Coaching in most sports comes down to two distinct focuses. One is game-day preparation, where you watch film, run drills, and repeat plays that you hope will help you beat your opponent. Another important part of coaching is inspiring the players. You have to find a way to get them pumped up to play but still in control of their emotions. When the chips are down on game day, you must invigorate them to continue playing hard. When players check the scoreboard and see they are in the lead, the coach's duty is to keep their confidence in check so they continue to fight hard.

When Joe Montana and Jerry Rice got into a rut on the football field, they could count on coach Bill Walsh grabbing their attention and getting them refocused for the next play. If Scottie Pippen was down on himself after a bad play on the basketball court, team captain Michael Jordan would often step in to get his teammate's mind back on the task at hand. When Tiger Woods shanks an approach drive into the woods, he can count on caddy Steve Williams to calm his golfer and present some options for the best next step. Most sports are lined with a hierarchy of coaches, captains, and other designated leaders that help lead players along the best path toward winning.

We poker players often use instructional books, video tapes, or attend poker seminars to hone our playing skills. We can post our online hand histories on message boards for other players to critique, or talk poker with old trusted grinders who'll dole out advice to anyone who listens. We can watch the pros on TV or online and take notes on their tricks of the trade. Heck, we can even hire a poker coach if we'd like. In other words, we can do a pretty good job with game day preparation.

Where we often have a coaching need that goes unfulfilled, is during those critical in-game moments where we might need a coach, team captain, or leader step-up to help us with a pep talk. Wouldn't it be great to have a trusted advisor step in when they see we are steaming and out of control to calm our nerves? Or perhaps we might need a Knute Rockne-like speech to rattle our energy when a marathon poker session has us feeling bored and tired. When we are sitting with three-fourths of the chip stack late in a tournament, we might benefit from someone getting into our ear to remind us to stay focused and not get too cocky.

Without a coach to guide us, we need to continuously self-monitor to ensure we are mentally and emotionally prepared to take the next deal of the cards. This adds a whole new layer of challenges to our poker game, making it one of the most intense psychological contests on the planet.

This game is not all about odds, position, and proper plays. As you play you must inspire yourself, remain calm yet stay sharp, stay humble yet remain confident, be keenly observant, and so much more. If you are coasting along and mindlessly making decisions without self-coaching during the heat of the action, you are not really playing poker. In poker, no person plays the role of your game day coach. Nobody is there to give pep talks, and nobody is available to help us with halftime adjustments. Be your own coach and reap the rewards of more wins.

Now go make it happen.

John Carlisle is a National Certified Counselor with a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from West Virginia University. Contact John at carlisle14@hotmail.com.