blonde poker forum

It was very obvious to me at the weekend that my mind just wasn't on the game in hand at Luton.
Lots of things happened before the game that although very little seemed to affect me, and although I didn't really think I was a superstitious player they all seemed very important at the time.

On the way to the second day I realised I had left my earrings at home, I had bought them in Brighton last week, came second and therefore after one game/one cash they had become my very precious lucky earrings. (complete madness). I had to turn round and pick them up, making me nearly miss the start of the game.

Previously when I have done well I have read a chapter of Harrington before the game just to start focusing, I didn't have time to do that so I felt I wasn't well prepared.

I always put some money in a slot machine, and if I make money I feel it's an omen about the game. At Brighton I got paid £293 before the start of the second day, at Luton I spent £20.

As for Tighty - don't get me started.........unable to rail me as he was playing in the Blonde Sizzler obviously completely tilted me and that was goodnight for me.  ;busted; 

All of this is ridiculous as none of those things should affect the cards and the game but the state of mind I had before the game was affected by some of these issues. This can translate at the table to looking weak etc etc. Lets face it, the times I've done well I have been feeling pretty confident having been buoyed up by Blonde/Red etc. I tried to replicate those feeling of confidence myself on Sunday but it just wasn't happening.

If I could feel confident and on top of my game all the time without having to ask for encouraging posts and looking really needy all the time all the better!

So I have taken it upon myself to get professional help ( Long overdue in some peoples minds ::)- I want to overcome these mental barriers - so like Tiger Woods and others I am getting a performance coach. 

Albeit my game isn't great, to me the mindset is important and while I work on understanding some of the more important points of the game, such as does a flush beat a full house, my mental approach on the day will help towards the whole package. In Brunsons supersystem he says if you can't leave your troubles at home don't play, I don't really have any troubles at home (bok) but I allow other things to interfere.

I'm telling you this because I think that acknowledging possible weaknesses and taking public steps towards improvement gets you half way there. A bit like Tikays stop smoking campaign I have an added incentive to improve.

So - I am having one session of coaching which may involve visualisation/hypnotism etc.  The guy has promised that if I find pocket aces he won't make me cluck like a chicken - I hope he's right. I thought it was worth one go and take it from there.

Thank you for listening, may the force be with me  ;boltpp;

A posiive and correct mindset MAKES you play better , it just feels that when in the correct frame of mind that good things happen.

GL

good luck with it dingdell. i would be interested to find out if you feel more confident, relaxed and focused after your session.

all the best

mad

every time i see you play you have a smile on your face....and certainly looking at your recent results youre not doing a great deal wrong-you play poker the way its meant to be played, its a shame more people dont play like you!!

The biggest barrier that decent players have is not being able to play their best game all the time - which is almost entirely a psychological/emotional thing.

Anything you can do which helps you to access the poker knowledge lodged in your brain in the heat of battle is a good thing. Though this motivation should be entirely internal, coming from your own thought processes, rather than relying on lucky earrings or slot machine wins.

Jonny Wilkinson famously visualised kicking his penalties/conversions into a clown's mouth between the goalposts, because aiming at something specific (the clown's mouth) is easier than aiming at a space with things around it (between the goalposts). He developed a set routine for every kick and trained himself to do the same thing every time. No matter what the atmosphere/pressure, every kick became exactly like all the ones he perfected on the training ground. Getting yourself into a place where you play the best you can every hand will work wonders for your game.

Good luck with things Tracey.

Good Luck Tracey.

But.......you already have a good game, (see your Results!) and many a good game (in Poker, Golf, Tennis, etc) has been ruined by tinkering with it. Do be careful, please!

I have a range of self hypnotherapy techniques which help me relax.

My results before and after have been similar but I feel better and it does help me relax after a bad beat particularly the one Micky Wernick inflicted on me in the £500 last week.

You pays your money and takes your choice. As long as one is seeking enlightenment then one is walking down the right path regardless of the route.................or some other bollox

Wow! Trace, for what my opinion is worth I think you're right and wrong all in one post.I'm playing just now but I will post my two cents when I get a moment.

