"One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself." Lucille Ball 1911 - 1989
Playing "serious" poker over the last 11 months has had an unexpected introspective result. The game has a lunar effect on my self-confidence, causing it to ebb and flow with my wins and losses. I have been surprised, when the game is going well, at how solid, even cocky-sure-of-myself I can get. After one or two bad sessions, though, that self-assuredness dissolves faster than the splenda in my morning coffee.
I then begin to second guess every decision, overcompensate and play weak and paranoid. This, above anything else is why (confession time) I have not been able to play consistently good poker and surpass the break even point.
In my own defense, however, since I began with that free $15 at the Gaming Club in November, I have not dipped into a dime of my own money for a ring game and I racheted that $15 up to over $300 grinding away at the micro limits, moving up when the bankroll warranted. Not huge, but quite an accomplishment for me. Unfortunately, I peaked at right around my break even point, and am experiencing about a $200 swing (currently down).
So, being the problem solver I am, I am meeting the self-confidence challenge head on. The key lies in having faith in my growing abilities and letting the bad sessions slide off my back - make note of the mistakes and do my best not to repeat them. Bad sessions will continue to happen. My goal, like all of us, is to flip the percentage to more good/less bad.
(Sidenote: Thank you, Pauly, for the compliment on my play in the tourney - high praise indeed and a shot in the arm...)
