Comments on: Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder http://www.pokerplasm.com/articles/absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder.html Online poker magazine devoted to articles, interviews, and tips. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:22:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Crazy Snake http://www.pokerplasm.com/articles/absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder.html#comment-7905 Crazy Snake Sun, 11 Feb 2007 13:17:42 +0000 http://www.pokerplasm.com/articles/absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder.html#comment-7905 Actually, Mark, this was not an article about poker, but more general. Not really sure I understand what you are trying to say. In the absence of that surety I will guess and hope I hit the Mark (couldn't resist that one). Personally, I try to avoid all kinds of reinforcement, both positive and negative and live in the moment when it comes to poker. The reason is simple enough. With positive (and negative) somatic responses comes non-verbal cues that can be read by your opponent. This is why many players choose online play, because they can hide behind an IP address. So to my mind positive (and negative) reinforcement is actually an unsupportive pattern to develop in one's self when playing poker. It only weakens your longer term position. Cheers CS Actually, Mark, this was not an article about poker, but more general. Not really sure I understand what you are trying to say. In the absence of that surety I will guess and hope I hit the Mark (couldn’t resist that one).
Personally, I try to avoid all kinds of reinforcement, both positive and negative and live in the moment when it comes to poker. The reason is simple enough. With positive (and negative) somatic responses comes non-verbal cues that can be read by your opponent. This is why many players choose online play, because they can hide behind an IP address.
So to my mind positive (and negative) reinforcement is actually an unsupportive pattern to develop in one’s self when playing poker. It only weakens your longer term position.

Cheers
CS

]]> By: Mark http://www.pokerplasm.com/articles/absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder.html#comment-7362 Mark Mon, 05 Feb 2007 05:56:58 +0000 http://www.pokerplasm.com/articles/absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder.html#comment-7362 Positive reinforcement, is much harder to change than punishment. Positive reinforcement, is much harder to change than punishment.

]]> By: Mark http://www.pokerplasm.com/articles/absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder.html#comment-7360 Mark Mon, 05 Feb 2007 05:54:09 +0000 http://www.pokerplasm.com/articles/absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder.html#comment-7360 Good article. But keep in mind the opposite is also true. While you see those rosy red queens come your way, you may also remember the last time in which you won with the ladies. So you recall that the last time you were on the button, you had slowplayed it and a third queen came up on the flop. How powerful positive reinforcement is. So you slowplay again, in the same position, again with 3 limpers PF. Again you hit a Q, and you smirk as you rake in another huge pot vs AA. A 3rd time comes again, but this time, like in when the Boy Who Cried Wolf seems to yell at you in your mind "Don't slowplay this time," you dismiss it and slowplay once again. But this time the Queen doesn't show up. Not only that but an early position limper raises big...hoping that he looks like an overbet on the pot trying to take it down with top pair of Jacks. You don't take much notice that everyone is folding behind him, you don't notice that the last few times hes played he has done similar actions with big pockets. You go all in trying to rope him and put you on an Ace high flush draw. He calls, gleefully, taking your winnings....showing AA. You lose, in more ways then one: leaving with a bruised ego, and a feeling of shame... Good article. But keep in mind the opposite is also true. While you see those rosy red queens come your way, you may also remember the last time in which you won with the ladies. So you recall that the last time you were on the button, you had slowplayed it and a third queen came up on the flop. How powerful positive reinforcement is. So you slowplay again, in the same position, again with 3 limpers PF. Again you hit a Q, and you smirk as you rake in another huge pot vs AA. A 3rd time comes again, but this time, like in when the Boy Who Cried Wolf seems to yell at you in your mind “Don’t slowplay this time,” you dismiss it and slowplay once again. But this time the Queen doesn’t show up. Not only that but an early position limper raises big…hoping that he looks like an overbet on the pot trying to take it down with top pair of Jacks. You don’t take much notice that everyone is folding behind him, you don’t notice that the last few times hes played he has done similar actions with big pockets. You go all in trying to rope him and put you on an Ace high flush draw. He calls, gleefully, taking your winnings….showing AA. You lose, in more ways then one: leaving with a bruised ego, and a feeling of shame…

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