I always start session with a rather big afraid of losing even if i am a winning player at my level. It it normal? Do beginners usually have this fear? Does it go away after you get confident of your play? (say some 100k hands and be a solid winner at that level)
P.S. - I have played 40 sessions and won 75% of them..
You have just got to be confident. You are clearly a winning player having won 75% of your past 40 sessions. Keep that in mind and you will realize that even though you lose some sessions, you will profit in the long-term.
Losing sessions are necessary to having winning sessions.
I'd suggest using more strict BRM, where you wouldn't even notice a loss of few BIs (or however cash BRM works)
Originally posted by VladimirN
I'd suggest using more strict BRM
A good suggestion and i'm am implementing that, however the problem is sometimes very annoying as i tend to leave profitable sessions to early just because "i'm winning too much too fast", not something BRM alone will fix 
But i hope that having a bigger BR and stricter BRM will help...
I think every (decent) pokerplayer has been confronted with this way of thinking. You've won a decent amount of money but just don't want to lose it. But that's a result oriented outlook on things. The only thoughts your mind has to be occupied with while playing is reading and analysing your opponents and making the right plays. You shouldn't worry much about what's won or lost while playing.
if you're quitting winning sessions early, that may be having an impact in your session win%. what about your losing sessions though, do they ever go like -3 buyins?
i used to have that fear too, it's like "zomg protect my winnings" (even though we know that doesn't really make sense). dunno how i got rid of that, just think about it away from the tables and get more experienced i guess.
you value money too much that's why, you should try to have a gambling spirit.
go play craps or something ♦
Originally posted by Tomaloc
if you're quitting winning sessions early, that may be having an impact in your session win%. what about your losing sessions though, do they ever go like -3 buyins?
Not 3 BI because i play Limit but that's the idea. The average hands played in a losing session is a LOT higher than winning sessions...
Loved the "ZOMG protect my winnings". That's exactly it!!
Originally posted by booomm
you value money too much that's why
Being a Finance professional doesn't help... loved money since i was a kid 
IMO it's about personality and your view on this game. The more you care, more emotions you bring into (fear comes to mind). But you'll definitely get better at all this when you study the game and variance. Often players think they understand the variance, but actually they just think it's what makes upswing and downswings occur or etc. It's one of harder things to have your mind really grasp on.
Originally posted by XandreW36
It's one of harder things to have your mind really grasp on.
Any good articles/posts about it that you have on your browser favorites? Would really love to read more about it as variance/volatility is something i have a fixation about, just love reading/studying it!!
I kmow this feeling. On a upswing at the mo and I get that shake waiting for my tables to open
I Try not to focus on the money.
As the song says:
"You never count your chips while you sitting at the table. There'll be time enough for counting, when the job is done!"
Bit corney but true.
Try setting yourself other targets not based on win/lose.
If your avarage vp is too high/low try to lower/higher it over a session.
Same goes for PFR
Try to get a 'Meaningful' note on all players at your tables.
Set yourself a time limit rather than a win amount.
Poker's an up and down game and once you've had a down you realise that it's not the end of the world and (as long as your BRM is correct) you br is still in decent shape.
this is a problem i've had for a long time, even though i've been a so called pro at this for over a year now..
My advice would be very similar to deadbillis
Set volume or time goals for each session and focus on playing as +ev as much as possible
If you feel your winning too much too fast (a current problem for me 
)
move down in stakes and continue to grind. (trust me! halving the stakes makes it much easier to get through to your desired volume or time goal for the session..)
don't watch your cashier while grinding
also with pokertraker or holemmaneger you can put hero stats over your stack, so you can't see how much you have.
play a higher stake than you should and you'll be worrying about the money you lose, and the money you win will be like a ZOMG cant be losing that, as people have said in previous posts...
move down in a few stakes, or.. have the outlook that you have started every session 3BIs down anyway.. so even when your 3up.. you are only even.. so need to carry on, or its pointless for you... ♦
I have recently just moved up to NL10, and For some reason (no value for money) I play better when at higher stakes, proven record over 10-20k hands on each limit, and the higher you go the more bb/100 i win 
Weird i know.. hopefully carrys on ha..
but.. anyway, Im not afraid to lose my % to variance sometimes.. i know if i go all in with AA v 72 etc.. and they win.. they can have the win, as ill take it of them another 80times before they get another one on me.. and this results in a winning session..
just finished 12BIs up... After a short while.. its not winning to much to fast, ifur getting it in right, and you know this.. then carry on.. print some money.
Originally posted by VirtuaGod
Being a Finance professional doesn't help... loved money since i was a kidI found the book "Treat Your Poker Like A Business" to help give me the right mindset. Now I treat my active bankroll more like I would when I buy an index fund. If it fluctuates slightly from day-to-day I'm not that bothered.
Originally posted by VirtuaGod
Originally posted by XandreW36
It's one of harder things to have your mind really grasp on.Any good articles/posts about it that you have on your browser favorites? Would really love to read more about it as variance/volatility is something i have a fixation about, just love reading/studying it!!
You can try and play around variance simulator on EV++
Also few very good players recommended a book 'Fooled by randomness' by Nassim N. Taleb (it is a bit difficult literary, for me at least - many unknown words)
and ' The mental game of poker' by Jared Tendler - super well written and easy to understand, 10/10
Originally posted by BObamaJr
You have just got to be confident. You are clearly a winning player having won 75% of your past 40 sessions. Keep that in mind and you will realize that even though you lose some sessions, you will profit in the long-term.Losing sessions are necessary to having winning sessions.
Winning 75% of your sessions doesn't make you a "winning player". You can make 0,01$ on your winning sessions but lose thousands on your few losing sessions. This is an extreme example, but true one.
If you re afraid of losing, then apply a stricter brm and/or move down a limit. When you are feeling okay, you can move up to the higher limit whre you can play without the fear of losing money.
Originally posted by XandreW36
Also few very good players recommended a book 'Fooled by randomness' by Nassim N. Taleb (it is a bit difficult literary, for me at least - many unknown words)
Thx. You might wanna read this We Don't Quite Know What We are Talking About When We Talk About Volatility by Daniel G. Goldstein & Nassim Nicholas Taleb
I will definitely take a look at the things you talked about. thx
