Some stuggles with online poker. mental game

I'm guessing TakingAShot is probably a troll, could be wrong though. Either way, some super negative comments imo and for the most part unwarranted.

FWIW, this is very standard turn call. The preflop open is also fine although on the loose side. It's basically impossible for the expectation of the open to be hugely negative if played well postflop. Suited Ax are simply very strong in 6max. I don't recommend A7s be opened, but if anyone tells you the expectation is highly negative assuming good postflop play, then they don't know what they are talking about.

@OP - Definitely have some mental issues that need work. You will also find that better strategic knowledge will help your mindset because you can feel more confident about the plays you are making.

Originally posted by FrozenElf

Originally posted by TakingAShot

Originally posted by FrozenElf
I drew my money off the site now, i am thinking about starting at NL2 with $20, that way if i build a bankroll back up to $1000 then i know its not fixed, i would have the right mindset for online poker then

Again, if you go into this expecting to win or else deducing that online poker is rigged, you're going to lose that $20, too. How do you expect to be competitive at a game if you constantly think that some nefarious force is "out to get you"?

I swear to you, it's not rigged in the slightest. Put in a ton of volume at the same stake and you'll see all sorts of crazy, radical things happen as the result of variance. Until you start to understand math, variance, and deep post flop play, the cash game is always going to feel like a ripoff to you. That's what it is - The sharks rip the fish off until the fish become a shark themselves. Or don't.

I know this is why i need help with this, i have never really earned the right to play at NL25 anyway someone payed for me, i am doing mental hand historys trying to correct my faulty logic, i think the bottom line is i dont understand variance, this is whats crippling my game because its making me make really bad "eh fuck it" calls

I think it will help starting out at the bottom, i dont know

Mate why are you starting with such a small Bankroll? I recommend something like 80$ for NL2 and then set up yourself some bankroll rules. It helped me couping with losing or winners tilt. These are mine:

1) To play any stakes constantly we need a minimum of 25 buyin
2) We take a 5 buyin shot after we reached 40 buyin in our current level*
3) We go down in stakes if we have 20Buyins just for the current stake
4) We play 1 Zoom Table and 2 Regular Tables maximum of 4
5) Session Maximum of 2 Hours
6) Stop playing after losing 3 Buyins
7) If I doubled my stack at a zoom table I cash out and restart the table

In addition after you played 10000 hands on a level you know your winrate and you should really use a poker-variance-calculator http://pokerdope.com/poker-variance-calculator/
It should be clear in theory you could lose as the best poker player in the world every hand in poker! Maybe the chapter in the book The Mathematics of Poker Book by Bill Chen and Jerrod Ankenman about risk of ruin in poker might give you a deeper insight. I am not saying this is the be all end solution to your mental game, but I hope it will help you. Good luck mate!

Hi, didn´t ready all the comments, but I´ve played very simillar hand few days ago and, same as you, I called. Had same feeling, that I was beat, I was sure I´m running into FH here, but I couldn´t fold putting villain on one combo only (pocket 99, which he had :)). What I think helped me, was a video (in czech lang, so nothing 4 u), basically there was some spots, where u should fold your 2nd, 3rd nuts. Try this, it´s paired board, ppl are scared there even with flushes, they are almost never bluffing on paired boards, so start making "hero" folds on them :). But I don´t think if u make call there it´s a big deal.

Btw, I would recommend u playing 4 tables only and be it regulars. And don´t underestimate table selection, find tables with fish, at best on you right hand and at very best with rocks behind you. Recently I´ve read: "Micros ain´t about taking battles with regulars, it´s about going throught limits as fast as possible. You can fight regs at NL2k . I´ve found it very true.

Originally posted by w34z3l
I'm guessing TakingAShot is probably a troll, could be wrong though. Either way, some super negative comments imo and for the most part unwarranted.

I'm glad i wasn't the only person who thought this

Originally posted by w34z3l

FWIW, this is very standard turn call. The preflop open is also fine although on the loose side. It's basically impossible for the expectation of the open to be hugely negative if played well postflop. Suited Ax are simply very strong in 6max. I don't recommend A7s be opened, but if anyone tells you the expectation is highly negative assuming good postflop play, then they don't know what they are talking about.

