Why Have a Poker Journal?
Poker is really a long-term game. It's really not too different from investing, except you can't have somebody else take action for you. You have to make the money yourself. However you wouldn't invest with no an idea, keeping records, tracking results, analyzing new opportunities, and exploring new options. Right? Exactly the same will also apply to poker. Bad players (fish) never record anything. They never track anything. They don't make decisions today predicated on historic realities. They don't know the difference between playing your website they're on (or the table) and one other sites in the poker world. They just sit down, blind in, and start playing. Fish don't play poker for the long-term. They play for the Right Now! This hand! This moment! This session! If they win they're thrilled. If they lose they're depressed. They are... in a word... VICTIMS!
You strive to be more than that, obviously. However, many players who strive to be more miss out on the Most Powerful Tool poker has to offer - HISTORICAL REALITY. Historical the truth is what HAPPENED. How it happened. Why it happened. Because, guess what... It'll happen again!
If you don't keep records you then can't learn as quickly as you ought to from your mistakes. Perhaps you won't study on them at all. Maybe you'll learn for some time and then forget about it again. Your poker journal is how you tap the absolute most powerful poker tool that exists.
If you don't keep records you then miss out on the Most Powerful Tool poker has to offer - YOUR BRAINPOWER. Your brainpower is what will probably get you into the future. It's what's going to create the road for your future success or failure. Because... As a person thinketh... so is he! The Bible: Proverbs
You may spend hours staring at a monitor, playing hands, making reads, learning lessons (good and bad). You read articles and books, communicate with other poker players, and observe others that are more skilled than you. Where does all these records go? It can't just go in your head. Your head is really a horrible record keeper. It's manipulated by emotions, it's a great deal of non-poker work to complete, and it will fail you at the worst times in poker. So, instead of counting on your mind, rely on your own poker journal. A poker journal never forgets. You need to review it often. And the truth that you've recorded things, will prompt one to expand them and consider them more.poker88 slot
The how's and why's of keeping a poker journal.
Hopefully I've convinced you that the poker journal will really add value and leads to your poker game. Basically the HOW is simple. Just start carrying it out! But, below are a few things I've done for years with my poker journal. Hopefully you can use some of them.
As you can keep a poker journal electronically on your computer, I don't recommend it. And while any old spiral notebook will do, I'd encourage you to get something more substantial. The next time out, have a shopping trip for a journal. About electronic journals, think of it this way; just how many computer files can you discover from 3 years ago? Not many. Exactly how many pictures do you have from your childhood? Probably a serious few. Physical things are permanent, electronic files are often lost, forgotten or damaged. So go for the physical thing.
I use a refillable leather journal cover I bought at Barnes and Noble. Here's why. Leather is good! It offers your thoughts importance and heft. Leather is permanent and comforting. Whenever you write in this journal it draws one to become better. It's also refillable and it has a place to help keep a couple pens. All of this is very important to me because I need my journal to be all set and hold up to my lifestyle. I undergo about 1 refill every 9 months or so and I obviously keep consitently the old journals for reference. I carry my journal with me almost constantly, and I make notes inside often.
So, what would you write in your journal?
Jot down whatever comes to mind. I take advantage of my journal for personal notes and goals along with poker goals - to me they're one in the same; because, poker makes many facets of my life possible and my life affects my poker. I start every journal with my life goals and concepts that help me succeed at whatever I'm doing. That way I understand wherever to visit get my mind right if I start to waver.
After that I just write whatever I believe is important as it comes to mind. These generally include things such as:
- Starting Hand Charts
- Poker Session, SnG, and MTT notes
- Poker ideas I read in books, magazines and online
- Summaries of what I believe helps me accomplish my poker and life goals
- Personal Improvement concepts and notes
- Repetitive Sentences - This 1 is important.
Poker has a great capability to tie us up in knots when we have bad sessions or make mistakes. The easiest way to sort out the negative energy that gets built up in times like that is to write a word 50-100 times. That helps me work out the negative emotions and refocus my efforts. Randomly opening my journal I visit a couple pages of "I will follow my rules 100% when I play." That's from several sessions of breaking my own personal good advice and playing such as for instance a fool.
So those are some ideas of everything you could keep. I have notes about what poker articles I need to write, time management actions, and even questions I take advantage of to approach life in a confident way. It's all good!! Because the act of writing focuses your head, it creates permanent many things that you'd lose in the event that you tried to consider them in your mind; it clarifies; and it gives you something to appear back on and see your achievements.
If you're thinking about seeing inside my journal, here's a sample. A number of these things don't seem poker related, but they set the foundations for my poker success.
LIFE GOALS:
1. Time, Flexibility, Independence - I'm an unbiased person who has 100% control of my time and actions without financial restrictions or pressures.
2. Discipline, Desire, Control - I have the discipline and desire to manage my own personal time and activities in ways that brings well-rounded fullness for me personally and for my family.
3. A Transforming Force - I'm a confident force to transform those around me for a much better and happier life.
4. Kaizen - I will improve and grow in large or small meaningful and positive ways in certain aspect of my life every day before the day I die.
"We're what we think. All that individuals are arises with your thoughts. With your thoughts we make our world" The Buddha
"Things don't change. We change." Henry David Thoreau
Problem Solving Questions: (from Anthony Robbins)
1. What's great about this dilemma?
2. What's not perfect yet?
3. What am I willing to DO to produce it the way I want it?
4. What am I willing to no further do to produce it the way I want it?
5. How can I like the procedure WHILE I actually do what is necessary to produce it the way I want it?
Those are a few snippets from my poker journal. Those don't say "poker", but also for me they're imperative to continued poker success. Many of my journal entries are the foundation for chapters in this book, because they've converted into full articles on the topic in question.
Conclusion
I hope you're convinced that the poker journal will infuse power, focus, and long-term vision into your poker life. Any fish can post a blind and play a hand. Many players have long term results without a journal. But giving your ideas, thoughts, frustrations, and observations a DESTINATION will generate a completely new level of calm and balance for your game.
No comments:
Post a Comment