Then you can feel free to ignore me.  :)up

Confidence is the key to all success IMO, if you have faith in your own abilities then you cannot let yourself down.
When i play golf i *know* without doubt that i am going to stand over the ball on the first tee and smash the drive 350 yards straight down the middle, there is no other possible outcome in my mind.
Others i play with are often heard saying things like "i hate the first hole, never do any good" or "it takes me a couple of holes before i get properly warmed up" etc.
This defeats them before they start, how can you do well if you are already convinced you won't?

That is the thing about superstitions, lucky charms etc. we all know they actually mean nothing in themselves but they do have the ability to affect your confidence and this is what does make them crucial.

So i say do whatever is needed to get that mindset right, whether it be wearing sunglasses (if you are paranoid that people can see what cards you have everytime you blink then they are right for you) or seeing a diviner or kissing your kids in alphabetical order before you leave the house.

Before I went to Singapore (did i mention that i won a seat to singapore ? ) a very kind blondeite pm'd me and generously offered me a lucky charm to use as a card protector, I declined the kind offer stating that I nevr use a card protector as it becomes a lucky charm if you do well, and then if you forget it one day , you will be thinking about that instead of cencentrating on your game and it will affect you mentally ... I feel that if you rely on too many things other than your own ability and self confidence, you are just putting obstacles in the way of your progress.

Having said that, while in Singapore, we visited the "Royal Selangor" pewter factory & Museum where i purchased a rather fetching pewter fish .... This is now my card protector and will be for ever more ..... But im crap at poker anyway, so whether i forget it or not, it wont affect my game :D

So in singapore you went on a museum tour? :D

It's unlucky to be superstitious...

It is, that's why I've never been superstitious and never will.

*touch wood*

Well some of the things he saw were very old.........but that was just down to budget.  ;scarymoment;

Thank guys - can't wait for my session - off to Vegas on the 29th so we'll see how it works!

This is great, keep us posted.

I myself have been researching a number of body & mind subjects and their link with poker, so far its just been the link between fitness/diet and mental performance at the poker table. My results at the cash game tables has increased significantly since ive been a regular at the gym and the greengrocers.

Im planning on recuiting a sports pyschologist in 2007, might have to get a few pointers from you too

Yes ... it was part of a tour which combined a trip down the river at night to see Singapore.. an Indian meal, a night market and ending in a visit to Raffles hotel to drink Singapore slings and throw monkey nuts all over the floor ... we missed the coach home though ... we decided to stay in Raffles for a few ;)

Hi Barry - interesting blog. We have oxygen at work for some of our sports clients and I have found that oxygen before a poker game heightens awareness, gives me clear thinking for longer and more energy. 2 am feels like 10pm if I've managed 20 mins on the machine. Also before my last decent win I had done a colonic cleanse (three a day) and cut out foods for 3 1/2 days, organic vegetable juices only. Didn't do it for poker but the affects were stunning. Loads of energy and really good tables reads like I've never had before.

Cindy Violette follows a macrobiotic diet only and now sells the food to poker players at the WSOP. She says it really helps her game.

I couldn't disagree with you more Tikay,

I am a performance coach (though I don't usually use those particular words) and believe that 'tinkering' in a positive way in order to improve your game is essential if you want to progress to becoming a better player.

How can you expect to improve if you never change anything?

Have loads of fun with your tinkering Tracey.

No food for 3 days, organic vegetable juices only, & a colonic cleanse. Try THAT method on Kev......!

What absolute tosh!! If a diet makes that much of a difference how come kev is such a good player................................


WAIT A MINUTE  ;djinn;  *Eck goes off to look out bag for gym tomorrow and throw out the pizza in the fridge*

Dingdell and I have been poker buddies and sounding boards for about two years now. Firstly let me say that if results in the past six months are anthing to go by and your £££ won you don't need to tinker much

Secondly though, when I hear you talk I think you've found that stage a number of players seem to go through when they knowjust  enough that it confuses them if that makes sense.

