By real life I mean back to cash games. I've been playing a ton of SCOOPS 'cos I got excited by them, but despite a few deep runs I didn't bink anything. I'm still going to play the odd like $27 to keep my cash sessions going, but in general that's my MTT habit over and done with until I have like $20k in my roll at least.
The cash games I have been playing, I've been playing poorly in. This is perhaps to be expected when I've been soaking up so much tournament information, but my mental game has also slipped. I've been paying lip service to the mental game, but there's a ton of evidence that my mindset has slipped back heavily towards pre-MGOP days.
Like, at my mental peak, I used to literally roll my eyes when someone posted a cooler or bad beat. I'd think like, wow what a mental fish, this shit just happens sometimes and you should expect it. Being in several skype groups full of poker players though, the whole culture of money lost today/ money won today/ coolers/ bad beats is hard to resist and I've been pulled back into it. I think I thought that maybe this would be fine, and I could still keep level headed, but I've since realised you really can't have it both ways.
I went on a pure heater the last 7 weeks or so, but by the end winning came so easy that I definitely started to indulge in checking my graph numerous times per day. Then it was at the end of every session, and then of course mid session. And then finally like 2 mins into the session. Craziness.
Mistake tilt has been fairly prominent lately....... but that's also because I've been making too many mistakes. I basically neglected the technical side of my game, getting plans sorted prior to session etc, having good defaults always to fall back on. Again, similar to the 3rd paragraph, I found myself sucked into other peoples' strategy conversations/ ideas and found myself implementing too many changes at one to my game. Adult learning model shows that the brain can only really manage 2 maximum before freaking out and losing a lot of higher level brain function. So for example, I tried implement a 25% cbet strategy, but without properly understanding everything that will mean for turns rivers yada yada. At the same time, I was experimenting with cold calling more IP, and flatting more 3bets OOP, whilst also deciding that I should raise more flops. Obviously with all this stuff outside the level of unconscious competency, it's a recipe for disaster.
So it's important that any changes I make to my game, I am aware of them prior to my session and aware that there is only 1 of them at any time.
I think it would be benefical for me to get down here my basic game in common spots, so when I feel my mind going blank I have something concrete to revert to that I take as my standard. Obviously can't sum up poker in a few paragraphs, but here goes anyway.
Preflop: Open at least 15% EP MP all the time, but open much wider with fish in the blinds. CO open a standard range, but much wider when BTN doesn't cold call a lot. BTN just decide based on the blinds. 4bet KTo QTo ATo KJo etc IP around 100bbs, but more playable things like q8s when deeper. 4bet playable stuff OOP 100bbs, KJs etc. When deep, lower our 4bet OOP bluff range slightly, and if dude is a constant deep 3bettor then ensure we open tighter. 3bet a lot from the SB.
As the cold caller, I think I have this learned to UC level, but basically I'm relatively tight to 3x except where fish are concerned or behind, fairly loose to 2x, and I just have to make sure I don't leak a ton calling 3x in CO with like 22 and squeezy blinds behind.
Preflop facing 3bets, I think have learned decently well to UC level.
Flop: Late position as caller we're just calling a few with any pair a lot. IP as the PFR we're just looking to cbet a lot, whilst OOP we'll cbet and barrel away if they cold call a lot, but CC a lot of our range if tighter.
Turn, in general just always barrel equity as a default, and don't overthink it too much.
Mindset: We need to be constantly taking a snap handread of the situation....... called in the SB so more weighted to pairs, woulda CRd a flopped set on this board facing a turn CR, sizing indicates he doesn't want to be shipped on etc. Basically, hand reading! Have a game theory like approach in spots where we're unsure, but otherwise play completely exploitably and trust instinct and handreading.
Notes:
I've decided to move back to PT notes, and start making a ton more of them. I've stolen one my friend's note template, and as a rule of every session I'm going to end my session by going through the hands and making all kinds of notes.
To track my mental progess, I've also made a spreadsheet to track my sessions. Obviously not the $$$, but a record of my mindset, how I'd grade my mental approach, any notes, and a tick as to whether or not I've gone through the session and made appropriate notes.
Good reset blog! Now to shower and play a session
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