Taking A Different Route

Barely remember the winnings day in February. Seems like I spend every single day in frustration. I've forgotten all about the mental game either and still experiencing massive injustice tilt. Having a winning hand and getting called down by fishes and get outdrawn with 3 outer etc. I still get frustrated with these, I think I need to re-read the mental game of poker.

It is different trading the market, market is unpredictable, you control your risk by risk management and discipline. Poker is similar in the sense that you need discipline (not like tilt and spew stacks in cash games), you need to calculate risk, pot odds, and your position and then your opponents. But there are donks (including myself?) who call you down with anything and win you, but there is no such thing in the market.

Trading the forex market for two years and slowly learning my personality. No one winning trader's strategy works for some one else with a completely different personality. No scalping in the market for me I know myself. Now I realize I am also living in the edge playing cash games.

In trading, when I lost I go tilt and I enter tons of trades trying to win it back. In cash games, I gamble pre-flop/flop on tilt. Very very dangerous.

And the next moment, I shall find my bankroll torn down like hell. And I realize my highest net winning days never exceed highest loss days. Anyway, I think cash games are not for me. So I am at the same time working my SNG from micro-stakes, one to two tabling as when there are beats, I would not lose more than the SNG buy-in and I can't simply re-register another tourney out of anger. But Heads-up SNG I can, the registration and waiting is fast, so HU-SNG another NO NO for me.

SNG does not mean it is easier, there are many difference way to play, strategies to adopt which are different from cash games. Not that it is easier for cash game, but it is a safer alternative for my personality. So I work start working from the bottom and then move up using the default bankroll management (50 buy-ins). 

Which means, I may have to give up my SilverStar status from next month. This month is halfway there. And I think I can do it. It would be a pity though, unless I am able to multi-table like the sharks in these STT SNGs. But bankroll is always more important than the VIP status, not as if I'm a supernova. Anyway, if I am able to grind lovely profits some day, VIP status wouldn't have been a problem by then. 

Enough of rantings and we'll see how it goes. Good luck guys! (Stop looking for me at the tables and win my money~)

Article on Tilt (Extracted Post)

Below is a very interesting article I came across browsing the net:

Link of original site: Freezeout Player http://www.freezeoutplayer.com/wht-tilt-is-your-enemy.html

To poker players (even traders) I think you've heard this over & over before but I think it still serves as a very good reminder for us because in the field of trading and poker (even athletes), mindset and psychological factor plays such an important role. I recommend reading because I think the concept also applies not only the poker players, but even to traders. Markets are so random (at times) and we should always factor in losses along the way, as long as we focus doing the 'right' thing, we will succeed over the long run!

Enjoy.

"Overcoming Tilt and Your State of Mind.

Have you ever gone on tilt ? I don’t think there is a person I’ve talked to that hasn’t at one time or another. There are a number of things that may happen that make you go on tilt, and some even have to do with poker ! Let me explain.

I hate getting sucked out on. I hate hitting trips after a rainbow flop, I bet and there is a raise all in. I call and a weak player hits runner runner for a flush. I HATE it but it is something you just have to take because it happens from time to time. That’s poker and that’s what makes it such an interesting game to play. You can make all the correct plays and still lose!

What I try to do to combat going on tilt is train myself to think about the suck out and believe that I made a correct call and more often then not I will win given the same circumstances. That’s why there are percentages for any given hand to win. Even a hand that’s favored 90% of the time will lose 10% of the time. So you must hang on to that belief that you made the correct move and just got unlucky. Then you have to put it behind you and move on.

I know what your thinking, easier said than done.

You're right, it is, but you must find a way to do this otherwise you could lose a lot of money. When you do this you might even discover you made an incorrect play so you can change your thinking the next time a similar situation comes your way. You also have to look at your long term results and not just this one hand.

Thinking about your long term results will put this one suck out into perspective. If your long term results are not good then perhaps other areas of your game need some analysis. The point I am trying to make is that you have to be able to take an unlucky hand and move on.

Some other things that have nothing to do with poker can affect your game and even put you on tilt before the game has started. These factors you have direct control over and can eliminate so as to not affect your game. If you’ve had a fight with your wife/husband, if you’ve had a bad day at work, if you have a headache or are feeling under the weather you should not be looking to start playing a poker tournament online. These are just a few of the many non poker factors that can have an influence on how you play. I think to play consistently well over a period of time you have to play with what I call a good ‘poker mindset’ going in. I think this gives you a better opportunity to win.

Your state of mind is very important when sitting down to play a mtt.

