Quote:
Originally Posted by AmazonPrime
That's not the part that I intend to discuss; I am not after the definition of A-B-C game.
I guess I should have been more clear. For a lot of players including myself, the longer we play, the more likely we are to be fatigue and lose focus. When we are tired, we play less optimally than when we're not, and I am calling that my B/C game.
If 4 hour is the usual time frame that I am able to maintain a high level of focus, why not simply stop instead of trying to improve B and C game?
I don't even fully understand how to go about improving my B and C game that is directly related to fatigue. If the idea is to stay focus longer, then doesn't that simply mean I am converting more of my B game into A game?
I've re-read the sections from Tendler (pp. 20-28) to clarify the difference between A, B and C games. Tendler uses a Bell Curve to illustrate the difference between your worst and best games. I can't draw a bell curve here, but if you imagine a bell shape, you'll see: C game on the left hand side, B in the middle, and A on the right. So, in other words, to quote Tendler "the right or positive side represents your best decisions and the left or negative side represents your worst decisions" (p. 21).
Importantly A and C are always equally distributed and B contains the largest amount of your overall play.
What is important to remember, as well, is that "the definition of perfection, even just solid play, is a moving target" (21). In other words, what is A, B and C is changing as your game develops over time. So, if you improve, what was C disappears, what was B becomes C and what was A becomes B and so on.
He says that it's crucial to work on your C and A games in equal measures. You improve your A game by gaining "new information" from places likes 2+2, talking with other players, videos, books etc, as well your "own insights" from playing (22). On the other hand, C game play represents "all the mistakes you know you shouldn't be making, but still do" (ibid). Generally C game mistakes "are directly connected to mental game problems, such as your mind going blank in a huge pot and folding the best hand; misreading an opponent because you're bored and your terrible bluff gets called; or tilting and playing too many hands way too aggressively" (ibid). By lopping off your C game "you'll also play closer to your mental peak more frequently" (ibid).
So, getting back to the original discussion, if you realize that you're playing "C" game and making obvious mistakes, you shouldn't necessarily stop playing for the night. It's a matter of admitting that you made a mistake, working out why (e.g. boredom, fatigue or variance-related tilt), and adjusting while you're at the table, if you can. In this way, you're less likely to make these mistakes again, and what was B will soon become C. By shifting your B game to C, you also can devote more mental energy to developing a better A, so you can really begin to crush the limits at which you play