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Making the Most of Limited Study
I love poker. It is my favorite hobby. I never get to play as much as I want, and I am not committed to getting as good as I know I can be. I’m trying to increase my live MTTs to 1x per month this year. My study time is also low. I decided to be smarter with my limited studying this year.
I am reading a book, taking notes in a notebook about the book and then reviewing those notes before I play each tournament. Showing up 30 minutes early so I have enough time to review notes (I have a couple of post its for ranges at short stacks to review in the notebook as well), use the bathroom, and register with time to get comfy before the tourney starts.
It was the first time in a long time that I feel like my thought process changed a lot in the tourney, reviewing situations before the card was dealt and what I am looking for to happen for me to get involved.
It was only 4 pages of poorly written notes, but definitely helped me take in the info. Here’s to gradual improvement and better results in 2023.
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3 Replies
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Very nice! It can be a challenge to find the time to study and play poker when you have competing commitments like a job, a house to care for, and loved ones who need some of your time. My job consumes my time and mental energy (another resource) to the point where I often have to neglect my poker game. To overcome this obstacle we have to actively plan in advance to study and play, and commit to it.
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Sounds like an approach that will help moving forward. One psychological thought I had is that the reviewing of the notes (i.e., ranges, lines, etc.) can help you get into the “frame of mind” to play and help prime your mind to focus on the important things that are in front of you, as opposed to say the rude shirt the guy is wearing next to you, or the number of people in the poker room, or any of the myriad of things related to the play of poker that can steal your focus. Furthermore, while obviously cashing/winning the tournament is ideal, consider having a plan for each tournament for a specific improvement you are going to make (i.e., 3b! more, bluff more, try different bet sizes, etc.) that will allow you to put into play the specific skills that you are learning about in your book reading time. Humans retain lessons that are rewarded or punished most effectively. So don’t let those opportunities go to waste! You will then “cash”every tournament, even if you bust early if you were trying to use the hands to apply what you have been reading about.
Good luck at the tables!
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Love this idea of picking a goal for each tournament. Mine was to try and find resteal spots between 10-20BB. I chickened out in one bluffjam spot (probably because I had been snapped off earlier in the day) when it was a great preflop spot to do so, and after getting to showdown saw it would have worked. Stick to process and let what side of the percentages fall where they may.
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