As said above many things in the world around you can effect your mindset before playing a tournament. To me the trick is if those factors affect you too much perhaps a break from poker for that evening is in order. Maybe a longer brake is in order, only you know for sure. Something else I try to do is to sit in front of the computer 10 minutes before the tournament I signed up for starts and close my eyes and just think of how I’m going to start this tournament, what strategy will I use, making good decisions and so forth. Just get into a ‘poker’ mindset. Its like a little quiet time before the tournament gets going. This is the mental part of the game. Look at any sports stars. I’ve seen interview after interview where the athlete says “much of what I do is mental, if I believe I can win I’m half way there”.

Anything you can do to increase your chances of making good decisions at the poker table is worth while doing. Different players do different things to prepare for a tournament. Figure out what your ‘thing’ is and do it. Having a good poker mindset going into a tournament gives you a better opportunity to make those good decisions therefore increasing your chances to win. If you can come up with a good way to avoid going on tilt and eliminate outside distractions then you have achieved a good ‘poker state of mind’! "

Good Week Bad Day So Many Words

Been 2 weeks since I last posted. Very busy with night lessons, group assignments and online homework. Trading has come to a complete halt at the moment. Oanda account has finally break-even after 6 months and I did not trade with my FXDD account because I have limited access to it.

Wednesday, Bottle and I went to a talk hosted by Oanda Asia Pacific here in Singapore, by Stuart McPhee on basic trading lesson. It wasn't a lesson about asking you to sign up their course though he was selling his book at the refreshment and attending the talk gives you chance to win an iPad. I admit I was there partly because of it.

The fee of the course was $50, but for Oanda account users, they will deposit it into your account, on top of that Oanda account users have 3x more chance for the iPad. Ok I seem to be going for the wrong reason, but thats not the saddest thing. I fell ill in the afternoon and was feeling terrible during the talk. Had cold sweat and was feverish, I was dozing off throughout and had medical leave the next 2 days. So sorry if I am not able to share what was taught in the talk, but they were things like using take-profit and stop loss and identifying trends and basic bankroll management. It was good, Mr Stuart believes solely on technical analysis only. And also he take things simple, and does not complicate his trades.

I had quite some time for poker this week. Monday started off badly, joined a 27-man SNG with my fren and I was out in no time. Felt bored along the way so I played a 6-handed $0.10 table, seeking action. Sadly the play was different, I kept getting called unlike in a full ring game and drew down quickly.

Thursday, on my first day of medical leave, I was 6-tabling 500 hands. I think that was my limit. Am tired right after the session. That day, I ran pretty good, I was up about 20+ usd, never in my poker life have I had such a successful session. I later joined a 18-man SNG and cashed out 2nd place.

I planned my style before the session. I have been losing by being too loose and calling opponents' raises and playing too much hands. This time I approached the game by folding more hands than before, folding opponents' raises, playing much much tighter. It ran real well. In a full-ring game, I managed to bluff a lot of pots too, I think partly because other people were also playing a lot of tables at once. And probably they can't be bothered when they miss their flops.

On Friday, I played the same blinds 10cent table 6-tabling and again another 500 hands. It was bad at some table, my JT hearts ran into ace high flush. At the other table, I called a re-raised pre-flop with 66. Flopped a 6 and I re-raised all-in against aces. Sweet. I got closed to 10 usd that session using the same approached. Later in that day, I played another 18-man SNG and won 1st!! It was a micro though. I was so happy and dancing around until my girlfriend asked the prize I won.. errrmm.. seven dollars. WHAT!? Was it worth the effort she asked. Its the winning that counts heehee.

So the 2 days ran well, but I think that doesn't prove my approach is good yet. I see improvement becuz I slowly grind my way up in the session, but I still think I'm seeing too much flop. So I took a day off on Saturday, and started my third session on Sunday, today. This time, it went all the way to 900 hands. It might be little to some of you, but 3 hours sessions was a strain to my eyes. My little 14.1 inch laptop could only fit 6 tables at once, I took another shot at a micro 27-man sng and have much difficulty on the 7th, I really got no place to put and was so clumsy. I was out quickly in 18th place and I didn't even know what I was doing.

Lesson 1: never play more than you/your screen can handle.

I ran bad on the start, with an all-in with something against something I forgot. I slowly grind my way back and was seeing profit already. I dominated some of the tables. That was about 500-hands when I last checked. I thought it was a Sunday and I was pretty free so I continued my session. Maintaining throughout, my connection got messed up on about 700+ hands and I was stuck in four of the tables, unable to play, exit nor cashout. I had to close them out and join another table. I was feeling frustrated already and I began losing. Cards ran pretty badly right after and then I got disconnected again. Maybe this is an omen for telling me to stop my session.

In less than 200 hands, my profit of less than 10 became -30 quickly.

Lesson 2: don't play beyond session you can handle, stop once u feel fatigued.

Lesson 3: stop immediately once you feel irritation. cards are supposed to be ur fren, if u feel irritation, they will become ur enemy in no time.

