Poker Articles

A few years ago, a group of buddies and myself became en-fevered with the poker bug, and like many others groups of new players during this timeframe, we started a once a week home game.  The buy in for this cash game was relatively low, but the game was very instrumental in allowing us to each develop our respective styles of play. 

If one were to go back in time and interview the players from this home game, asking them to briefly summarize me as a poker player, most of the players would probably answer this question in two parts.  They would start their responses by stating that I was the most talented player in this game, but they would finish their responses by saying that I was the one player in this game who was most likely to go on tilt.  I was making money in this home game, but I was restricting my earnings potential due to my propensity to tilt.

What is tilt?

Planet Poker’s Dictionary lists tilt as…
(adv phrase) Playing poorly and irrationally due to emotional upset, often caused by the player in question having had a good hand beat by a freak draw or vastly inferior starting cards from another player (often in complete disregard of the odds and good play) or the player having lost a pot because of his own bad play.

This is a pretty good definition of tilt, and most of us understand this definition, but many times we still seem to fall into this ever looming trap. 

I think that a better question is, “What causes tilt?”

As human’s we have the ability to control both our emotions and our actions.  In life, we are faced with difficult situations and events that test our will and character.  At these times in life, our personal strengths and weaknesses become most evident.  Poker is a game where we are constantly faced with difficult situations, and I truly believe that tilt is a direct result of our personal weaknesses and deficiencies.

Let’s take a step back to the home game a few years ago and try to determine what personal deficiencies of mine were causing me to go on tilt and restrict my earnings potential.

If I were to pinpoint my five biggest flaws, they would look something like this.

1. Hubris
2. Anger Management
3. Compulsion
4. Stubbornness
5. The Inability to Let Things Go

In my opinion, these traits are not only germane to me personally, but some of these apply to other members of the poker community as well.

Hubris

Many of us who play poker have excelled in other areas of life, which has helped establish a very high personal self confidence level.  The self confidence, in itself, is not a bad trait to have but rather a good one, as it is a tool that helps us reach and accomplish our goals.  The danger lies in the fact that there is a very fine line between being confident and cocky.  Cockiness and arrogance will not allow you to play poker at your maximum ability level.  These traits take your attention away from the other players and the game, and place this attention on yourself.  In a game that focuses on information gathering, this trait will severely limit your ability to excel.

Anger Management

One of the things that many of us, as poker players, have in common is an attraction to this game due to our competitive natures.   We seem to possess a competitive streak and killer instinct that drives us to achieve at the highest levels of this game.  Unfortunately, many of us who have this competitive streak, are also poor losers.  We cannot stand to lose, and if we do lose due to a poor play by an individual who we deem to be an inferior player, it irks us to no extent.

Also, as competitive people, we also cannot stand to be “trash talked” to.  Has this line of questioning ever gone through your head?  Why would you dare talk trash to me when I am (Insert Screen Name)?

Anger does not add value to any part of your poker game.  All it does is cloud your judgment and information gathering ability, which leads to poor decisions.

Compulsion

Many of us also have addictive personalities, and this trait can be extremely dangerous to us, since we play a skill game that also factors in chance.  Compulsion has the power to destroy our games if we stop calculating our risks and start taking them just for the sake of taking them.  This trait will also come into play if we “gamble,” playing games that are higher than our bankroll allows.  Bankroll management is key in this game, and compulsion is one of bankroll management’s biggest enemies.

Stubbornness

I am not sure if this trait applies to many others in the poker community, but I am a very adamant and stubborn person by nature.  I tend to “always be right,” and this is not a good trait for a poker player to have.  “Always being right,” as in the case of Hubris and Anger Management, will cloud your judgment and limit your information gathering ability.

The Inability to Let Things Go

Many of the symptoms of this trait correlate very strongly to Anger Management.  I am not sure how applicable this trait is to the poker community as a whole, but this is definitely a flaw that is applicable to me personally.  As a competitive player, I invest a lot into this game, mentally, physically, and emotionally, and when I bust out of a large tournament where I have not met my goal, I tend to dwell too much on that loss instead of moving forward.  If you are “stuck in the past,” you will not be able to devote the needed energy and focus to succeed in your next game.

So there is good news and bad news.  Let’s start with the bad news first.  If you possess any of these traits or other personal flaws, they are probably limiting your playing ability and earning potential.  The good news is that even though some of these deficiencies are ingrained very deeply within our natures, we can proactively work to contain and control them.

Identification

I believe that the first step to addressing these personal issues is identification.  This is very difficult, because many times, as humans, we find it much easier to be critical of others than to be critical of ourselves.

Support

Align yourself with close family, friends, and online buddies who are supportive but honest.  Someone wise once said, “A man is known by the company he keeps.”  This is such a true statement, because as humans, we tend to feed off of the people surrounding us.

Role Models

Pick some online role models who seem to have the traits that you wish to possess.  Here are a few of mine. 

gboro780 - For someone who flat out owns, he carries no chip on his shoulder and is one of the most unassuming successful players online.

bbbbb33 - Winning the Poker Stars Million did not phase him one bit.  He is still one of the most gracious, self-critical people that you will meet.

Adam - If I had his job and had to answer all the rankings posts, I would probably lose it, but he always seems to show the utmost patience and class.

Deterrents

Here are a few of the measures that I take to combat my weaknesses.

Hubris - When ever I get too cocky, all I need to do is pull up Mr. Bax’s or ActionJeff’s pokerdb to remind me of how far I have to go. 

Anger Management - I try to focus on long term goals and expectations.  Is it really worth it to get mad at the donkey because he cracked my AA with J10 after calling an all in preflop, when I know that in the long run I am going to get paid off handsomely by this type of play?

Compulsion - I try to remember that I am fortunate to be able to do what I do, all the while making money out of it.  With reward comes responsibility.  (If this doesn’t help you, visit a soup kitchen and talk to a homeless person about how you blew $1K online because you felt like gambling.)

Stubbornness - I try to make sure that part of my friend base consists of people who do not have the exact same views that I have.  I get in trouble when I talk too much, so I try to focus on listening, rather than talking all the time.  Attempt to focus on listening, and it will help you be a more open-minded person, which translates well to poker.

The Inability to Let Things Go - I try to make sure that I am well rounded as a person.  If I am playing too much poker, I tend to get drained, which leaves me very susceptible to dwelling on the negatives.  If I am doing other things, my mind is free and clear from poker, which allows it to focus on positive thoughts.

I hope that you enjoyed my article.  It was difficult to write, because I am being so openly critical of myself, but I would much rather be critical of myself and make more money than ignore my weaknesses and limit my potential.  Try it sometime.  It will help your poker game, and your friends will thank you for it as well.

-Jeff