The two main learning mistakes

The two main learning mistakes

To give you a better understanding of how the "worm" concept applies to poker, here are the two main mistakes players make. Together with them, the solutions:

Ignoring weaknesses. When players keep learning new things while ignoring, avoiding and blocking their weaknesses, their bell-shaped curve becomes increasingly flat. Weaknesses are not worked on, so the back (left) part of the curve does not move. At the same time, players have many new abilities, so that when they play at the highest level, it is higher than ever before. The problem is that by learning exclusively new things, players create a large range in their game. This means that it will take a lot of mental effort to think through all the new concepts.

The two main learning mistakes

If your mind is not very sharp, the game takes a dramatic downturn, and a bad game becomes even worse.

Here are some of the consequences of this approach to learning:

1. Playing at the highest level requires a lot of energy, so it doesn't happen very often.
2. Errors, most of which are elementary, come out of nowhere.
3. The game seems to have stopped improving and stabilised.
4. You have a lot to think about, which often causes you to miss and overlook important details of the hand.

The worst thing is that the newly acquired information is still in the process of being learnt, so you won't be able to use it when tiltinsitlose concentration, become tired or nervous when playing in a big bank. Every time one of those emotions happens, it's as if someone has suddenly pulled the rug out from under you, and you're lying on the ground, losing faith in yourself and wondering what the hell happened. For some players, this leads them to question every aspect of their game.

Learning exclusively new things by neglecting your weaknesses can make the difference between a small loser and a solid winner. Preventing this from happening is relatively easy - you have to concentrate on fixing your weaknesses until it becomes an unconscious competence. This approach will allow you to remember your main mistakes and will be the most effective way to improve.

Comparing your worst game with your best. "There is another important lesson in the Worm concept, which is useful when your game is under pressure, Bridgepoor motivation and concentration. It is very difficult to remain optimistic during these periods, especially in terms of technical and psychological improvement. However, knowing that you have improved can turn things around, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time.

The only way to prove that your bad game (the left part of the curve) has improved is by analysing your bad game and comparing it to your game in the previous bad period. So instead of comparing your bad period with your good period (which will make a very big difference that will make you feel bad), you have to compare adequate things - your bad game with your bad game. Remember that it is only under high tension that your game relies most heavily on the skills of unconscious competence. And what you see when you play in such circumstances are the greatest weaknesses in your game.

Comparing a bad game with a previously bad game is a way of proving to yourself that the back of the curve has moved forward and you have improved. For example, perhaps you still occasionally tiltinatebut compared to before, you are now more aware and more in control of your emotions, which allows you to play well for longer periods of time or to stop playing when you find it impossible to think straight. So find out if your bad game has improved at all. A positive answer in the middle of a bad period can give you that much needed confidence.

This series of articles is based on Jered Tendler's book on the psychology of poker, The Mental Game of Poker. If you would like to purchase the original, which is available in English, you can do so at amazon.com

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