I hate pucker. I don’t mind playing tight, but I hate playing scared. When I think back to my old way of playing poker (I haven’t played seriously in about a year), I “remember” that I used to be somewhat aggressive. But I also realize that I might be remembering what I wanted my play to be like, not what it actually was. Combine all of that with my recognition that I need to play more aggressively even if I do remember my old style accurately and you have this bipolar poker player trying to make moves while trying to pucker up. To quote Alan N. Schoonmaker in his book The Psychology of Poker
So that was me at the beginning of my second session, trying to be aggressive, but fighting tooth and nail not to be. Then one of the best things that could have happened to me occurred. I real tight-aggressive sat down at the table. Initially I was not pleased. I recognized that he was a better player, aggressive, and difficult to read. But after several hours of watching him, I knew what I could be. I knew with practice, patience, and perseverance, I could be that type of player. While I usually pucker up even more when a good player is at the table, his tightness allowed me to enter into pots he was not interested in going after, and experimenting with my own brand of aggressiveness. While no where on par with his, or where I need to be long-term, it was a great trial for me and let me experiment. It was like having a mentor at the table that I didn’t have to pay (we stayed out of each other’s way).
What I gained in lighting the aggressive fire, I lost in a poor quitting decision, leaving the casino at 2 AM. I know I am continuing to make these poor decisions, and I need to stop it. Hopefully, no matter what the next session brings, I can quit at a better point in time.
Stats:
P/L: $30.00
Hourly Rate: $4.61
