Poker Zone

 

A year into my return to poker I finally pushed through the $500 profit level that had eluded me thus far. A fourth place in a $3 tournament featuring 290 players snagged me just short of $50 dollars and that feeling of satisfaction from achieving a medium term goal. The journey over the year has been far from constant progress though and it was only really in the last couple of months that my form has been particularly strong. I have struggled with variance, confidence, fatigue and my ability to reach the zone – that mystical place of optimum poker playing. Lately I have found it quite often with success leading to further success. A good mind set is so important to playing poker well.

In the $3 tournament above one of many key hands demonstrates my improved zone like approach. With the final table now active I was one of the shortest stacks, even though I had just doubled up. I was trying to sneak up the ladder a spot or two but now maybe I could push for more. I was dealt 88 in first position with eight players remaining. Given the stack sizes and blinds an all in shove was a completely legitimate move, perhaps the only and obvious move. Usually aggression pays. However, I now maybe had more time to take a more cautious approach. I folded and what occurred in the hand without me showed I would have been out in eighth place. Something inside me, some weird combination of intuition, math, patience and control told me to fold. This is the zone my friends. Buoyed by this significant fold I was able to progress much further and secure fourth place and a satisfying score. 

The key question, a year on, is what now? More of the same steady progress or do I push on to try to achieve more at slightly higher levels. I can’t devote much more time to poker but I could test myself at the next level up and see if my return is greater. Of course, I have the solid option here of dropping down a level during a bad run. I will progressively give it a go and see where I can take my poker in 2023 and beyond.

Play well and good luck.

Cheers

Jason