Making Good Decisions

[Kurn]

I'm reading Dr. Al Schoonmaker's book "Poker Winners Are Different". It focuses on the psychological necessities of being a winner, and one of the most important is always making good decisions that focus on long-term profitability.

May seem standard, right? But he's not talking about the decisions you make while playing a hand. He focuses on all the decisions you make: How to manage your bankroll, how to manage your emotions, how to manage your focus, how to manage your behavior at and away from the table. He asks the reader to take a pretty harsh look at him(her)self. One of his points is that there are a lot of very talented poker players who are long-term losers because they make bad decisions about the non game-play issues, and many less talented players who are long-term winners because they know how to manage the rest of their approach to life and the game.

Interesting read so far, and it fits in with my goals for 2010 in that I am trying my best to stay focused on what I do well: SNGs and Stud/8 multis. But the lesson sunk in today.

I played the morning $5 R&A super to the $700 NAPT Mohegan qualifier. I won the seat. With Dr. Al's book fresh in my mind it was clear that playing the qualifier tonight was absolutely the wrong decision. Building my SNG bankroll should be my primary focus, so I unregistered and will be using those T$ for SNGs on 'Stars.

Will I occasionally break discipline and play a multi? Sure, but not often. Will I still try to satty in to the NAPT event. of course. I'll be at Mohegan the early part of that week and I'll invest a smaller amount in the steps, but likely not much more than $200. Why? It is not as +EV as playing to my strength.

Good book. Good decisions.

"Ah, take the cash and let the credit go,
Nor heed the rumble of some distant drum."

- The Rubiyyat of Omar Khayyam

[Windbreaker]

Your logic doesn't make any sense. Instead of playing a MTT direct satellite, you'll play step SNGs. If you happen to succeed through the SNG route....you end up playing a $5k MTT main event.

[Kurn]

No. You misunderstood or I communicated badly(probably the latter). I am saving the online bankroll for normal SNGs. When I played the rebuy, I was thinking along the lines of trying to win a seat to the $5k that way, but once I won the seat to the qualifier, I realized it was a bad use of that money. I'm not going to invest essentially 30% of my online bankroll on a longshot. That makes no sense. The correct long-term decision is to invest it where I know I'm +EV.

My live bankroll is an entirely separate thing. In fact, I don't really have a live bankroll, it's more like vacation fun money. A couple of times each year I spend some time at Foxwoods/Mohegan during tournament time and get some live play in. This year, at Mohegan, I will decide whether just to play cash games or give a $100 + $20 Step 1 MTT a shot. I can take a flyer if I feel like it, or just play 1/2 NLHE or 5/10 stud. How I use that money during my vacation has no impact on my overall online poker goals.

To be honest, if I thought about it more in January, I'd be taking week after next off and going to Foxwoods for the FPC and play in the $400 Stud/8 there. Unfortunately, I asked for the NAPC week off, so that's what I have. Can't change now.

[Gutzz]

In February I played in a 215 sunday mill qualifier(saturday tourney). I won a seat, and took the money out for T$. I also felt it would be irresponsible as far as BR goes to play in such an expensive tournament which is out of my league.

Definitely a smart move on your part imo

I haven't played in that since... though I really should cause it wasn't too difficult (though I was probably lucky )

Sounds like an interesting book, I think I'm gonna see if it's available at the library