CARDRUNNERS

What's Your Edge

JungleMan's Poker Blog

December 14, 2009

A few weeks ago, I turned 20, and decided that today was a good day to play poker. I'm supposed to run good on my birthday, right? Not only did I not run good, but I had one of my worst days in terms of buyins. I can only think of three days for which I lost more...

It makes perfect sense for this to happen, after all, I'm equally likely to run bad on my birthday as I am on any other day, right? Part of myself, as well as perhaps everyone, believes/wants to believe this isn't true, and on our birthdays some mysterious force defies the observations of science by gearing reality in our favor. As common intuition* should tell us, this is not true. It is the opposite of truth*.

My experience on my birthday reinforced that general philosophy in me, and I think it is one of the things that has been essential to my success. When I was a losing player desiring to succeed, negative stimuli forced me to embrace good traits. The extent of my loses had upset me deeply, and made me want to play lower so that I could afford to lose comfortably: proper bankroll management. I had become so accustomed to losing that I embraced close to the ideal methodology of improving: I ignored the short term pain I had felt after each loss, and instead focused on why I was losing and how I could prevent it in the future: I focused on LONG-term results. Reading online posts and Doyle's books, I had imagined that, one day, the amount that I had lost (3k) over the course of months would be inconsequential in the grand scheme of things... It took me half a year just to win the initial amount that I had lost back.

I wish that in all aspects of poker, as well as in life, I could apply this philosophy to its ultimate end. Then, as a matter of natural consequence, of justice, I (as well as anyone else who would do this) would inherit the earth. True prudence would be to ignore all negative emotions (such as those that induce oneself to complain, to dream of an alternate reality) and focus on what truly matters: PROFIT. When emotionally the game begins to affect me, I try to remember this--shoving allin preflop will not win my money back, playing like an idiot will not win my money back, only correct choices will. Unfortunately weakness does exist in me, and it was exhibited when I played Isildur1. Logic demanded that I should quit him, yet I did not, just unfortunately for me the result was toward the most negative side of the spectrum of possibilities that result from me playing him.

Now I am forced to embrace the consequences of my weakness and stupidity. This blog functions as a reminder to everyone, including myself, to rely particularly on the science of reality to get what they want out of poker and life**. I hope that in the future, I don't make this mistake again. Success has made me complacent in recent times, but in the past I have forsaken the immediate pain for the idea of something greater than what I physically perceived. I've often been discontent with many of my actions in my life, including last session with Isildur1, but this past prudence has made me truly proud of myself.

*Common intuition/sense is derived from reality, as is science. I would even say it is basically a step down from science particularly in that it is implicit in its functionality, communication, and to what it applies to. In sciences, on the other hand, functionality, communication, etc are (close to) explicit (terms have explicit definitions for example)--sciences are more formal. Both common sense and science, however, are derived from the consistencies of reality and are used as a means of altering it to our liking. It is because the universe is consistent that we CAN do this, and all of our concepts of anything and everything as well as reality follow because this is the case. If this is not the case (the universe is NOT consistent), then reality cannot exist, in fact in can not not exist or even be described. Follow the implications to this and the only plausible concept of God becomes clear....

**Clearly there are instances in which people get what they want out of poker/life in spite of not applying themselves. With poker as in life as well as possibly most areas of life, the result of an event is rarely a certainty but instead a set of possible results in the short term. In the short term, a guy can suck out, cooler a guy or w/e when he is not a favorite in the match and thus injustice, or mercy occurs. In life this sort of mercy can be someone passing a test he/she normally doesn't pass, a team winning a game that they are an underdog to win, etc. But alas, underdogs are underdogs for a reason, and in the long run, justice is realized.

Entry Tags:

Dec 14, 09 18:09:51

Excellent blog post. Keep grinding buddy.

Spudt24

Dec 14, 09 19:28:59

Hey buddy,

Why don't u make videos for CR? I personally wait and wait to see a post from Taylor saying that you're the next HU instructor.
Yeah, common sense was considered in Greek philosophy, mostly in Aristotle (koinos aisthesis), the single sense to be in touch with the intellect, with concepts, with what we perceive and understand about the world's structure.

Bests!

waiting to see some videos, plz,plz,plz

username

Dec 15, 09 10:06:06

you sir, win at life.
Very good blog. This clearly demonstrates why you are at the level you are at and why you will continue to climb. You will use this loss and improve tenfold from it and your mindset is incredible.

I always feel like a 'downswing' is good as it forces you to look back and improve and avoid making mistakes which you would not have done if you always won.

Keep up the great work

Tw33Ty

Dec 16, 09 12:46:32

fuck this mumbo jumbo nonsense

yournotindanger22