In the almost 2 years of playing poker I have had many ups and downs. I am finding though recently that the highs are not nearly as high while the lows send me into dispair.

I came in second in a 10k tourney last week. 2k for my efforts and was happy but not thrilled by any means. It was sort of matter of fact that I won 2k. This weekend I sat through some of the worst luck I have had in some time dropping about 2k over a 4 day period (Dry spells suck btw). I just sit there dumb founded by the beats. I wonder how I won a single dollar playing.

I got a free entry into a 100k tourney. I hadn't caught any hands and am down to 700 or so chips from my original 1k. I pick up pocket Q's in the BB. The button raised it to 200 shortly after the first break and I go all in. He calls and with J8d the flop comes.

Q23. 2 hearts and no diamonds.

As I clicked ok acknowledging my 215th place finish I thought to myself isn't this game great.

If I were to compare poker to another game it would definately be golf. No matter how much you practice, how disciplined you are it is always feasible for you to not do well. It is a hobby that has produced some very nice cash along the way. The money doesn't even matter anymore but the swings emotionally are not even.

Just rambling.

I used to play in a chess competition, playing one night per week. If I won, I'd be satisfied until at best the next morning, but if I lost, I'd be pissed for the rest of the week. What I like about poker is that you can blame at least part of your losses to bad luck; in chess, you only lose because you make mistakes.

Maybe it helps buying something nice from your winnings that, after a horrible run, will remind you of all your previous successes?

Pieter

My Dime Store Psychology:
Isn't this a numbing of the winning sensation? Winning $5 is no longer satisfaction, so it takes more for you to feel the same level of satisfaction. So you move up to larger tables/tourneys. The lows, however, stay the same, although probably worse since you're playing higher stakes they are larger losses.

I think its because you expect to win so when you do, its no big deal but when you dont, it really bothers you.

I get the same feeling. I got it all the time back in my baseball playing days.

I could make 10 good plays in a row and think nothing of it, but if I made an error, Iwould replay the play all night after the game. I was pretty good and just expected to never make a mistake, which is unrealstic, but thats what very competitive people do.

I agree with Ice. Competitive people pretty much expect to win at anything they do or at least want to so when you lose, you get pissed off but when you win, its expected. I know exactly how that feels as I'm one of the most competitve people you'll fine. I don't let anyone win....ever. If I was playing my 4 year old cousin is some game, I might make it close but I probably still wouldn't let him win.

Poker feels just like that as I feel I am better than at least 90% of the people that are playing which I don't think is saying that much since there are so many terrible players. Think about it, when have you been on a table and you didn't think you were at worst the 2nd best player there? if not, you should find a better table. Most times, the best players win but when they don't, its often due to a bad beat. If you really don't think you are a good poker player, you shouldn't be playing for money. That kind of mindset just leaves you to feel like shit when you lose and feel pretty normal when you win.

Ice hit the nail on the head, you condition yourself to win. As with anything in life the people that are sucessfull get that way by expecting to win. With a lot od individual sports that hatred of losing is what pushes people to win. This is one of the things that seperates poker from other sports, in poker you cant will a victory like you can in a lot of other indivual sports. The cards fall and the players cant do anything about them.

For me I have also noticed that the highs arent as high as they used to be, when I took 2nd in my first big tourney and won a nice chunk of money I was on a high as a kite for a full day. This is no longer the case, I am always happy with a nice win, but now I'm thinking about what I could have done to make more. The difference for me is the lows are not as bad. I used to go on tilt quite easily, one or two bad beats and I was pissed, how dare these lucky idiots beat me and my game was gone, not just for a couple minutes but I wasnt was pretty much off my A game for the rest of the day. Now for the most part I can just say nice hand and go on with life. I think for me taht has come with time and experiance, After 3 years I have gotten outdrawn in just about every way possible, so its easier to except the beats, plus I have learned how I take bad beats and when its time to walk away.

Exactly the same story here.

If I win, the feeling I get is satisfaction. I'm kinda beyond the point I was at a few years back when I'd win a three-figure pot and go off on a celebratory dance round the room! A few days back I won a $1k pot and a $800 pot within about 20 minutes; a while back that would've been unthinkably amazing, at that point I was happy but hardly ecstatic.

If I lose, however, particularly if it's my own fault or if it's a horrible beat to a moron, I find it pisses me off so much, and although I don't dwell long on the beats anymore (had one of my worst ever losing sessions two days back and it didn't bother me long) I find that the effect it can have on my mood can be quite detrimental for a day or two after.

I also agree bigtime with Ice, about sport and competitive people. I play volleyball and football (soccer), I'm a goalkeeper in the latter. If I make a mistake in goal, or have a bad game, I feel like utter crap right afterwards even though I'm not too bothered by losing per se, whereas if I play great and make no mistakes, I feel that it's kinda all that's expected so it's satisfying but no big thing. Same with volleyball, if I play my best I enjoy it anyway, but if I play like crap and get subbed off after a few points it pisses the hell out of me, especially because it usually means I spend too long on the bench.

Being a competitive SOB sucks. I can't even bare losing at Trivial Pursuit and stuff it's a nightmare!

Monk
xxxxx

I really appreciate the reply's on this subject. I honestly have in the past 4 months or so really experienced my first real dry spells. Dry meaning bad beats and flat out dire case of second bests.

I know what you all mean about hating to lose. I beat my 10 year old nephew in Madden by 6 touchdowns. I read an article in cardplayer "would you check raise your grandmother?" I sure as hell would.

The highs definitely don't equal the lows.

So don't play poker for the emotion. Play it for the money.

I've been playing now for only 6+ months. I EXPECT to win every time I play. I feel that with few exceptions, when I sit down at a table, virtual, or especially live, I am (so long as I am focused) almost definitely the best player at that table--even if I'm not.

I am highly competitive and have been all my life. I played baseball and hockey and winning for me wasn't everything. It was the only thing.

That carries over to poker. When I tilt off some money, I get mad at myself, because I KNOW I'm a better player than that. It is all about balancing off the highs and lows, and of course, knowing when to walk away.

I was watching the poker show on cardplayer.com the other day. They had Gregg Raymer on....seems like a really nice guy.

Anyway, Gregg was talking about how players have no right to feel "they are so much better then everyone else" ..because the luck factor is sooo incredibly huge. He said if a player off the street that had never played poker before....that guy could get lucky and beat you...especially in a high/fast blinds game.

I think he's right on. In my journal the other week, I declared myself one of the best players of online 1/2 NL hold'em in the world. While I still think that is true........I don't expect to win everytime I sit and play. There's just no way... bad luck will haunt you some sessions.

I'm not as competetive as everyone else here. That's great..because it means I don't tilt as often. I'm not as emotional. Though...I admit I'm still working on it.

My goal is to become completely unemotional and detached at the table. I want to be like Spock from star trek. Make every logical play and expect to do well in the long run..but still realize the mathmatical anomlies are going to happen.

Though I may never reach this goal...I do think I'm getting better at it everyday. Of course...it's easier when you're on a decent run.

[quote="k3nt"]The highs definitely don't equal the lows.

So don't play poker for the emotion. Play it for the money.[/quote

Exactly, if the game is effecting your mood you are more likely to make errors when playing, whether you are currently winning or losing.

I can't say I call poker "fun" anymore, but I can call it interesting. I try not to let the game effect my life outside of the game, although sometimes a win or big loss will change my mood for a couple of hours. In the end it is just a cardgame that I play for money.