”Felicia Lee” just wrote a great post on being honest with yourself when you play poker.
I agree with every word, as I usually do when I read her.
Sometimes, though, I carry it too far.
Sometimes I'm too honest.
Editor's Note: Felicia is actually a sweetie and not quite the cranky blogger she makes herself out to be. I got to speak to her for a bit and she was very nice. I love her blunt honestly in her blog but if you ever get the chance, say hi to her. She probably won't bite your head off. :)
Lately I have tried to expand my game by bluffing more than I would normally bluff and calling when I wouldn't always call. The calling part is dangerous. The bluffing part is a way to improve. When I'm too honest with my own poker play, I tend to play far too tight. Tight poker is winning poker at my limits, .25 NL and occasionally .50 NL, and $5 SnGs; but I"m trying to win not only more consistently but move up. To do that, I can't just wait for a 10 percent hand and play it aggressively.
When I"m too honest, that I still can't read other players as well as I would like (it's improving but still not there) and that I tend to play scared far too often, I tend to follow my honesty instead of pitching it aside and trusting my instincts.
I've never been a totally confident person in some respects.
I am with my writing (although you wouldn't know that by reading this blog. Blogging, in my mind, is not writing, unless you are Joe Speaker or Pauly or Felicia. I am a much better writer than blogger. And I'm really not dismissing blogging as an art form when I say that. Blogging is its own skill). I am in my ability to play Halo. And I am in my ability to think through a problem and solve it.
I am not confident in my athletic ability. I plan to run the Bolder Boulder on Memorial Day, one of the largest races in the U.S. and a 10K. I think I can run under 50 minutes. In fact, everything I've read says I can. But I'm not sure I can. I'm warning people I may not. I'm warning myself I may not.
I'm too honest about it.
Honesty is a way to improve yourself. Honestly is still the best policy when it comes to many things, including poker. But honestly, sometimes I wonder what would happen if I wasn't so damn honest.
Smoking crack is really bad for you. You should probably lay off the pipe.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shout out, and good luck today in your run.
Sometimes you can out-think yourself..
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 13 I read half of the book "The ABC of Relativity". I was so into science and physics in high school, that I was reading Scientific American and asking questions my professor couldn't answer (he was a priest in training tho, had to teach, wasn't really qualified).
I was surprised as heck when I failed Physics II in college; and that the stumbling block, was relativity. However, it was the math behind it, and the fact that there were 2 planes of reference. Once I thought I had it, I would out-think myself later. I used to love the fact that I didn't need (or want) to memorize any math formula because I could reprove it. Physics II made me realise that sometimes that's just too much (not to mention out-thinking and getting the proof wrong too many times).
Sometimes you have to be confident, even if you have to fake it. Remember the kids tale of the train: "I think I can... I know I can!"
Positive thinking works.
When you're preparing for that race, just repeat, "I know I can..". Then do it! :)
~Glenn
For the record, I think you are a great blogger. For me, you've kept things interesting. I say nice job, sir.
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