Bloggy mode. I played a bit yesterday, 100nl 6-max tables were quiet so I started up a 50nl HU match. Opponent was playing about 25/20 to begin with, and he took me for about 2.5 buyins within the first 30-60 mins. Man, he just had it every time. If I had TP he had 2P, if I had 2P he had a straight, when I flopped TP + NFD he flopped a flush, etc. Can't help some of that, but what you can help is reads and thinking levels. I kept trying to get advanced, he kept playing his cards. He even had betting patterns I picked apart early. Prime example, he was always betting 3/4 pot, but then he bet pot on the turn and I called and called a river bet and he had 2P. About 10 hands later he bets pot on turn again and I tell myself since he had a big hand last time he did that, he's likely using the same line as a bluff now. Nope, he had another big hand (straight on turn) and he just bets bigger with big hands. After about an hour I managed to convince myself I really did need to the discipline to accept he was playing pretty much ABC poker, and to play him according to that. A couple hours later I had him down over 2 buyins before I quit (ie, won my money back plus an extra $100). Seems pretty basic and straightfoward, but I really think this is how I should play, and an example of me having trouble accepting that. I keep trying to play levelling games v's people who I have no idea if they're working on a certain level or not, or even thinking at all. Its basically what I talk about above, but its harder than it seems. Frankly, poker is more fun when you get all deep and thoughtful about spots and levels, but the money is in playing to your opponents not how you want to play, and I need to start assuming opponents are straightfoward until proven otherwise, rather than the other way around.

Ok, been thinking more about where I am with poker, and in particular some of the stuff the Dr talked about above. I'm playing a bit again now, but still really not as motivated as I was. Rather than avoiding it altogether, I'm just playing when I feel like it, but I only seem to feel like it 1-2 times per week. Thats really doing nothing for me. Heres what I've decided. Yes I will set myself hand goals, and the reward (rather than penalty) associated is a nominal withdrawal regardless of results. I've been thinking about the approach both daven and Robb have been taking, of withdrawing each month regardless of results. Even if its only like $200, it gives you something to show for your time playing poker. Hopefully it also removes the drive that keeps creeping in to reach certain amounts so that I can withdraw (or at least cut it down). Rather than getting impatient to reach say $10k so I can withdraw a large amount, at the end of the month I'll be withdrawing $200 regardless. I can then just spend that money how I want. Given the family is on a pretty tight budget atm while we try to pay the house off as quickly as possible, I can use that for stuff like books/dvds/taking wife out for dinner, etc. Should be nice. So I pick a hand target and if I reach that, I make the withdrawal, so that should add extra motivation to play. Also, because I plan to have a fairly nominal hand target, I'm thinking of adding other goals in as well. For example in Sept my goal will be to watch all 8 of Tommy Angelos vids Jyms keeps telling me I should watch. My lack of motivation has spread to watching vids and studying, so if I tie that in with a reward it should help. Each month I can pick something different.

All that said I need to pick a hands goal for Oct, but havnt yet. I'm fairly sure I'm away every weekend in Oct (except maybe 1) and travelling for work at least 2 weekdays each week, so I'm really unsure what a viable goal is. Something like 5k-7k seems really small, but that might be all I can realistically make with the time available. Normally it'd be 10k hands I think, but dont want to stretch too hard for starters.