[Tatdave]

Not that any of the esteemed Chip Talk memebers would have ever had this problem, but I pose this to you figuring some folks may have shared your wisdom with other, lesser players with a similar woe.

Short story-- A) how do notice when you are mentally out of it and B) what do you do about it?

Long Story-- I'm new to Omaha and recently played in my first tourney. I started off playing very well--tight and very aggressive. I was quickly the chip leader and had a commanding lead over most of the remaining folks at the first color up. (You know where this is headed...)

Things went bad in a hand against one of the larger stacks at the table. I honestly dont recall the cards, but the result was I lost the chip lead and all my confidence. It was poor play on my part, no doubt. The problem was after the hand, I lost it. After that, I doubted myself on most hands. I started to wonder if I had not figured Omaha correctly and was then playing scared. I was able to hang on for a while and briefly had the chip lead back, but I just lost my ability to play the type of poker that was winning for me. I just had too much doubt to play any real winning poker.

After, I can identify that the only thing that changed was my doubting myself. So I'm left with the questions, what are things I can do to raise my awareness when I loose my edge? I figure that's the main problem. If I can be aware enough to note that I'm just seeing the cards in a loosing way, I think I can push through it.

So, what are tricks folks have used to help them be aware that they've lost a winner's focus?

[SpeakEasy]

This happens to everyone from time to time. Its like a form of tilt, but its the temporary "crisis of confidence" form rather than an angry betting spree. I think you've already answered the first part of the question for yourself -- you're already aware of when you've lost your focus.

When I am in this situation during live play, I will force myself to tighten waaaay up and focus more on the game in progress. I will play only premium hands for several orbits, but focus even more intensely on the action. This will allow me to remove my play from the game, but at the same time intensify my focus on the action. I will concentrate on the players in the hand and try to play the hand with them. Try to put the players on hands during the action and determine who is ahead or behind based on betting, tells, mannerisms, and the general feel of the game and the players. Predict who will win the hand, and predict whether the hand will be won before or at the showdown.

This process allows me to center myself at the table and better tune into the other players, while temporarily removing myself from the action. By focusing my attention outward, on the game, this helps to quickly let go of thoughts about my own play on past hands at the table. Theraputically "steadying myself" in the moment, while at the same time temporarily removing myself from the game unless a very very strong hand appears.

When my reads of the action start to align with the real action (I'm correctly predicting the hands in play), then I can loosen back up in tune with the flow of the game and the players at the table.

This is much harder on-line because there is less to focus on (no mannerisms, chatter, tells, visual cues, etc.), but the same principles can work on-line.

[Tatdave]

The problem is that awareness that I lost my focus came abt 90 minutes after I was on my way home. I guess I can try to notice if I start doubting rather than questioning. When playing well, I ask myself questions, but at that time I was doubting, not asking questions.

I'll try your suggestion and see if it helps pull me out of that self doubt trap if I fall into it again.
Or I'll just give up on playing Omaha ever again...

[BigKyle]

I strongly consider what kind of starting hands I am playing. If I think to myself (say in Hold Em for example) that I have started playing K9, A6, JT, and other hands for raises, which is not within the playing style that got me the chip lead, then I need to slow down. If I have a chip lead or am playing well, I actually get tighter! I like to pick my spots and let my stack do the work for me when I decide to play a hand. If you look down at your stack and say to yourself, god I'm playing bad, then take a minute to leave the table or set back in your chair and think about what you have done, how you are going to change it, and how to remain calm in doing so. The main thing is be cool and patient, and let hands come to you, don't force things.

[Colquhoun]

This has happened to me often. I will play tight aggressive style and right after winning a few big pots (especially if they are one after the other) I have a tendency to loosen up. I feel like I'm on a rush and cards just keep coming my way. BAD idea. I figureed out that if I win a few like that, I need to take a deep breath and stay the course. Focus on exactly the play that got me to this point and don't change anything.

[jmda]

I went on a loosing streak in August in one particular game, and it had me baffled. I would play tight and come in with only big hands: KK, AK, AA, AQ and the like; and I still lost. It was killing my confidence. I tried loosening up too. While I was getting drawn out on, I think a lot of this is confidence. I like Speakeasy's suggestion. I took a break from the game and have found that to be helpful as well.

Another suggestion is play some short sessions and just post a win, any win and then get up. This will boost confidence for next session.

I did this a while back at Caesars Indiana. My first few Hold'em sessions were disastrous, and I know that I was playing decent cards, but was leaving broke. So I played a short session and got up after dragging a couple of pots and left a winner. It boosted my confidence for the next session. I now win a lot more than I loose when I play limit hold'em at Caesars.

[w16227]

Originally Posted by Tatdave

I'll try your suggestion and see if it helps pull me out of that self doubt trap if I fall into it again.
Or I'll just give up on playing Omaha ever again...

You'll try - but you will keep coming back. The allure of the 26 outers, multiple redraws, cards cards cards.

Omaha is the "dark side" of poker. Once you taste it -you want MORE.

[chipper57AA]

There is a fine line between dumbassity and brilliance. When you go for it and lose it's dumbassity. When you go for it and win its shear brilliance. When you don't go for it and you would have won then it's dumbassity. When you don't go for it and you would have lost, then its brilliance.

But the true measure is when you go for it and win and they still think your a *******.

[jmda]

Originally Posted by w16227

Omaha is the "dark side" of poker.

LOL. The dark side is really not that bad. It is all a matter of perspective