Opinions/advice please!!!!!

[bennymacca]

what do you find the differences are that you struggle with?

[madali]

what do you find the differences are that you struggle with?

Part of this is the problem I am not sure where am going wrong. With online I can revisit hands and clearly see where I am struggling and work on fixing the problem. I have similar problems I think to my online game where I do not use position enough and if it is a big game let myself be intimidated by others at the table. I let my nerves get to me way to much live also which is a big concern as I find myself getting pushed around . I also find myself getting in to old bad habits which is extremely costly. I do not steal enough and very rarely, if ever, bluff. People find this strange when I say it but i find I am able to read people better online than I could ever live. I have been thinking of taking an MP3 player and seeing if that helps me focus better but problem there is that the a decent game is far and few between and as I know the players at my venues I feel comfortable and venue play is not an area I struggle with.

Hope that makes sense. I have been a bit side tracked the last 18 months but really do want to start taking my game seriously and getting back into improving as I had lost my way in a lot of things lately. I have started to take the steps to try and improve my online game but just do not know where to start with improving live.

[BigPete33]

Keep it simple, in my opinion.


When you're at the table, don't think about anything, pretend your vision is a camera that's looking at the people at the table and 'zoom out a bit', and rather than going looking for things just have a look around and see what you notice and build it from there.


You'll be amazed what you can see when you're not looking for anything.

[madali]

Keep it simple, in my opinion.


When you're at the table, don't think about anything, pretend your vision is a camera that's looking at the people at the table and 'zoom out a bit', and rather than going looking for things just have a look around and see what you notice and build it from there.


You'll be amazed what you can see when you're not looking for anything.

Wow that really does make a lot of sense. Maybe in my quest to get better I am just over complicating things and in the process missing most of what is happening around me. Thanks Pete and benny the cunt

[Jav1000]

Hi Gayle,

For me, poker is all about making decisions, the more correct decisions you make, the more profitable you'll be in the long-run.

What I've found is that when you play a lot of poker, it's very easy to start playing in auto-pilot especially when playing amongst people you know which normally leads to sloppy decisions [pub poker is classic example].

You're able to read people better online than live because it seems you play more online. The more hours you put in live, the better you'll be able to read people [especially when you're out of the hand] and the less nervous you'll become.

It's imperative that you review your sessions and I would suggest you do this at every break.

Another point is to watch at what the good players are doing and learn from them instead of being intimidated by them and even ask them questions.

Hope some of that helps.

Cheers
Jav

[madali]

Thanks so much for the advice and help Jav,

I really do appreciate the great advice I get from the forum as I am always looking for ways to improve. I suppose I am just focusing on my live game as I had set myself certain goals a few years ago and am becoming quite frustrated that I am not improving which really sucks. Time to go back and revisit those goals I think and maybe set a new time frame to reach them. In the meantime I will get try and get some more hours under my belt live.

Again thank you all for your advice it is really appreciated,

Gayle

[gmatical]

I am not sure where am going wrong.

I do not use position enough
i let myself be intimidated by others at the table.
I let my nerves get to me way to much
I do not steal enough and
I very rarely, if ever, bluff

but just do not know where to start with improving live.

Gayle Gayle Gayle, what are we going to do with you?

You list your defficiencies, and you have the 'desire and intention' to fix them - but you need to actually fix them. Talking is talking, it doesnt change the end result without some sort of action.

Case in point below

I have been thinking of taking an MP3 player and seeing if that helps me focus better

As the great John Kennedy once famously said "Don't think, DO!".

I don't know you, but from the posts you have made on this forum - they do paint a picture of you as a person. Caring, sweet, happy to help, loving mother (grandmother too perhaps?) etc. But the flipside of this personality is it suggests you are passive and timid at the poker table.

Unfortuanately you will find it difficult to change your personality, it is ingrained in you.

You can change your gameplay - but you have to TRULY want to. My guess is that you have alot of things going on in your life, family, work and what-not - it is very hard to become a gun poker player unless you can give a near 100% commitment to learning.

If you think about all the internet whiz-kids - they are so good at poker because it is ALL they do. They don't have jobs, commitments, and can spend their days eat sleeping and breathing poker. And your old school types, most of them live in Vegas - casinos from miles around - an endless pool of fish to devour.

You don't seem to be in either of these situations.

What I am trying to say in this post is simple - you don't need to 'be the best' at poker - its not a realistic dream for most anyhow.

Just work out if you really do want to improve, because being a decent poker player (that you seem to be) is a good outcome, improvement may not really alter much in the scheme of things (if i haave you pegged correctly).

I have given you a bit of a rant - but I hope it may adjust or address your reasoning, which will inturn adjust your goal setting.

Some more practical advice would be to keep playing online and travel the 2 hours to the casino. Pub pokers turbo format doesnt lend itself to skilled play (in the end game 2bb FT's etc) but it does lend itself to a good way to test your theories with a no consequense result at the start ( 3 barrel bluffing, raising every button with any 2 etc.)

Don't take this as an attack, it is not. I just don't like to see you feeling dissapointment in what is really a fun pastime, a social outlet - don't lose sight of this in a quest to be the best.

I hope the other things you mention as being off track in the last 18 months are a higher priority than poker.

Love Always,

Gmatical

[bennymacca]

do you read any books gayle?

[rcon]

do you read any books gayle?

Thought you were about to ask if Gayle played rugby.

[madali]

Wow Gmatical what an awesome reply I am blown away. I think you have put a rocket under me that I needed "Just do it!" You have nailed me in so many ways with most of what you say. I know I am very passive and timid at the tables but only when I feel intimidated seems to happen easily when I am in a big game. If I feel comfortable at a table then rarely am I timid just patient. I know I am perhaps letting my fears hold me back and I know you are right I just have to bite the bullet and let them go. Funniest thing is if I I have a player on the table who manages to get under my skin ( a hard thing to do) I go into auto pilot and tend to make the right moves which for the most pays off.

I have sat down and revisited my goal and am hoping the new time frame is more attainable. My goal was to be confident enough in my play to sit down and play the Aussie Millions . Not win it, now that would be a dream, but feel like I was good enough to hold my own at the table amongst the other players.

Thank you so much for your advice it is really appreciated.

Gayle