Afraid of success?

23.04.2009, 18:54 0

I've been running pretty hot these past two weeks, with only one down day in the whole stretch. I've been averaging about 1 to 1.5 buyins ahead each session.

But, my sessions have only been about 90 minutes long at most. As my stacks grow, I find that my play becomes more cautious. Instead of using my stack to intimidate the shortstacked fish at the table, I become nittier and start second-guessing myself. It gets so bad that I eventually leave the table after a little while.

My profits have become scared money. It's like I'm afraid that one or two bad plays will wipe out all the work I've done.

I'm probably losing a lot of value by doing this. At the very least, I feel that my sessions are much less profitable than they could be.

I'm currently playing microstakes, but I think that this way of thinking will kill me if I play at higher levels.

Is this a common mindset, and how do I get over it?

6 replies

_Anonymous_

23.04.2009, 19:44 0

Congratz on ur recent success, if you are afraid to play deep, find a new table so you can't lose more than a standard buyin.

You shouldn't be trying to intimidate the short stack fish anyways, you don't have the correct implied odds to play against them, your aim is to play against the bigstack fish, you can't be afraid to lose tho coz inevitably they will get lucky sometimes n if losing a stack will tilt you, well you need to work on ur mindset. Try reading the psychology articles, these can be very useful.

TheBrood

Joined: 17.07.2008

Posts: 4,381

23.04.2009, 21:34 0

Since Im new on NL20, Im uneasy playing deep so I usually change table unless its fishy.

Not that I win that much these days tho...

♠ NL50 BSS Mansion | Quote of the week by andyb43: "loosing the $50 could be traumatic if you are bouncing along on the bones of your arse" ♠

mishkagg

Joined: 29.07.2008

Posts: 580

24.04.2009, 12:29 0

Well IMO it's normal to tighten up when you win a buy in. I play the SSS and if I double or tripple up I play only AA, KK, QQ and AK until the blind come to me and then I leave. I don't play JJ and worse hands that are in the SHC like JJ from early position and TT, AQ, 99 from middle position.

And I don't think I am losing value. I think I am just seeing the hands I paid for with the last BB I put on the table. But once the blind comes to me I quit the table and find another one.

If you stick after the blind passes just force yourself to play your normal game, I mean what's the harm? We're not at the point where money matters, we're still newbies learning the game. A few lost buy ins don't matter to me as long as I post the hand and it's confirmed I played it right.

Like if you win a stack and you're $20. Then KK come your way and you bet, a guy raises and you're both all in preflop. In the end he shows a set of jacks. What can you do? You played it right but got raped by variance.

Quitters never win, winners never quit! :diamond:

_Anonymous_

23.06.2009, 10:35 0

i have a similar leak (or complex).

to avoid it, i wait round to the blinds to see if i pick up another highly playable hand and if not i leave. that way you secure the profit and only risk the normal buy in.

excelgeo

Joined: 17.10.2008

Posts: 1,107

23.06.2009, 11:12 0

cautiousness is not necessarily a bad thing, it could be working in your favour. if you think that because of cautiousness you played it wrong, then simply post the hand and maybe you will be surprised to know it was the right move

Excelgeo assumes no responsibility for losses incurred while following his advice as he has been known to dish out some real shitty ideas every now and then.
If you record profits, however, credit should be given where credit is due.

_Anonymous_

23.06.2009, 11:29 0

Just move to another table...

[Closed] Afraid of success?