First off, I want to wish Fruitypro a speedy recovery from what currently ails him. He has been one of the two most important people in my quest to be able to support my family by playing poker and I owe him a great deal for that. We have only spoken directly a handful of times but through IM’s and lessons I have grown fond of him and consider him a friend. So get well soon Dan, we miss you at CR!!!
Poker has been up and down for me the last couple of weeks. As you probably read (and if not, get to it!) in my last two posts I have not been running the best. However there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am up $275 in only 3,400 hands at work this week. I still cannot believe that I get paid to play cards. I guess it is nice working at your best friend’s business…
On the flip side, I have been struggling at home in the evenings which brings me to the core of this post.
Without getting into to much personal detail I will say that I have a certain amount of stress in my home life. It is not a relationship situation, it is our financial situation. Despite us both holding good paying, steady jobs we are still walking a fine line. Why am I telling you this? Well, I have a point…
I have a nasty habit of putting important things off. In this case I have put off some bills and as a result I have accrued late fees and several dings to my credit. In life, hiding from problems will NEVER EVER make them go away. I know you have probably heard this advice a million times from a thousand people but it has a special place here:
You cannot in any way, shape, form, or fashion play your best (or in my case even 75% of my best) poker when your mind is not clear.
Once again, you have heard this said before but to me it is the single most important factor in being a successful poker player!
Because I have caused myself stress in “real life” my “poker life” has suffered greatly. So do yourself, your account, and the people around you (wife, kids, friends, and family) a favor and attack all your problems head on. It will make you a much happier person and will only help your bank roll to grow that much faster.
One more quick thing. There is a thread going on CR's low limit board that shows a pretty common situation.
Here is the link: http://www.cardrunners.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=67&threadid=13384&enterthread=y
I think the poster made a VERY common mistake in over-valuing a hand. It looks good on the flop, but when you think about it, it holds a lot less clout than at first glance. It is also a great example of why a lot of flops should be a fold/raise play and not a call. I think he should have mucked on the flop but a 4-bet is not out of the question if for some reason you cannot give the villain any credit. It is a good thread, check it out.
Until next time, may the poker gods smile upon you!
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Hey Cap -- I was reading through a net of poker blogs and came upon yours. Regarding stressful situations and procrastination, I have a couple things I can recommend which helped me:
Master Strategies for Higher Achievement: Set Your Goals and Reach Them - Fast! (Your Coach in a Box)
Anthony Robbins' Personal Power II: The Driving Force!
Yeah, this stuff always seemed lame to me too, but they really helped me to put things in perspective. I'd start with Brian Tracy -- he's a bit more theory and such -- and then move on to Tony Robbins as he's a bit more hardcore.
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