Mental Hand History

Mental Hand History (from Page 61 of The Mental Game of Poker):

1.       Describe the problem:

My mental game problem is a lack of focus.

Throughout the session I am constantly surfing the net (I play on a laptop). When surfing on the net, I often find I’m opening the same pages over and over again (Facebook, Pokernews, Gmail, NRL, DreamTeam).

When I am in this state, my ‘red line’ goes down at a slope that is larger than it tends to when I am playing well. And my green line tends to follow suit.

2.       Why does it make logical sense that you would react, think, or feel that way?

              A - There is downtime between hands; I should use it as multitasking is efficient.

              B – Most decisions are automated (unconscious competence) and with 15 act there’s no rush.

3.       Why is that logic flawed?

A – Multitasking is not always efficient, poker is something that has a positive correlation between attention and performance.

B – This game has incomplete info, the more information we can gain via observation of opponents, stats and self-awareness the better our performance.

4.       What is the correct way to handle the situation?

           A – There is always hands being played at your table, this is a good chance to pick up on ways to                  gain a greater edge on villains. (The in internet will still be there after my session is finished).

            B – A good game is a fast game (I play more hands therefore more profit, villains are less likely to leave table due to my slow play), I also get impatient when people are slow so I should not be the slow one.

5.       Why is that correction correct?

A – The greater my edge on my villains, the larger my win rate, the less variance I will see in my results. This will lead to a better chance of growing a decent bank roll in long run.

B – A good game is more enjoyable, the more fun at the table the more inclined I am to think deeper in situations.

In order to maximise my chance of achieving the situation of never considering opening my browser while playing I will…….

1 – Aim to make notes constantly.

2 – Regularly record myself playing with screencast-o-matic. And post them to be accountable.

3 – Review this post regularly, going over step 5 before each session.