NWPatriot
Rock Star
Silver Level
How do you all cope with variance during your play? I recently had an a-ha moment, brought on during reading Jared Tendler's book "The Mental Game of Poker".
I realized that when I play heads-up, I accept that it really boils down to who gets the right cards at the right time. This is the essence of variance. Because “Player A” happened to win this time, it does not necessarily mean he has an advantage (edge) over “Player B”. He may be better, but he may not. When I pay heads-up, I accept this completely, and losing heads-up does not bother me at all. Maybe this is because I am content with taking 2nd place money, or maybe it is because I truly believe what I am telling myself.
However, if I truly believe this, when heads-up, then why don’t I believe this every other time I lose a hand? I hate losing. If I could solve this, would I become a much better player?
Anyone with a similar flaw in their game, and if so, how do you correct it?
I realized that when I play heads-up, I accept that it really boils down to who gets the right cards at the right time. This is the essence of variance. Because “Player A” happened to win this time, it does not necessarily mean he has an advantage (edge) over “Player B”. He may be better, but he may not. When I pay heads-up, I accept this completely, and losing heads-up does not bother me at all. Maybe this is because I am content with taking 2nd place money, or maybe it is because I truly believe what I am telling myself.
However, if I truly believe this, when heads-up, then why don’t I believe this every other time I lose a hand? I hate losing. If I could solve this, would I become a much better player?
Anyone with a similar flaw in their game, and if so, how do you correct it?