Lessons From The Felt.

The 7 Habits

Wed, 21 May 2008 13:15:16 -0400

1. Be Proactive.
You can either be proactive or reactive when it comes to how you respond to certain things. When you are reactive, you blame other people and circumstances for obstacles or problems. Being proactive means taking responsibility for every aspect of your game. Taking Initiative and taking action will then follow. Between stimulus and response, we have the power of free will to choose our response.

Begin with the End In Mind.
Decide on you goals before playing and set limits so that you can stay focused.

3. Put First Things First.
Put long term goals ahead of short term satisfaction and keep your eye on the prize.

Think Win/Win.
Keep a positive attitude and remember that being #1 isn’t the only way to come out a winner.

Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood.
Figure out the who, what, where, when and why of the table then act accordingly.

Synergize.
Synchronize your mind, body and soul (intuition). Focus and tune into
the energy of the cards and your opponents

Sharpen the saw.
Practice often, evaluate your play and change bad habits by replacing them with new better habits.

The Empowerment Skill That Mastering Poker Teaches Us: Letting Go

Fri, 4 Apr 2008 03:00:22 -0400

Forgiving and Letting Go.

One of the most important life coping skills is learning to forgive and move on. It is unlikely that those who can not do this in life can do it in Poker. Following are twenty toxic attitudes that keep people from being great in life or poker. Check those that challenge you.

TOXIC ATTITUDES AND HABITS THAT KEEP YOU FROM LETTING GO IN POKER

1 ARROGANCE (TOO INTELLIGENCE TO WIN OR LEARN)
Refusal to accept that other players may be brighter or more talented or that you have anything to learn from players that are not as smart or talented as you (When they win they are lucky when you win it is talent)

2 BETTING WITH CREDIT
Betting with credit, money you don't have on you or If come

3 CHASING BULLETS
Hoping to catch a bullet on the river such as making an inside strait, flush or full house

4 DISGUISING IGNORANCE
Playing not to look stupid

5 DISGUISING WEAKNESS
Playing not to seem weak

6 FEAR OF BUYING A WOLF TICKET
Refusing to fold for fear that others might be bluffing

7 FORTUNE: BAD
Losing with a great hand

8 FORTUNE: CHANGE
Belief your luck will change

9 FORTUNE: GOOD
Winning with a bad hand

10 INSANITY
Belief that the same action or strategy will produce different results

11 MEMORY OF A FOLD THAT WOULD HAVE WON
Changing one's plan or strategy because you folded on a hand that would have won

12 PANIC or DESPERATION
Throwing math, revolutionary patience or logic to the wind because of frustration

13 PEOPLE CHANGE
Belief that others will change or act rationally

14 POT WHIPPED
Playing the pot not your hand

15 PERCEIVED INSULT
Playing to get, payback or put others in their place

16 SELECTIVE PERCEPTION
Confusing your memory with your imagination (Remembering what you want to remember or believe)

17 STREAKS: WINNING
Refusal to quitting when you are ahead

18 STREAKS: LOSING
Refusal to quit when you are behind

19 SUCKER BET
Belief that double or nothing will eventually bring you even

20 THROWING AWAY THE MONSTERS
Keeping and betting on monsters against the possibility of a strait, flush or full house because they look so strong or are the best hand you have seen for a while

If none of these attitudes challenge you feel free to skip thhis article and move on. Either you are already a master or you are self-dellusional/ in either case this article will not help you. However if you are challenged more than one of these attitudes do not become depressed or discouraged. it is generally not effective to attempt to simulateonaly attempt to elimated all of them simultaneously. Instead rank them in the order of attitudes that have cost you the most money and mental angusih. The trick is to work on them one, two or at most three at a time for the next 30 play days. Whjen you have mastered or eliminated each attitude then replace it with the next on your priority list. In poker as in life growth often first requires letting go. However, change cannot begin in earnest until one admits or acknowledged the weaknesses, forgives oneself and then others, in that order.

Free Your Mind\\
Empower Yourself

KOOGE

Tips On Cash VS Tournaments

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:17:03 -0500

For Tournaments

#1 Don’t over play your hand.

