I'm Curious.

[WhatArunAA 0]

I think alot of it has to do with our competitive nature. When im playing basketball or something else that is competitive I expect to make the shot, the expecations are higher so the reward isnt nearly as high because we are supposed to make it. Breaking it down would be something like making a layup in basketball.. you dont feel great when you make a layup but you damn sure feel awful when you miss one. Winners expect to win, losers hope to win. Thats why its so devastating to lose.

[mk 11]

this is called prospect theory and has been written about ad nauseum in behavioral financehttp://www.investopedia.com/university/beh...ehavioral11.asp

[Biff Goods 0]

Here's another thing I was thinking about. When I first started getting interested in this game we call poker I was researching online what books to purchase. Some random website had HL suggesting a book called "The Zen of Poker." It's basically #100 poker Zen-like ways to approach the game. I re-read it whenever I'm feeling like I've lost my patience. Anyway, one of the rule in it is something along the lines of "to be successful you have to embrace breaking even." Whenever I sit down I always think of how much I want to win or I put a limit on how much I am gonna allow myself to lose before quitting. But I never think about how I will feel if I break even. Sometimes that gets to me more than losing.

[pbwl11 0]

Here's another thing I was thinking about. When I first started getting interested in this game we call poker I was researching online what books to purchase. Some random website had HL suggesting a book called "The Zen of Poker." It's basically #100 poker Zen-like ways to approach the game. I re-read it whenever I'm feeling like I've lost my patience. Anyway, one of the rule in it is something along the lines of "to be successful you have to embrace breaking even." Whenever I sit down I always think of how much I want to win or I put a limit on how much I am gonna allow myself to lose before quitting. But I never think about how I will feel if I break even. Sometimes that gets to me more than losing.

I've read that same book myself. One of the comments is about poker being a long term results game, and the long term is alot longer than we think, and not to look at any session individually, but think of it as one long session. Wether or not we win today, we most likely won't remember this session say, a year from now, so there's no need to be upset or elated at our results that particular day. It's meant to keep us level headed throughout our poker careers by looking at the bigger picture.Great advice. If only I could remember that as I'm getting sucked out on for the nth time.......

[BaseJester 1]

Somebody interviewed Ivey and he said something along the lines of, "Poker is the only thing out there where "losing" is actually part of the game. You have to learn how to lose to become a winning player."

This sounds to me like Ivey has never applied himself to anything but poker. Name a worthwhile pursuit that doesn't include the possibility of regular failure. Business? Science? Sport? Art?

[antistuff 0]

a really crazy thing for me is that losing feels much worse than winning, but breaking even sort of feels worse than losing. there is like this craving for for excitement. it doesn't have to be good excitement. losing is exciting even though it feels horrible. losing is probably more exciting than winning hence the amplification of feelings it causes.