@OP - Definitely have some mental issues that need work. You will also find that better strategic knowledge will help your mindset because you can feel more confident about the plays you are making.

Its not my standard open raise but there was a calling station in the blinds, I am trying to fix my mental game issue's, sdo i have the right mindset for poker, but its proving difficult,

Maybe this is marginal, however the problem remains the same in other hands that are very clear cut folds, i say the same "eh fuck it its gonna rob me anyway i call"

Originally posted by Zivermiver

Mate why are you starting with such a small Bankroll? I recommend something like 80$ for NL2 and then set up yourself some bankroll rules. It helped me couping with losing or winners tilt. These are mine:

1) To play any stakes constantly we need a minimum of 25 buyin
2) We take a 5 buyin shot after we reached 40 buyin in our current level*
3) We go down in stakes if we have 20Buyins just for the current stake
4) We play 1 Zoom Table and 2 Regular Tables maximum of 4
5) Session Maximum of 2 Hours
6) Stop playing after losing 3 Buyins
7) If I doubled my stack at a zoom table I cash out and restart the table

In addition after you played 10000 hands on a level you know your winrate and you should really use a poker-variance-calculator http://pokerdope.com/poker-variance-calculator/
It should be clear in theory you could lose as the best poker player in the world every hand in poker! Maybe the chapter in the book The Mathematics of Poker Book by Bill Chen and Jerrod Ankenman about risk of ruin in poker might give you a deeper insight. I am not saying this is the be all end solution to your mental game, but I hope it will help you. Good luck mate!

I had a 50 buyin at NL25, if i lose my $20 i can reload it again, it doesnt matter, but if i start at $20. and manage to build a big bankroll, this will be very good for me mentally, because i will know its not fixed.

Originally posted by Mozzek
Hi, didn´t ready all the comments, but I´ve played very simillar hand few days ago and, same as you, I called. Had same feeling, that I was beat, I was sure I´m running into FH here, but I couldn´t fold putting villain on one combo only (pocket 99, which he had :)). What I think helped me, was a video (in czech lang, so nothing 4 u), basically there was some spots, where u should fold your 2nd, 3rd nuts. Try this, it´s paired board, ppl are scared there even with flushes, they are almost never bluffing on paired boards, so start making "hero" folds on them :). But I don´t think if u make call there it´s a big deal.

Btw, I would recommend u playing 4 tables only and be it regulars. And don´t underestimate table selection, find tables with fish, at best on you right hand and at very best with rocks behind you. Recently I´ve read: "Micros ain´t about taking battles with regulars, it´s about going throught limits as fast as possible. You can fight regs at NL2k . I´ve found it very true.

I usually play 4 zoom

Why my posts thoughts are more than that of non-poker terms but more of philosophy or psychology as to manage emotions for example. There have been times when my game was in this exact spot where second best was regular happenings. Then the stronger the second best hand was the worst I felt, the more I felt the game was fixed or rigged against me.

Journaling thoughts about rigged esthetic visual of a second best hands helped to see my thoughts typed on paper, this process made my thoughts real. Emotion of second best or the weight of feeling that poker was somehow fixed or rigged against only me became clear on paper.

It relieves the psyche from emotion from the result and to be honest about my feelings of what my private thoughts believed that this could be true?

However, separately I was also journaling how I played each of these hands to flank my honest thoughts about who I was as a poker player in real time away from the table as well as trying to understand why my game was paying off the best hand when I knew I was second.

Jarred Tendler’s terms also helped not to fix my problems because when it comes to emotion, ego, poker, the book for me was not to fix something that honestly is outside of the existence of control to fix, but rather understand the terms to apply to emotion, the brain, and poker. Then when looking back at my posts my private thoughts then through journaling I can see small increments of real change.

Manage of emotions, hands; bankroll as some examples is close as one could get to actual control because there is no fixing something that has existed before any of in this forum was in existence.

