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Topic: Poker

What's crackin' everyone?!   My Name is Tony...and obviously, I''m new to this forum....I've been lurking for a while now....and I've decided to finally participate.

Does anyone on this forum play poker? 

Has anyone noticed how there are really only about 100 to 200(very loose guesstimate) different common scenarios for how the cards may land.

Statistically speaking...there are a shitboatload of possible card combos and hands....but in reality....there only seems to be a few different themes.  It is quite easy to get a feel for what's gonna happen...before it happens.

Luck is a magic trick in poker.   If a player seems to always get lucky...you better believe that there are numbers and/or reasoning behind their play.

It's quite easy to believe that the "gods" are frowning or smiling down upon your play....but I have found that if I am honest with my analysis...I can find a concrete reason for my wins or losses that is either based on numbers, odds, or position.  I quickly fix that flaw, and I rarely lose that way again.

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The better I seem to get at the game of poker....the better I seem to get at life....conversely....the same personality flaws I have in life manifest in my play with the cards.

When I'm overly paranoid...I play too tightly and avoid betting when I am supposed to, which lets people get free cards..and they end up winning.

When I'm overly confident....I play too loosely and do things that have no basis in reasoning....and I end up giving away money....usually to someone who has trapped me with a monster hand which I would have notice if I was a bit more observant.

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When I am observant...but not paranoid, confident...but not arrogant, respectful of others skill level/right to win...but at the same time knowing that there is enough for all of the good players...and patient.....I find myself to be able to easily and totally focus on the hand I'm currently in....while at the same time being able to think/project long term.

This above playing state brings about financial windfalls...and creates the illusion that I am a magician at the poker table.  Which in turn....creates a hopeless pool of players(we call 'em fish) who start to play horribly....who in turn....give me more of their money.

Fish= Thinks that anything can happen.

Shark = Knows that what WILL happen is clearly defined.

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So....I sit there...and let the fish make mistakes to make the majority of my money, and from time to time...a group of us sharks will play each other just for the challenge, which sharpens our teeth...and make us just that much more dangerous.

These players don't know that the game is fixed....but not in the way you may think.  It is not fixed by computers...because the same scenarios happen with live cards.

.....no....the way poker works seems to be set in stone by some kind of preconditioned law(s) or grid(or god*wink*). Play for a while...and if you have half a brain.... there will be no denying it.  (I have no clue what laws or grid may be responsible...anyone have any ideas?)   

I could go on and on....but I'll stop here.

Poker, it seems...is life....on a table.

Re: Poker

Intresting topic!

I've just recently begun playing online poker.  My plan was to win enough money so I'd never have to work again, but then I've realized that I'll just play because its fun.  And I totally agree with what you just said.

I actually just played a hand.  I was playing No-Limit 2$ buy in, 1 cent - 2 cent blinds.  I get pocket pairs tens and bet.  Then on the flop, 10h, Ah, 7d.  So I bet another .2 cents, playing loosely, then the turn was some other diamond, so I go all in.  This person behind thinks for about 20 seconds then calls.. and on the river his a heart for a flush! There goes 2$. LoL

Lucky I was playing according to my bankroll.  But if I look at this scenerio from a spiritual standpoint, I was tired, bored and was playing just to "pass the time" so its no wonder I lost the $.  But when I play to win (like your fish-shark analogy) I ALWAYS end up winning.  I get bouts of ESP and know what the other person is having.  I can play people so they think that I have nothing in my hand when in fact Im holding the best hand.  The game is actually all about PATIENCE.  Just sit... and then once an opportunity arises you go in.

At one point I came up with an analogy.

In texas holdem everyone is delt two cards.  Now to get the best hand (or what I'll call to hit the wave, e.g. to be on the same wavelength of the community cards) your cards have to have the same vibrational level as the cards that will come out, thus looking at the odds and outs of a hand you can tell if your "on" or "off" the wave of the current hand that is being played.  If the player is patience and ceases all internal struggle, one can easily "feel" if he/she is on the wave, or off the wave.  And to know what the other players have in their hand is to simply observe their style of play - no judgement - just observation and that will tell you what they have, and if they hit the wave or not.

Although on the other hand, if someone ends up on a tilt (letting your emotions get the best of you - usually after a loosing a big pot) then your serene state is overrun by either greed, anger, frustration which all result in poor decision making abilities and the loss of ESP which derectly affect the cards you are delt and whether or not you'll hit the wave of commnunity cards.

"Beyond the stars a new world awaits me now" - Wintersun

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Re: Poker

Exactly.  I've found that when I play....I have to really want it...really be engaged...which seemingly tunes me into the cards, the people, their tells.

Also...another winning state for me is when I'm totally disinterested, playing multiple tables at a time....just using the numbers to grind a gradual win out...

Also...I believe that one of my advantages is the fact that I have read tarot for years.....so it was easy for me to accept the fact that the cards have "a mind of their own"...far from being random. 

The same beginning situations will usually attract the same ends.....over and over again...

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BTW - 3 of a Kind gets run down alot more than the basic math may suggest.  There probably is some higher mathematical reason why....but I have no clue what that would be.  ALWAYS play trips with caution.  If there are any draws out there....you probably should be quick to dump them.  Three of a kind is truly one of those illusion hands....

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Poker is definately a game of illusions.  Once I got it....  it was right up my alley.  My own personal proving ground for how energy and it's relationship to math truly operates.  I swear I learn something new everytime I play...It's so much fun for me to try to connect what happened with the cards to a real life situation.

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Here is some helpful software that I use(I am NOT affiliated with the software).  You may wanna check em out.  It will calculate your odds for you and just let you focus on the players and the feel of the game.  Ever since I started using software...in combination with my "poker sense"...It's pretty hard for me to lose(at least to fish). 

These days....I only really lose when I am being a total donkey.  My biggest challenge now is simply self control and patience...and not psyching myself out.

www.holdemgenius.com - Poker Odds Calculator
www.sitandgoshark.com - Sit & Go Tutor

Check it out....tell me what you think......;-) hehehehe

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Re: Poker

pokerboy,
From reading your post two things seemed to jump out at me.   The first was that you would probably do well in poker or better yet, do even better than you are now (since you seem to have a great game going) if you practiced meditation.    You've noticed how you play better when in a centered, calm, focused state and practicing meditation would enable you to prolong these intense calm states.

Another thing is visualizing your desired outcome.   You seem to see the card's have a mind of their own, so that if you see before-hand what you wish them to do, they might just fall in line for you.

These are just some suggestions, I don't play poker at all, but do work on manifesting desired outcomes in daily life, and this remind's me of how the game of life is played,.... to some extent.

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Re: Poker

I understand the concept of manifesting....but in the case of poker....I believe it's much more effective to let the process do it's own thing and simply jump in when I have the best of it. 

Poker is funny.....bad things happen when you become too greedy.  I've tried to manipulate the cards....with disasterous results.  It's much better just to play the right hands and be aware of the patterns/trends/momentum. 

I just ask to play well, make good decisions and maintain focus.....the money handles its self.

A good(not saying I'm one of those....hehehe) poker player is in a constant state of meditation(no matter if they know it or not).  If your not and can't quickly get "in the zone"....you will not play well.

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The above works for me.   The beautiful thing about poker is:   There are a ton of roads to success.   The key seems to be to stay true to your game.....stay true to your approach.....whatever that may be.

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