Mindset: Playing Tight in Cashgames

Mindset: Playing Tight in Cashgames

I am a fun player. I don't need the money from poker, but I like winning. In tournaments I have no problem playing tight usually. There is a clear incentive to play tight. You want to survive and move up spots. So after late reg closes, there is a clear incentive to play the right tight ranges. When re-entry is still open I have the same problem as in cashgames. I don't care about the money so I don't mind busting and rebuying. It does cut into my winrate. I can play übertight when the situation calls for it in a tournament, like final tables given certain stack distributions, but in cash games I usually default to my loosy goosy 50% VPIP.

How do I change my mindset about rebuying in cash games? The goal in cashgames is to make money, but that is somewhat nebulous. How do I get my VPIP down from the 40-50% it is now to a more healthy 20-30%? Right now I play any suited ace for example. How can I be convinced that some of these hands are not +EV?

I understand it's a bit of a vague question, but how do I motivate myself to play tight in cash games where there isn't the survival aspect that is there in Tourneys?

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06 November 2024 at 04:37 PM
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35 Replies

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by wazz k

I dunnow, this feels like finding excuses to beat yourself up just with extra steps. I'm not well-motivated by punishment of any variety, from myself or otherwise and I don't think that's a very healthy mechanism

who said anything about punishment?
you got a dark world view buddy


ok, attempt at clarification (obv necessary :-)

try to think about it this way: session in vegas compared to session back home (with the long drive back):
in vegas i'm distracted right away, no matter the results, going to another game, going out for drinks/dinner/show/whatever ...so the session is blurred right away, and i'm not talking about the results, but the decisions i made ... at home i know there is this at least 1 hour drive, alone, at night, with my thoughts.

just thinking about this while i'm playing and probably realizing that i'm deviating from my a-game by playing too many hands, calling too loose pre or whatever ...gives me a little bit of extra motivation to not do this anymore, it's like a wake-up call if you will

peace


by Pokerbros_Player k

who said anything about punishment?
you got a dark world view buddy

Perhaps if you zoom out you will see that when you feel shitty after a losing session, that's you that's making you feel shitty, not the losing session. you have the choice not to feel shitty - it may not feel like a choice, and it certainly isn't a short-term choice where you can just click your fingers and stop beating yourself up. But, ultimately, you can choose not to make yourself feel unnecessarily shitty in this way (and many others) and instead use 'towards' types of motivations rather than 'away from'. why do you want to quit smoking? to get away from the bad habit? to get away from the smell? from the bad health effects? none of the 'get away from' category motivate as well as the 'towards'. towards saving money, towards better health, towards feeling in control.

you know the trope, in some movies or tv shows about hyper-ambition and super high standards, showing the dangers of them, and some guy just wants to win and play his best and when he doesn't, he hits himself? that's what you're doing when you feel shitty for playing badly; pretending that you've hacked your own system by weaponising that shitty feeling is a hilariously short-sighted way to manage your emotions. this is making a rod for your own back, or kicking the can down the road.


by Pokerbros_Player k

ok, attempt at clarification (obv necessary :-)

try to think about it this way: session in vegas compared to session back home (with the long drive back):
in vegas i'm distracted right away, no matter the results, going to another game, going out for drinks/dinner/show/whatever ...so the session is bl

look my advice is aimed at a professional level and if you're not at a professional level and this is a strat that works for you then more power to your elbow. it's probably sustainable at a sub-professional level, but becomes a maladaptive psychological strat long-term for pros.


by wazz k

look my advice is aimed at a professional level and if you're not at a professional level and this is a strat that works for you then more power to your elbow. it's probably sustainable at a sub-professional level, but becomes a maladaptive psychological strat long-term for pros.

let me put it this way:
i appreciate and thank you for the thoughts you put into your response (especially the one before this one), but your "tone" (don't know how to put it better) doesn't work well with me, it's way to judgmental especially given the fact that you operate from a limited set of information


by Pokerbros_Player k

let me put it this way:
i appreciate and thank you for the thoughts you put into your response (especially the one before this one), but your "tone" (don't know how to put it better) doesn't work well with me, it's way to judgmental especially given the fact that you operate from a limited set of inf

friendo, it is not my job to manage your emotions, and this is my natural tone. if you don't like it, or what i have to say, disregard it and move on with your day.


by wazz k

friendo, it is not my job to manage your emotions, and this is my natural tone. if you don't like it, or what i have to say, disregard it and move on with your day.

then let me give you some final and well meant advice:

i see you have knowledge and wisdom to share, and you obviously like to do that, otherwise you wouldn't be here doing it.
if you thought a little bit more not only about what you say, but how you say it, your message would be a lot stronger and better received, which would in turn serve your need to be heard.

peace and out.


Oh the emotions!


by Pokerbros_Player k

then let me give you some final and well meant advice:

i see you have knowledge and wisdom to share, and you obviously like to do that, otherwise you wouldn't be here doing it.
if you thought a little bit more not only about what you say, but how you say it, your message would be a lot stronger and be

I appreciate your well meaning advice but I'm not selling anything so I've gutted my customer service department.


by K2AA72 k

Only play online.

I guess it would really help to see the EV of some hands. I tend to overvalue suited aces. They make the nuts in such a straightforward way, so they have nut potential. Just with some of them it's hard to flop combo draws... A742 with an ace suit... I think I tend to overvalue the

I think a couple of things that help to motivate me also to play well in a cash game are:

A. I'm playing high enough that the money is relevant to me. Would you be more motivated if you're playing high enough that the money is significant for you?

B. Mindset: The game is about getting small edges rather than going for big wins. For example, a pre flop mistake can compound itself later on in future streets where you might end up losing a big pot. Then when you realize later that if you had folded the hand pre flop or maybe if you had checked the flop instead of bet, or if you had bluffed the river this guy would have folded you could have won a big pot, that you ended up changing your results significantly for the session.

I actually have had trouble getting motivated to play my best in the past if the money didn't matter to me, as playing A game poker consistently can be pretty challenging, so I totally get where you're coming from.


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by Kripalu1 k

I think a couple of things that help to motivate me also to play well in a cash game are:

A. I'm playing high enough that the money is relevant to me. Would you be more motivated if you're playing high enough that the money is significant for you?

B. Mindset: The game is about getting small edges r

It's very interesting. I do play slightly tighter when taking a shot, but as soon as I get comfortable at a stake, I will play upwards of 40 VPIP again. I think one of the main reasons it happens is that I feel I have a post flop edge. I see so many players use sizings that don't make sense or c-bets that don't make sense and so on. The perceived post flop edge makes me want to be in many pots.

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