Quote:
Originally Posted by sprtswrtr10
Anyway, if anybody has a pep talk or if anybody has some perspective that might be helpful, that would be great. I need a frame of mind better than the one I have now.
Thanks so much.
Try to internalize, as much as possible, the fact that it genuinely doesn't matter. Or, at least, that the effect on your life is unknowable.
I'm paraphrasing Barry Greenstein here.
Say you are in your usual game one day and you crush and are up several buy ins.
There is a lot of buzz around the big game, 2 levels above what you normally play. A couple of rich drunks are just lighting money on fire. Raising huge without checking their cards, etc. There is a small fortune on the table.
You decide to use your winnings take a shot and shortly, you triple up. And, you continue to run good after that. It's a dream come true. You realize that you have enough money to double your BR, AND pay off most of your debt, or put towards a home or new car. Holly crap, you'd better get up.
Against your better judgement you play 1 more round. You're kind of panicked to look down at aces. A player in front of you who covers you 5xs it. At this point, there is no shame in playing scared so you make a ridiculous reraise. Let's say 10x his bet.
He looks confused and thinks for a while and calls. Flop is AK8 rainbow. He check raises the flop and you jam. "This would be the sickest fold ever," he says. But he can't do it and calls with his KK.
Turn 4. River J. You just took down a pot with your annual income in it. You go home and bang the bejesus out of your girl. 9 months later, she gives birth to a future junkie who will cause you endless heartache and money before going to jail for murder.
Turn 4. River K. This is the worst thing ever. You're just crushed. You will wonder why you didn't get up sooner for years. Your depressed for days. Eventually, you have sex with your girl and nine months later she gives birth to a kid you will graduate from a prestigious medical school and bring you tons of happiness and pride.
Or, you get in a car crash, or you take down a WSOP event 2 years later or...
You have no idea how it's going to pan out but any particular (and inevitable) downswing is just one link in a very long chain and to worry much about it is objectively foolishness. So you can continue to be a fool, or choose not to be one.