Not certain which forum this belongs in so…….

Let me begin this post by stating that in the months that I have been a member here at TPE I have gained a lot of knowledge about tournament poker. I have greatly enjoyed and benefited from this site as a whole. Within the same time period changing circumstances have forced me to take a somewhat introspective view of myself and the way I approach the many different aspects that constitute my life. Poker being one of those aspects, and this being a site made up of poker players I have decided to share some of the realizations that I have come to about myself as a poker player and hopefully get some feedback and advice from some of you.

Realization #1 :

Being able to beat live 1/2 and 2/5 NL and live 30 to 175 dollar tournaments over decent samples for a great hourly/ good ROI respectively does not make me a great player, or as my grandpa used to say, ” that don't make you amount to a pimple on a cowboys ass son”. It also does not translate to online play at anywhere near the same stakes. Some of the reasons for this are obvious ones. Some I believe to be more subtle. One of the obvious ones being of course that live games as a whole are simply softer than online games as a whole. I think this has to do with the size and concentration of the player pool as well as other factors. Any thoughts on more of the obvious or more subtle ones? Any advice on adapting?

Realization #2:

Self discipline is everything for me as not only a poker player, but as a person as well. On the poker side self discipline includes: solid bankroll management, managing time put in playing and studying the game, managing and scheduling time away from the game ( see realization #3), and managing profits and losses responsibly, i.e. not blowing half the days winnings at the blackjack table or trying to impress the hotties strategicaly placed behind the bars in the clubs that are strategically placed between the casino floors and the hotels and exits.

Realiztion #3:  For me sometimes there is a fine line between taking my game seriously and being a compulsive player. I grow weary of the game rather quickly at times and when I do so I MUST take a break. When I say a break I do not mean an hour or two. I mean a day or two, a week or two, or whatever it takes to get me back to the point where I enjoy playing. If I am enjoying  playing the game I feel as if I am playing so much  better.

Any advice on developing more stamina for longer sessions and more consecutive sessions before wearing out?

This is the order in which these realizations came to me. I know some may say, “DUH!! These are a no brainer”, or ” Wow we have been over and over this already”. Well I assure you that they were not a no brainer for me.

I believe if I address #2, #1 may go a long way toward taking care of itself. If I forget #3…… well, I won't have to worry with it at all because my tilty rear end will go broke if I forget about #3. 

 I welcome everyones thoughts, advice, and criticism.

Thanks for your time

Pokerstars:shangobango

AP:SHANGO_BANGO