Result oriented thinking.

[Doobs]

I just finished reading the Maria Konnikova book, which is very good, and one of the things emphasised is making the right poker/life decisions and ignoring the result.

I get this, and have tried to think more this way in the last couple of weeks.  So when I played well on Tuesday even though I lost money, I can now look back and think that was a better session than Wedneday's when I won.  But I am kidding myself a bit, as if I hadn't won on Wednesday, I'd likely be much grumpier about Tuesday when it got to Thursday.

Back when I played a lot of cash, I used to find it much easier as you could always track your all ins and stars, so it is easier to judge how you have been playing.

In MTTs it is much harder, as the beats can be much more significant than the wins.  Has anyone here ever blank a big Sunday session and be really happy as they crushed throughout?  Not sure I ever have.

She spoilt this philosophical argument by mentioning in an interview that her favourite poker moment was her biggest win.  For me it should be my WSOP run where I got 3 outered on the river, but the last hand hurt so much it made it hard.  Looking back it probably was the best I played in any tournament and the one I enjoyed the most but it has taken a couple of years and the book to get comfortable with that.

So does anybody get to the zen like focus on the process rather than the result from poker?  And how long to get there?  I'd struggle to accept anyone who can think they are the master of the Universe 10 seconds after getting knocked out of the WSOP main by a stinking beat.

FWIW don't read the book for poker strat, but read it because it is a good book.

[titaniumbean]

Have read it too, and given it to my wife/parents to read as a great discussion of poker without any real poker content.

I was very happy that those who I had held in high regard did not disappoint.

I'm pretty zen but also still think about a single hand from WSOP main 7 years ago so it's all relative and if anything you should take from the book that it's a process and you cant expect to do it perfectly at all times but to continue to battle to do that much better going forward.

[Doobs]

Yeah I think it could help the non poker players understand it more, though don't think my missus wants to understand it more!  It is very positive about poker and the players featured, and she has appeared in several places for interviews, which can only be good for the game.  She talks really well on other stuff too, as youtube found some of it for me.

Talking of those in the book, Erik Seidel comes across really well, and though I have sat with him at my table, he was sat on the other end from from where he dispatched me to the rail.  Hence I can't add much insight about him. I was kind of disappointed to hear he'd turbo stacked somebody who was sat out in the 10k heads up the other day.   I was like "nooooo" when I read it.  Am hoping he was rushing to rescue kittens at the time and isn't just another poker arsehole after all.

[bagel]

hey doobs

any chance you could write up the hand history , emotions during hand etc, sounds brutal so understand if you dont want to re live it.

playing the main for 3 or 4 solid days and busting like that would put me on life tilt

[bergeroo]

I just started the book. Enjoying it so far.

I have a kind of a zen attitude to variance from all in pots. After the all in, you can do absolutely nothing, so whether it is 80/20 or 20/80 the thinking is over and I may or may not be continuing in the tournament after the rest of the cards are dealt, it is out of my control. I have had some brutal all in beats late in tournaments (as well as dishing some out of course) - and I think I took the ones I lost really well.

However my worst nightmare would be going deep in the biggest tournament you played and making a mistake, whether a misclick, betsize mistake, or just making a bad decision during the hand which you know straight away you messed up. That's the one that would nag at me for a long long time, especially if it were live where everything is magnified. Knowing that you could/should have done something different in a spot that you have worked and also prepared for is yeah...that's something that is going to mess with your head.

I guess good mtt players can put that to the side and keep grinding day after day trying to learn from the mistake and get it right next time - turning it into a positive. These are the great players in my opinion.