I finally sat out and walk out of my seat. My water-bottle was empty and I was feeling dried up. My eyes really needed a break and I felt like shit. It feels exactly like those tilting days like my trading. I went for a shower to cool off and thoughts kept running over my mind. I felt anger and frustration. Feel like screaming if you ask me.

I went out and took a breather. Back home, I thought about one more tourney for the night. I maintained well and was chip lead until a flop T34, I had pocket 34 and re-raised all-in becuz he was short stacked. Expectedly, he turn over an AT, top pair with best kicker. I was favourite at the moment, although I know he had outs. Unexpectedly, turn came a Q, river came a Q. ARGH. That over-pair on the board overwrites my treys. Thats poker. My stack was halved. I was out in the 7th later with A4s vs pocket tens, taking another huge draw-down on my bankroll.

Lesson 4: Now I know why people say stop during your bad day, because if you continue, it felt double worst.

Lesson 5: Such days makes you appreciate break-even day. (which leads to the what-if what-if if-only if-only I had stop at 500 hands at little profit blah blah)

After reading Trader32's post of full-time trading, it kinda give me a clearer picture on dreams on becoming a full-time trading, or full time poker? Full time poker doesn't seem to exist in my country except probably Pokerstars team pro Bryan Huang.

Trading/poker skills aside, it definitely have tremendous stress when ur income solely dependent on these. Because u need money, u need to trade, becuz u need to trade, u may do it despite having no setup. Besides, being an employee, company gives u 14.5% of your salary into your Central Provident Fund account, something very important to us Singaporean. We use it to buy ridiculously high pricing homes here, and we use it for retirement. If we have to become a full time trader, we need to be proficient enuff to sustain such high standards of living. Right now, if lucky, my profit a month can only buy me a double cheeseburger in mcdonalds', not even a full meal with french fries, if they can take out the pickles and charge me less that would even help.

I'm going to have some ice-cream cool off, tomorrow is a new day new week. Gl to everyone at the chart and at the tables!

Black.

Blah blah blah..

So........ bad. Cards were bad. But probably becuz I was too loose in the first place.

I need to work on my play a lot. Today I made the biggest lost.

We sometimes have to accept these shit happen as they are part of it..

But it still feels shitty.

Its time to seek the oracle.

Poker: 10 Sep - Randoms

Short 100 hands today. Last weekend was terrible, after the previous NFP big draw-down, I was followed by loses in poker over the weekend. This is at a point of time where I was lost and felt I need more time to pick up. Earlier this week I was only doing my school assignments. Got to play a bit of hands today.

Today is a public holiday, our fellow Muslim counterpart's festival call the Hari Raya Puasa. If you don't know, they went through one month of "fasting" before celebrating this special day. Long weekend for everybody.

I need to remind myself of becoming calmer during my trades/poker even during losses. Recently, I let myself go easily, I tilt easily. The more I'm afraid to lose, the worst I become when loses come infront of me. It's simple concept every beginner learn till they are masters, but it is some thing that takes a life-time to master. I was thinking if I relate my capital to my real-life monetary too much. Because if you take it too hard, like losing a few dollars to hundreds of dollars, you might go into thoughts like 'oh my I lost these amount I coulda bought something or something'. But then again, these are still real money. But I think the key to curb this might be changing my mentality about it. Isn't it strange why we always do so well in the demo than our real money?

Have a good weekend people!

Result: +$1.20

Black.

Poker: 19 Aug - Beats Beats Beats!!

I'm kinda on tilt after tonight's lost. But I try to take a deep breath and move on to grab some profits back.

These 2 days of losses were more or less result of recklessness. I didn't lose 'em by being "grinded" slowly. I lost 'em thru' all-ins.

Two nights back, as posted in my Twitter. I went all-in pre-flop with a big slick (A K). I lost to a pair of A J when J appeared on the river. Followed by all-in with a pair of A J and losing high card to big slick. *SPIT*!

Earlier, I was doing fine until I did the all-in shit again. One guy raises high pre-flop, I held big slick again. Because I see he was loose and all-in a few times previous hands. So I went all-in. And he did without hesitation.

Big Slick VS Q 9.

9 appeared in Turn. I got busted. The other table I was holding a 6 A. The floor was 6 2 2 3 6. I raised before showdown, thinking I made a full-house. He went all-in. I called. He held a 6 3. 6 full house of deuces loses to 6 full house of 3s. For a moment I felt like throwing the mouse out of the window.

My last big loss tonight, I didn't really know what he held. I was holding Big Slick again (the bigger the card, the greater your lost, or maybe I'm not good enough). The flop came A K Q.

Wow! Who's better than me now? Everyone checks and I raises high and then one of them (out of two) remaining calls. The turn came J. This time that fellow went all-in. I didn't know what to do. I kinda feel that he had turn a set. Obviously a straight if you ask me. I folded and let go of my pair of big slicks.

Result: -$3.89

Black.