Emotion, ego, good, evil, winning, losing, failure, success, all of who we are the nature of who we are as human beings all have been brought into existence before us, and we just inherit the mistakes, emotion, the brain because as human beings we all have the same three pound brain with the same emotions to manage as well as more mental game approaches to manage as some examples.

Each person has a journey of poker, life and embrace what is weak about us to make those weaknesses stronger bring our game forward as the journey continues forward. Try to stay clear of the path of control and stay on the path of management of this journey and have fun, smile, enjoy the journey because I know I have felt exactly as you do so, you are not alone in that respect.

This post is just to relate, not to guide or pave the way because increments of change is within us all. It is still up to you and your personal journey forward of this moment to see increments of change in your own way because each journey is unique to each person. Good luck sir in your journey.

I wouldn't say it's the worst call in the world here, but there's just no need to take the gamble when it's pure speculation. As poker players we want spots where we know we are getting the better side of the coin, not ifs & buts.

It sounds like you shouldn't be playing nl25. Start out again and work from the ground up. There's no shortcuts in poker.

Poker stars is rigged though.
😁😁😁

Originally posted by DecMate

Poker stars is rigged though.
😁😁😁

Im really starting to believe it is

There appears to be a clear leak in the mental game. Something that is often overlooked; although poker strategy is crucial to be profitable, if your head isn't in the right place, meaning your edge will diminish fast and it can lead to you making poor decisions on the table.

Thinking the game is fixed is a very common one. You'll see it in the chat of online games all the time. 'River Stars' 'Classic Pokerstars' etc. Bad beats accumulate in your mind. You know they happen, so you can take one or two bad beats and move on. However, if you don't address the problem early on, tilt will accumulate and will push you over the edge, which looks to have happened here.

Really try to work on getting your head in the right place. Make sure you are being logical all the time. You and I both know that the game is not fixed, however, this is an easy excuse for getting coolered and to make yourself feel psychologically better, as you can put the blame on something else other than your play. Remember, variance is what makes poker profitable, so try to embrace it. You'll get your fair share of good luck as well as bad.

Start off by creating a mental game journal. Note down what makes you tilt, what your emotions are, how you feel just before you go into full blown monkey tilt. You'll be amazed how much of a difference this will make to your game.

Hey CasualGambler,

Welcome to PokerStrategy.com

Awesome first post and so true. For me, the mental game was a huge barrier to my improvement. Once I learnt to accept variance, I was able to play more consistent sessions with more A-game and less Z-game.

@FrozenElf. You should check out Eatyourpeas' blog, WARNING!!! Going pro... If you don't like hard work then GTFO!!! .

He is currently working through the Mental Game of Poker and making observations and notes.

Cheers

Laz

Originally posted by FrozenElf

Originally posted by TakingAShot

Originally posted by FrozenElf
I drew my money off the site now, i am thinking about starting at NL2 with $20, that way if i build a bankroll back up to $1000 then i know its not fixed, i would have the right mindset for online poker then

Again, if you go into this expecting to win or else deducing that online poker is rigged, you're going to lose that $20, too. How do you expect to be competitive at a game if you constantly think that some nefarious force is "out to get you"?

I swear to you, it's not rigged in the slightest. Put in a ton of volume at the same stake and you'll see all sorts of crazy, radical things happen as the result of variance. Until you start to understand math, variance, and deep post flop play, the cash game is always going to feel like a ripoff to you. That's what it is - The sharks rip the fish off until the fish become a shark themselves. Or don't.

I know this is why i need help with this, i have never really earned the right to play at NL25 anyway someone payed for me, i am doing mental hand historys trying to correct my faulty logic, i think the bottom line is i dont understand variance, this is whats crippling my game because its making me make really bad "eh fuck it" calls

I think it will help starting out at the bottom, i dont know

The best way to get over this feeling and see that variance happens to everyone is to watch streamers. I suggest Pokerstaples on Twitch, since he plays multiple tables and thus experiences this more often. When you see how he or others can take bad beats with a smile on their face you start to realise quickly that it's just a part of the game. It can still hurt, for sure, but not because you think you're being cheated.