If you win as a rookie you just enjoy it, when you win as an experienced player it becomes a series of questions when you don't win and a constant battle with yourself to tell yourself that you are good enough and can compete

thats what I sense in you anyway

Anyway, next time I'm charging for the lessons, you can afford it now!

Don't fold queens though ;)

Well, to be fair Sword, if you are a "performance coach" (or whatever form of words you wish to use), you WOULD disagree!

But I stick to my guns. Many sportsman have benefitted (or, more crucially, they THINK they've benefitted) from Performance Coaches, but equally, many have suffered, too. Ask Nick Faldo!

Of course we must all continue to "tinker" with our game, but we can do that without engaging the services of a Performance Coach, we can do it in a thousand or more ways. Paying someone to do it for us is certainly an option, but not a proven virtue. In my opinion, of course.

It's a balance thing. Yes, others may be able to help us improve our game. But there is a danger here - we get "sold" on the notion that there is, somehow, a "magic fix" that will cure all ailments in our game, at a small cost, of course.  There is no magic fix, in sport, poker, or life. Just hard work.

in Elevenerife I'd even fold Kings if I thought it was correct.

Interesting thread and I have recently had a few NLP sessions at work and some of this is useful for poker as well.
Let us know how you get on with this and whether it helps. I guess the trouble is there is the temptation to try to link any future results to any help you have obtained (good or bad), but with poker you have to remember that you are still in the hands of the poker gods and no scientific way of guaranteeing that you will become a better player.

All the same my view is to have an open mind and see if it helps.

This, I do agree with. You don't need a magic fix from someone else. And your success, or failure will ultimately always be down to yourself. Of course, it's always helpful to learn from others. I doubt if I would be as profitable a poker player if it wasn't for the help from fellow blondeites, or from the NLP techniques I've learned from experts in that field.

Never been a fan of hard work though. Much prefer to find the easy ways  :D

On that we DO agree!

As a side-issue, what did Goalkeepers do before we had goalkeeping coaches? Or athletes before "performamce coaches"?....  Or Rugby players before "Kicking Coaches". Seems to me that as soon as big money arrives, these "Gurus" follow, rather like ambulance chasers. Is that unfair? I apologise if it is. One's cynicism quotient increases with age!

Overall, I think atheletes have improved tremendously through specialised coaching (actually, sport performance is my main field).

A mile can be run by our top distance runners more than 12 seconds faster than what Roger Bannister achieved.

Is it not more the money side of things that bothers you anyway, Tikay?

It's not a coincidence that todays goalkickers are far more accurate than their predecessors. Goalkeeping standards are also much higher than they were in the past.

I don't believe that!

No, it's not the money side that troubles me, not at all.

I think it's something to do with the Emperors new suit of clothes!

I agree, athletes run farther, faster, quicker. But dietary understanding, knowledge of muscular function ditto, just general "progress" as in all things must be part of it. And Roger (Bannister) was not a full-time athlete, there were no such things, whreas they all do it full-time these days. Goalkeepers are better these days? Yup, agreed, but there is no poof this is down to gurus, or "specialised coaches", just as there is no proof that it is NOT down to them.

I just a sceptic, I guess. Did George Best, Jimmy White, Steve Davis, Micky Wernick, Gary Sobers, David Bryant, Ian Botham, Viv Richards, or Pele, need Performance Coaches? (Though, with hindsight, I'm not sure what that proves).

I think it's past my bedtime.

XX

yes i think it probably is :D

It was more a case of we were bundled in there with no idea what was going on. Myself and Kev were pissing ourselves the whole way round, especially when the mug demonstrating how they made a pewtar money tree broke it!!!! Classic

Just found this thread and I think it's a superb idea. I know quite a few atlethes and pro-footie players and they swear by it. It's all about mindset and a sports psychologist/performance coach can definetly help you with that.

Goodluck, i reckon it will prove money well spent.

While i can understand the logic behind the idea i just dont think it would work with poker players.

