Stress, Patience, Limit, and more

STRESS
Between last Wednesday night and Friday night I'm down about $40. I had a horrible day on Tuesday (which just happened to be my birthday). Wedneday night was poker and I was still not feeling (emotionally) well, but I played anyway. What did I learn? Not to play poker when I can't concentrate on the game, unless I'm willing to lose money and just play for the social aspect.

PATIENCE
I'm still trying to get comfortable again at my Friday night game. It is more a social time than a 'serious poker' time, which is fine (I love hanging out with the Friday night gang), but it's hard for me to NOT take every poker game I play seriously. I've always been that guy at the monopoly game (or scrabble or whatever) who takes the game a bit more seriously than others, I'm the one willing to play for hours, actually finish a game of monopoly, and that attitude has definitely carried over to poker...but so has my frustration when others aren't as focused on the game. One of the most important things I've learned from playing Friday nights is I have to work on patience, sitting tight, and taking losses in stride. Admittedly I don't like losing, especially when I feel like I've played a hand the best possibly way I could and still lose to what I consider a bad call. However I can't let these things get to me and I can't let it known when I'm flustered. I was watching an interview with Howard Lederer where he was talking about not giving his opponents the satisfaction of letting them know he's upset over a loss. I'm working on not letting my frustration show. I've made some important decisions and realizations this past week about poker and my attitude, and I'm working hard to make some changes.

LIMIT
I played my first game of limit poker last night (.50,$1). There were 5 of us at my cousin's house (BT, JB, Jimmy, Jared, Me). I've been playing more heads up games latelty and when we first started playing last night I brought in my 'you can play more hands' attitude. Wrong. Q,6d is still not a good hand to call 3 pre flop bets with. I learned that lesson quickly.
I was down for most of the night, bought in for $20 and bought back for another $10. I tightened up my game, got comfortable, caught a few good hands and ended the night breaking even (actually up $1..woohoo). I was thrilled to come back and not be down for the night. I like limit and I think it's a game where I could sit and grind it out for hours. I want to play more longer sessions. Sometimes it takes a while for me to really get comfortable and by the time I'm feeling my 'A game' the game is 3/4 done. I'm planning some heads up games and I'd like to get some more limit games together, so hopefully I'll have the opportunity to play some longer sessions.