but button play is so vital. keep on cashin!!!
 
P

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Ya from what you say you've final tabled in a field of a couple thousand people, had to be making some good moves along the way. Maybe be more specific on what aspects of your game you next to improve or at what point of the tournament were you not confident at, (river calls), preflop betting? , post flop decisions, bubble play. Where is the second guessing coming from? As said before study off the table and soak up information. A lot of videos on YouTube and ebooks are out there.
 
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Reelmookey

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start playing 0.01-0.02 cash games track 2000 hands at the end of that see if you have profited or lost if you have profited and done so in i good percentage that should be ample proof that taking your poker to the next level is a good idea, if your trying to make money playing poker tournament play is a difficult way to make money bacause of the amount of times you will place, but with good cash game tactics you can be much more profitable
 
A

amirsal

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Thank you everyone for the comments, they're really helpful.
Regarding the final table thing. I've made the final table online out of a couple of thousands but I remember feeling pretty satisfied with my game then.
The problem started a few weeks ago, when I stopped cashing and couldn't make it work as much as I used to. Then I went to this live tourny yesterday. I wasn't constantly short stacked by the way. At first I chipped up and was table chip leader, then i started getting blinded out untill my next major income (raised from the button with K-6s or so, got called and turned a flush). So I did try making moves, most of them didn't work and I got lucky even though they didn't work. (before the bubble I had about 12BB so I went All-in 3 times. the first 2 everyone folded, and the last one was my AK vs AJ, resulted in a split pot instead of a double up for me.
That's why I was shortstacked and the final table and left feeling I didn't play my best...
 
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MikeyE8

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Keep playing and if your profiting than maybe it's a self-esteem problem and you need to work through it. If your not profiting than study more often and watch other poker players play.
 
Ivab

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We must learn not to think about money while you play. Generally I do not think there is nothing other than games. Just concentrate and play your poker. Remove emotions. Leave only a cold calculation. When this can be done I spend a successful game. During the game, the whole mind must be busy - the supervision of the other players, counting chances, and so on. After each game well Activities analyzing their mistakes. A confidence in the game comes over time. Defeat should not lead to a bad mood. Defeat must make a strong character.
 
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Dan Lucas

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Don't get too hung up about results. You can be playing the best poker of your life and still get beat. That's poker. paulmall007 has really good advice. If you make good plays, and you can last long enough, your results should reflect that. Just keep hanging in there.
 
T

templehall

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My name is David and I play at Americascardroom I am playing poker for a profit. I too have the same worries about cashing but I think it's more from a lack of playing experience. I have started reading books and articles specially here at Cardchat. I feel my game will improve but it's just going to take a lot of practice. I need to improve at all area but I will learn thanks to all that is here it does help reading the forums
 
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jerohit

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take a break.. and then start again.. dont fear to play your good cards against a raise.. this happens with most of the player of any game.. you can recover it by taking a break and refresh your mind by making a nature trip..
 
Zelengorov

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You must think like a champion and then you will start to play like a champion.
 
Amanda A

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I think those feeling will pass. I think it is like anything competitive. I play tennis and sometimes I feel like I can't hit the ball. I feel like I totally suck, other times I feel I play great, that I'm the one calling the shots, setting the pace, placing the ball right and hitting the winners. Sometimes you feel you control the game, sometime the game plays you.
 
John A

John A

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Thank you everyone for the comments, they're really helpful.
Regarding the final table thing. I've made the final table online out of a couple of thousands but I remember feeling pretty satisfied with my game then.
The problem started a few weeks ago, when I stopped cashing and couldn't make it work as much as I used to. Then I went to this live tourny yesterday. I wasn't constantly short stacked by the way. At first I chipped up and was table chip leader, then i started getting blinded out untill my next major income (raised from the button with K-6s or so, got called and turned a flush). So I did try making moves, most of them didn't work and I got lucky even though they didn't work. (before the bubble I had about 12BB so I went All-in 3 times. the first 2 everyone folded, and the last one was my AK vs AJ, resulted in a split pot instead of a double up for me.
That's why I was shortstacked and the final table and left feeling I didn't play my best...

Variance.

People go months and months and more w/o cashing in tournaments. The only problem here is you don't have any perspective. You've only played a short amount of time, had some quick success, and think it's supposed to happen like that all the time. No matter how good you are, you're going to have long stretches where nothing goes right, or you just run bad.

The lesson you can pull from this is have stronger mental fortitude when things aren't going your way, because the more you play poker, and the higher the stakes you play, the greater and longer your variance is going to be.

You'll be fine if you just stay positive and focus on the quality of your decisions and not your results.
 
shinedown.45

shinedown.45

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Variance.

People go months and months and more w/o cashing in tournaments. The only problem here is you don't have any perspective. You've only played a short amount of time, had some quick success, and think it's supposed to happen like that all the time. No matter how good you are, you're going to have long stretches where nothing goes right, or you just run bad.

The lesson you can pull from this is have stronger mental fortitude when things aren't going your way, because the more you play poker, and the higher the stakes you play, the greater and longer your variance is going to be.

You'll be fine if you just stay positive and focus on the quality of your decisions and not your results.
^THIS^ +1:)
 
makisaa

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Maybe you are not so consentrated, in the game. Maybe you must be more carefull.
 
lionking_kg

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NIT player - nothing wrong with that. As you said you made final table and thats fine no matter how many players played. You were better that 50 players and only 8 is better than You. And thats fine. You said: ''During the tournament I've tried noticing patterns and physical tells, but I kept losing concentration...'' and thats the way how its goes but you shouldnt base you play on poker tells and/or cards you are delt. You should be mixing the game and make some bluffs when you find that propely - usually stealing blinds and so....
Playing online theres a little tells but when you find some you make some notes about that. And like someone said its biiig difference in MTTs depending of stakes and you have to adapt your play on that. Every mtt soon or later come to kind of all in situation and you should accept that (especially on micro stakes).
Anyway i prefer to be tight aggressive in mtts than nit play.
 
mbrenneman0

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The hold em tournament formula by Arnold Snyder. Get it.
 
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