The last few days in New York I have been trying to learn a new game. My backer was briefly a turbo HU SNG (heads-up sit-n-go) professional and under his tutelage I have been attempting to learn the game. It's a very interesting form of poker. These turbo SNGs force a player to understand proper play at multiple stack depths while at the same time utilizing their understanding of game flow and meta game.
My foray into HU SNGs started out beautifully. I was crushing at what was apparently an unsustainable winrate. Since the first full day of play it seems a statistical correction has occurred. I am now only slightly profitable in the 150 or so games I've played. I am quite sure I am running very badly over the last 60 games but am also sure that I am doing things which are exacerbating my swings.
A hundred and fifty games is a small sample size, even for HU, so I'm not too concerned but I am really looking forward to getting to Atlantic City tonight and playing people older than me (for once) that are going to be perpetually "waiting for better spots." There's no better variance limiter than playing retirees that believe patience is key and aces will come. At least that's what I'm telling myself.
I'm not sure exactly when I'm leaving New York but I do know I'll be heading out sometime tonight. In the meantime I'm going to work on plugging some HU leaks and trying to get my mind right for the Borgata tournaments. If anyone has any particularly effective methods of maintaining a proper mindset during downswings please feel free to leave a comment. Glgl.
whiteyslacks
I wrote a blog post on this funny enough, I think the key is to realize that everyone goes through these. Talk to your friends, ask them about your play and see if you are still playing your best. I've noticed a lot of poker players aren't always honest with themselves when they are losing. If you are still playing your "A" game then you just have to chalk it up to variance or you need to move down limits if you can't beat that game (Knowing you though, I know this isn't the case). On the other hand, if you are making fundamental errors than you need to step away for a while. I know that this is your living but there is nothing worse than playing when you are playing bad and giving up more money. Realize that 1 or 2 days away does miracles for your mindset and you will come back refreshed and ready to play.
ReplyDeleteGL
Thanks, man. All good advice. Congrats again on killing the tournies of late. Keep it up!
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