Emotion

[Carl Trooper]

I understand what you mean, I've done something similar. But nowadays it is common practice to look up who you're playing against and getting "scouting reports" so you know more about your opponents. Do you think you'd ever try this?


I just started the Mental Game of Poker also. So far it is pretty awesome and I think it will end up helping me tremendously.

Yeh I probably will to a certain extent, but I feel as if I play better not knowing who is a "pro" vs "nobody".

I am playing in the WPT in montreal this friday and I rather size up opponents based on table play vs past results.

 

[rifflemao]

I am playing in the WPT in montreal this friday and I rather size up opponents based on table play vs past results.

Good luck sir, I hope you crush it!

 

[cyper1122]

poker is always about the way you play not the cards you hold , so i think emotions are realy important because it effects your game a lot
when some one is losing too much money it's more likely to lose big pots because the style is getting more and more aggressive and when some one is runnig good it will keep building up chips and play tighter , so don't ever make your emotions decide your game

 

[blender803]

if i have a bed beat i can focus on poker almoust 1 day

 

[awmm1983]

Emotions must be totally eradicated while playing poker.

You must be in a neutral state of mind and base every decision you make on logic.

Anything more is no good IMHO.


Overconfident = spewy
Scarred= passive
Tilt= Crazy plays.


You got to balance your game by getting rid of emotions and just do what you believe must be done in order to win the most or lose the least.

You have to explode with joy when you nail the river or get in to a fight pre flop with your aces. You celebrate the moment. When you get sucked out or play like a donk you have to feel like a fool and let it go. Otherwise you turn into a rock and that's no way to live your life. I don't think we should have negative emotions, however,i don't think that means we tar all emotions with the same brush. If we didn't feel so foolish when we screw up we wouldn't learn and we wouldn't play if we didn't feel joy. If it's just about the money then i think you lose your soul. The money will come if you are a good player, right? Cristiano Ronaldo was never not going to win the European cup just because he shows emotion.. I mean , when John Terry scores a header he doesn't not show his emotions and yet he regains his focus to defend again. When Buffon saves a penalty he jumps with joy. He's still the best keeper in the world. I know poker is a different game but i like analogies.

 

[sleepymike]

Lots of situations where emotions can ruin your night. I find that revenge/anger leads to the worst. Used to let loud mouths get under my skin, but now I just laugh at them and play my game

 

[vinylspiros]

You have to explode with joy when you nail the river or get in to a fight pre flop with your aces. You celebrate the moment. When you get sucked out or play like a donk you have to feel like a fool and let it go. Otherwise you turn into a rock and that's no way to live your life. I don't think we should have negative emotions, however,i don't think that means we tar all emotions with the same brush. If we didn't feel so foolish when we screw up we wouldn't learn and we wouldn't play if we didn't feel joy. If it's just about the money then i think you lose your soul. The money will come if you are a good player, right? Cristiano Ronaldo was never not going to win the European cup just because he shows emotion.. I mean , when John Terry scores a header he doesn't not show his emotions and yet he regains his focus to defend again. When Buffon saves a penalty he jumps with joy. He's still the best keeper in the world. I know poker is a different game but i like analogies.

When you decide to play the game seriously and play thousand of hands daily for years, it becomes a routine. Standard hands play themselves out alot of the time and you re-live the same flips over and over and over. Your decisions must be based on logic and the outcome is irrelevant.


If you play the hand the right way,yes the money will come. I never jump from Joy when i get aces (UNLESS IM IN A TOURNAMENT IN A CRITICAL SPOT).

When playing cash ,objectivity is key to winning(or losing).

Sure the recreational player will be happy when he wins a flip but for someone who has won and lost a gazillion flips,it just turns into a routine, a grind if you will.

It's like getting excited when you drive your brand new car. After a few months of driving it, the feeling of joy or whatever kinda neutralizes itself because of repetition.


I'm not saying it's not good to feel happy or sad. Im saying that allowing emotions to dictate your decisions is probably EV-.


@the part you said its not right to live your life like a rock. I agree but living your life like a rock and playing poker like a rock (maintaining emotional stability) are two different things.



All in all, if you are at a point where your emotions influence your game then, this is probably a leak.

 

[awmm1983]

When you decide to play the game seriously and play thousand of hands daily for years, it becomes a routine. Standard hands play themselves out alot of the time and you re-live the same flips over and over and over. Your decisions must be based on logic and the outcome is irrelevant.


If you play the hand the right way,yes the money will come. I never jump from Joy when i get aces (UNLESS IM IN A TOURNAMENT IN A CRITICAL SPOT).

When playing cash ,objectivity is key to winning(or losing).

Sure the recreational player will be happy when he wins a flip but for someone who has won and lost a gazillion flips,it just turns into a routine, a grind if you will.



It's like getting excited when you drive your brand new car. After a few months of driving it, the feeling of joy or whatever kinda neutralizes itself because of repetition.


I'm not saying it's not good to feel happy or sad. Im saying that allowing emotions to dictate your decisions is probably EV-.


@the part you said its not right to live your life like a rock. I agree but living your life like a rock and playing poker like a rock (maintaining emotional stability) are two different things.



All in all, if you are at a point where your emotions influence your game then, this is probably a leak.