#2 If you end up short stacked wait for a key hand even high cards to push all in.

#3 Play different than the table is playing I.E. if the table is tight then play loose.

#4 Longevity is the key, the longer you stay in more money you make.

#5 If you’re the big stack play more pots and play them aggressively. Fold when you know you’re beat and try to steal blinds to get chips.

#6 Read the table and the players.

#7 If you lose a monster hand don’t go on tilt just wait to double up again its a grind.

#8 You have to mix your game up as the game goes. Learn to play each style at the right moments (tight, aggressive, passive and loose).

#9 Play S M A R T Smooth, Mathematical, Artful, Resourceful, and develope good timing.

#10 Practice, practice and practice. The more hands you play the better you become.

Cash Games

#1 Don’t under play your hand. Don’t let the aggressive or more experienced players push you off the best hand. Bet and raise to control the betting and not to show weakness to players who have position and will bet if you appear weak.

#2 If you end up short stacked wait for key hands against key players and be aggressive towards tight players when they show weakness. If it’s a good game and you can afford it, buy back in for more money.

#3 Play different than the table is playing I.E. if the table is tight then play loose.

#4 Play different hands, if you can get in a pot cheap for like 2 dollars then you can play suited connectors.

#5 Read watch and remember the players tells, reactions and betting patterns. Lots of information is available if you watch their face when the flop hits.

#6 If you lose a big hand for allot of money do whatever it takes to not go on tilt. If you tilt then leave. Don’t play on tilt because you’ll just throw your money away. Cash games are a grind.

#7 Mix your game up play different hands one time raise with pocket aces next time just call a raise.

#8 For the most return on your money play different than your style if your an aggresive player play tight.

#9 Play some hands tricky and trap more than you would in a tournament. Maximize how much money you make when you have the best hand.

#10 Build up a bank roll then practice. More hands = more knowledge.

May the pots be big and fun,
Diesel and Judge

11 Keys To Poker Etiquette

Wed, 6 Feb 2008 06:51:24 -0500

#1 Don’t yell at people for winning a hand and call them donkeys just say nice hand and well played when they outplay you or suck out on you.

#2 Don’t play out of turn it can influence action. Just wait until the player before you makes their decision and then look at you cards and make your play.

#3 Don’t talk when others are in the hand and ask “Are you going to call?” because it will influence the action.

#4 Don’t slam the cards at the dealer or blame the dealer when you are beat. Self control is key to playing good poker and bad beats happen all the time.

#5 Don’t slow roll people when you got the nuts. (Slow rolling is when you show one card that isn’t the winning card and then wait and slowly reveal the winning card.) It’s rude and plays with your opponents emotions.

#6 Don’t yell at people, call them names, curse or threaten violence. It’s just a game and you shouldn’t gamble with money you can’t afford to lose.

#7 Don’t slam the table in disgust. It’s disruptive to the game and basically a temper tantrum and a sign to everyone that you’re on tilt. If you’re on tilt don’t let anyone know otherwise the good players will take advantage.

#8 Don’t comment about the board when you are not in the hand saying who has a 5 here or has a straight or even reacting to the cards as if you threw away the monster.

#9 Chip etiquette: Try not to splash the pot or toss your chips in a way that sends them rolling all over the place.

#10 Card Etiquette: Don’t show a card if others are in the hand and fold in a way that minimizes the risk of a card being exposed.

#11 Tip the dealer a fair amount. Consider the size of the pot.

10 Ways To Avoid Tilting

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:38:21 -0500

Know your players
Make your opponents pay for their draws
Play S.M.A.R.T. by being Smooth, doing the Math, Playing Artfully, thinking realistically, and having good Timing
Take a break, walk away, cool off and relax then develope amnesia and forget what happened
Don’t get angry and vengeful toward players by keeping your emotions in check
Don’t play scared money and prepare for the possibility of losing the money your playing with.
Don’t play cash games with family or loved ones
Set your limits by deciding ahead of time how much you’re okay with losing and not allowing yourself to buy back in with money you’re not okay with losing
Strive to be the coolest head in the room and keep the end in mind
Know your bodies limits and be conscious of whether your tired hungry or should slow down your drinking