Time Has Flown By!

I didn't realize that I hadn't written since May 27! Wow! I've been sick for the past 2 weeks, so last night is the first night that I actually played poker---and I did quite well. I came in 8th in the first session, and I won the second session. I would have to say that I didn't really get stellar cards at the final table, but I did make good decisions on which hands to get involved in---and once it was heads-up, I felt my familiar nervousness that I always get, especially when I am playing against a player that has a reputation for being aggressive.

Since I am in general a passive person, and easily intimidated--in my daily life, I try to avoid contact with pushy, aggressive people. So, it is always a growth opportunity for me to play against someone that is pushy, loud and aggressive at the table.

For example, the league that I play in has a rule that says if someone acts out of turn, then the person that acted out of turn can only do what the person before them does. So last night, a guy that is a big bullshitter, acted out of turn and went all in. I told him he was out of turn, and bound by what the correct player chose to do. He was PISSED and started spouting off about the owner not knowing the rules, and making up his own...and I just sat there and let him vent. Of course, no one likes to hear people getting upset....there were still 9 of us at the table. So he got so riled up that he went all in blind on the next hand....and lost...and of course left the table mumbling under his breath.

So I felt kinda bad that because I had pointed out that rule to him, that he went kinda goofy--but I knew that if I let that get a hold of me, that I would start making bad decisions.

So last night, I also learned that playing better poker is also about better mind control, and not letting whatever external events are going on at the table interfere with my game, and my own intuitive compass.