Not the actual psychological side of it but the financial side........

Most Professional athletes earn a set wage and therefore can afford to see trainers or sports psychologists if need be, or they play for a team that pays for them on their behalf.

Poker players would have to pay for this themselves and more often than not the time when they are needed most is during a bad-spell which is actually the worst time for a poker player, losing money on the tables without return is bad enough but to have to try and pay someone to turn your fortunes around is going to hurt the bankroll even more.

When poker players are going through a good spell then the trainer or psychologist isn't really needed as things are going great and confidence in your own ability is enough to keep you playing your "a-game".

Personally i think that forums like this prove to be the ideal ground for performance coaching, you've got some of the games top players, live and online to give their views on hands and situations - and the best part is, ITS FREE!! :)up

Perfectly put!

and just to prove the theory works....................

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=9351.0

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=9403.0

have to be read in order :)

but there's always an exception to the rule...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<!

thisd is actually quite a common mistake people make. You don't just use them when you are running bad. You use them all year round. Yes, it's an investment but for most people being in the right state of mind really works. I also remembered snoops writing something about this a little while ago (the "Jumping onto the right table " article mentions it), the right frame of mind is essential for anyone taking anything seriously and wanting to perform consistently well. Wether it'd be reading a book, listening to music or doing tantric breathing excercises doesn't matter. A coach can help you with this.

Sure getting help from a forum is great BUT that helps with the more practical aspects of the game (hand analysis etc.) the mental side of the game can be helped by getting a sportphychologist or performance coach in. I read a lot about people who are bored with the game..or who think about quitting because they are on a bad run. Most of the advise they are given is "Step away from the game and just come back in a week or two", where actually for a pro this might not be the best thing to do as they would be losing 2 weeks worth of salary.

I'm not saying it's for everyone, but anyone who wants to give it a crack and is willing to pay money for it deserves the best of luck and I can't wait to see if it's works.

Nick Faldo is not the best example for Tikays argument, he and Leadbetter were a phenominal partnership until Faldo decided to do it himself.
Look at Woods and Harmon, Goosen was a jobbing pro before he employed that psychologist chap (and the same chap has been employed by many other pro's since).
Though this has turned around a bit as it was originally about the the psychological aspect, golf coaches and kicking coaches are about technique.

I know, I know!  ::) ;D  I just don;t want to lean on Blonde too much!

At the time of those posts I received a lot of criticism from one member who thought I was posting a 'woe is me' story about struggling and then magically winning the following week - and that it was all a bit of a 'look at me' attempt. Far from it, I just wanted to thank people for their support etc. and I was dead chuffed!

One of my character flaws is that I'm the first to admit failings and carry them with me allowing them to affect me in all sorts of ways.  Posting for help on Blonde is an excellent resource - after all if you can't ask your blonde friends about poker who can you ask?!

I completely agree that Blonde is a great motivator/sounding board etc etc but I don't want to be always asking for support from Blonde - a bit repetitive - and the idea of the coaching is that I can replicate the feelings of confidence I got from Blonde without having to post a thread about it!!

As for the money side of it, my understanding is that a lot of this work can be done quite quickly - one session will get me a long way to being able to get in the right mind set at the time I want it and ignore the 'bad luck' things like forgetting the earrings! 

First session booked for Tuesday at 4pm........watch out Luton!!
 ;bat;

Personally, I've never worked with a paid athlete (wish I did 'coz then I could charge more  :P )

It's rarely about 'fixing' problems with your game. Instead, it's about improving your overall performance. i.e. making your lows less common and less severe AND also making your good performances more common and even better.

Tiger Woods, already the best golfer in the world, took personal performance coaching and changed his game - because he wanted to be the best golfer in history.

Or you could just choose to live your life on an even plane and not mess with your head. After all it is a complex bit of kit

I am prepared to offer Colchester Kev "two for the price of one" Performance Coaching Session on Heads-Up play.

Out of interest Dingdell did you go ahead with this and if so what is your view now?