To rise high enough to be considered art, an activity of any complexity requires deep introspection. In poker or in any similar complicated function, one must acquire an intimate knowledge of self, more so than is comfortable for must people. The difficult part of introspection is the constant process of self-evaluation. Self-revelation requires self consciousness or looking inward and this is far more difficult than contemplating outward events. Self criticizing one's character is not something anyone looks forward to. There are a lot of poker players that would like to play less but don't have the self-realization powers to know when or how to stop.
You may have come to poker because you had no idea what to do with yourself in the first place. Persons without purpose regularly engage in pointless activity. If you just won't take any introspection, but still want to deal with the problem, a possible way is to deliberately focus on the idea that poker is about winning and that nobody, including yourself, despite what may have been happening for the past year since you had taken up this accursed game, nobody likes to lose.
Focus on the fact that your decision to stay or leave directly influences your profits from the game and that you just can't afford to lose. Then it will become apparent that the only reason to stay in a game is because there is a good chance to win. Reason broadly with this ultimate goal and ideology in mind. It does not matter whether you are wining or losing at present; it does not matter whether you are being lucky or suffering a bad spell; what matters is the final overall gain; and if you see clearly that the current game, however great it is going, will in the end translate into overall loss, leave the game.
If you wish to play safe and adopt a hit-and-run strategy, go ahead. If your goal is to win, though, you must play with clarity of mind, and know when to hold and when to fold.
The plain truth is that in poker, all hands are dealt to all players by pure mathematical chance, having nothing to do with the goddess of luck. It is just foolish to get sweaty nervous when your cards are bad and totally elated when they are good. It is true though that self-fulfilling prophecies have been proven to have some psychological validity. If you have played a hand well and have had luck on your side, your success impresses upon your opponents that you are a player to be reckoned with. This makes you play even better, with confidence and the courage to take calculated risks, while your opponents are beginning to feel weak and cowardly, and even worse, they feel disheartened and unlucky.
So, what is important here, is to not let this happen to you. Allow yourself some introspection and you may even find that you are afraid to take chances and may really think that it is wrong to do so. Admit to yourself that this is you and this idiosyncrasy alone must not control what you do in life or in poker.
You may have come to poker because you had no idea what to do with yourself in the first place. Persons without purpose regularly engage in pointless activity. If you just won't take any introspection, but still want to deal with the problem, a possible way is to deliberately focus on the idea that poker is about winning and that nobody, including yourself, despite what may have been happening for the past year since you had taken up this accursed game, nobody likes to lose.
Focus on the fact that your decision to stay or leave directly influences your profits from the game and that you just can't afford to lose. Then it will become apparent that the only reason to stay in a game is because there is a good chance to win. Reason broadly with this ultimate goal and ideology in mind. It does not matter whether you are wining or losing at present; it does not matter whether you are being lucky or suffering a bad spell; what matters is the final overall gain; and if you see clearly that the current game, however great it is going, will in the end translate into overall loss, leave the game.
If you wish to play safe and adopt a hit-and-run strategy, go ahead. If your goal is to win, though, you must play with clarity of mind, and know when to hold and when to fold.
The plain truth is that in poker, all hands are dealt to all players by pure mathematical chance, having nothing to do with the goddess of luck. It is just foolish to get sweaty nervous when your cards are bad and totally elated when they are good. It is true though that self-fulfilling prophecies have been proven to have some psychological validity. If you have played a hand well and have had luck on your side, your success impresses upon your opponents that you are a player to be reckoned with. This makes you play even better, with confidence and the courage to take calculated risks, while your opponents are beginning to feel weak and cowardly, and even worse, they feel disheartened and unlucky.
So, what is important here, is to not let this happen to you. Allow yourself some introspection and you may even find that you are afraid to take chances and may really think that it is wrong to do so. Admit to yourself that this is you and this idiosyncrasy alone must not control what you do in life or in poker.
About the Author:
The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker online and receives Cellsino Rakeback and Aced Poker Rakeback.
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