HomeWe have already covered a few points on the subject of basic psychology, but there is much more to go over. This week we cover a specific aspect of dealing with one of the worst enemies you will come across – you. You will very often find that it isn’t your opponents that beat you it is yourself, and a big mistake that poker players often make is letting their ego get in the way.
Keep your ego under control
One of the most dangerous things you can do in poker is letting your ego rule your decisions. It is actually surprisingly common among poker players, and it can have a seriously detrimental effect on your play. If you can manage to keep your ego under control and not let it affect your decisions, then you will stand a much better chance of beating your opponents in the long run.
The most common way that players get affected by their ego is when they think they are better than they are. There is nothing wrong with being confident at the poker tables – indeed having confidence in your game is a good thing – but it is important not to think that you are better than you really are. Players that have inflated opinions of their own poker abilities tend to start mistakes. For example, they may be playing at higher levels than they should, believing they are good enough to beat games that they are not ready for.
It is also common for players that are losing to blame bad luck or a run of poor cards. While this can of course sometimes the case, it is just likely that the player is not making the right decisions. Players who can put their ego to one side and address what they are doing wrong by analysing their own play and looking to improve are far more likely to succeed than those who believe they are a skilled player and know it all already.
In the next article we address one of the biggest emotional problems that players face when playing poker, so please check back next week.