Thanks for the reply. I have only been playing 6 months and still feel the nerves. I had been grinding turbo's and have only last week moved to 6 max cash. Perhaps the jump for joy was connected to the torture that is constant push / fold. I still feel happy though when i've been playing a reg for a stretch and we have a meta battle which i win. Based on data and observation and logic ( well , perceived logic . ) I still feel stupid when i have a set, c/r the turn and pay off a straight or a flush. I am comfortable with that though because after all that push/fold i am finally learning real poker. I am also enjoying the pace. Fast , yet no rising blinds.. It's like a zen moment. I do not feel scared about 3 betting or playing big pots because the turbos made me accept the reality of pushing rubbish. This time around though, i have the time to have the goods. I've learned that this time i can 3 bet fold and save a packet. So in a way you are right i guess. Removing negative emotions is essential, however, if you have no positive emotion at my stage , i feel you won't have the confidence to get involved in pots and learn from trial and error . And error....
I can understand the monotony of it all. Over time i guess it must get stale.But I like the challenge just now . I love games. I'll never be a footballer. I'll never score the winning goal for Scotland that beats Spain in the World Cup final. I might just, in time , be a decent poker player and i won't have to retire at 35 because my legs have gone . And i won't have to work for the man.
You may say i'm a dreamer.....
I agree also in the principle that we shouldn't let poker take over our lives , that we can be a rock at the table and a river away from the game , however, most people don't behave like this. We as a species find it hard to let go of anything ! I'm happy to hear you've solved this

 

[rumsey182]

Emotions must be totally eradicated while playing poker.

You must be in a neutral state of mind and base every decision you make on logic.

Anything more is no good IMHO.


Overconfident = spewy
Scarred= passive
Tilt= Crazy plays.


You got to balance your game by getting rid of emotions and just do what you believe must be done in order to win the most or lose the least.

i think it was tommy angelo ( could be wrong) or some other mindset coach who said you can't be a jedi and purge all emotion you just cant let it both you

there is a difference between trying to suppress all emotion and controlling it

 

[vinylspiros]

Thanks for the reply. I have only been playing 6 months and still feel the nerves. I had been grinding turbo's and have only last week moved to 6 max cash. Perhaps the jump for joy was connected to the torture that is constant push / fold. I still feel happy though when i've been playing a reg for a stretch and we have a meta battle which i win. Based on data and observation and logic ( well , perceived logic . ) I still feel stupid when i have a set, c/r the turn and pay off a straight or a flush. I am comfortable with that though because after all that push/fold i am finally learning real poker. I am also enjoying the pace. Fast , yet no rising blinds.. It's like a zen moment. I do not feel scared about 3 betting or playing big pots because the turbos made me accept the reality of pushing rubbish. This time around though, i have the time to have the goods. I've learned that this time i can 3 bet fold and save a packet. So in a way you are right i guess. Removing negative emotions is essential, however, if you have no positive emotion at my stage , i feel you won't have the confidence to get involved in pots and learn from trial and error . And error....
I can understand the monotony of it all. Over time i guess it must get stale.But I like the challenge just now . I love games. I'll never be a footballer. I'll never score the winning goal for Scotland that beats Spain in the World Cup final. I might just, in time , be a decent poker player and i won't have to retire at 35 because my legs have gone . And i won't have to work for the man.
You may say i'm a dreamer.....
I agree also in the principle that we shouldn't let poker take over our lives , that we can be a rock at the table and a river away from the game , however, most people don't behave like this. We as a species find it hard to let go of anything ! I'm happy to hear you've solved this

Lemme put it this way.

when your a new player ,short term things such as winning flips or getting aces will definitely influence your emotions and thats a fact.

As time goes by, the things that will influence your emotions are the way your green line looks at the end of each month. Or you bb/100 over a given amout of hands.


So basically you start to look at the forest instead of the tree's.

Long term result tilt you instead of short term ones.

Capish?

 

[etherghost]

I would say that top notch players also learn how to use emotion to their advantage. I don't think that the best players in the world eliminate it completely. Just my two cents.

 

[vinylspiros]

i have no idea what top notch players do, as i am average at best.

 

[etherghost]

i have no idea what top notch players do, as i am average at best.

I'm also average, well maybe a bit more than average at times.

I'm speaking from observation. I like to watch live poker tournament players on TV to study their game. Not just from card game perspective but from all angles. Most of them use emotion to their advantage.

 

[awmm1983]

Lemme put it this way.

when your a new player ,short term things such as winning flips or getting aces will definitely influence your emotions and thats a fact.

As time goes by, the things that will influence your emotions are the way your green line looks at the end of each month. Or you bb/100 over a given amout of hands.


So basically you start to look at the forest instead of the tree's.

Long term result tilt you instead of short term ones.

Capish?

Capish! I understand. I can afford to lose. If your mortage etc depends on your green line , it can't be fun. Hadn't had a glimpse of the forest until now. You've changed my mind. This is really my first venture into forums . All the books i'd read and events i've watched perhaps hazed the reality of what taking poker seriously involves. Thanks,

 

[Balyev]

You have to play in a fun, and all the emotions disappear immediately. I have zero emotion)))

 

[LongJohn45]

Its impossible to get rid of emotions completely. Were human beings after all. The key to control emotions is to became aware of them. Kind of like your facing one of your fears. In order to defeat a fear, you must first became aware of it. But in my opinion, we shouldnt strike emotions from our hearts, we should learn to control them. That imo, is true discipline.

Anyone can stop drinking altogether, but it takes "true discipline" to drink in moderation and not to excess. The same, imo, is with emotion as well. Poker is a game of true discipline. Going to one extreme or the other wont lead to long-term success, but a balanced approach will, imo.