Most players will admit that poker is a people game as opposed to a pure card game. That's because there is a limit to the study of such things as odds and the value of hands. There's no limit to knowing the variety of people that come to play and how complex each player can be, and endless lessons can be learned about what drives poker players. Is it skill, luck, or the endless variety of playing styles?
Some days the same player will come in with a positive attitude. And the next time you see this player, his attitude is negative. At times players are passive and at time they are aggressive. What's the common denominator? It's mentality. It's how we exercise those gifts of intellect, mood, and awareness.
Certain players do these mental gymnastics simply from playing experience. Some exercise their brains by reading what others have to say. A few seek coaching from better players-very few, because of ego reasons. And, finally, a few will do all three: play, read, and seek advice. There's a limit to information about poker. There's no limit to what the mind can learn about people and how they play poker. Let's look at some of these gifts that make poker an endless lesson.
Gifts of Intelligence. We all know that there is a bell curve from low to high intelligence, and some players are low in the use of thinking power while others are high. Some players have the ability to figure pot odds and the odds of each hand's winning potential. Many count on their experience, while others build skills by reading about such things. In the end, intellectual gifts can often be improved with practice. There are, however, players who are doomed to low potential as well as those who have the gift to rise above most others. Some players make the same mistake time and again. Others seldom make the same mistake twice. Some will play any high card in Texas hold 'em while others will only play with two high cards-unless playing a position advantage.
Gift of Moods. Emotions are gifts that can hinder as well as help us. When a player goes on tilt, it usually hurts his or her game. Some players have little self-control, while others have a great deal of control over their emotions. Poker can be a source of relaxation or a source of distress. Some players turn stress inside out and make bad times a chance to learn. Other take poker's stress and render it into distress. While some have the ability to be part of a problem's solutions, others remain part of their own problems. The difference is that some players examine themselves, while others only look at what their opponents are doing wrong. Some will say, "You took my card!" Others will make sure that their adversaries don't draw out on them by playing aggressively.
Gifts of Awareness. There's a rich variety of players who are aware of the assets and the liabilities they bring to the game. While some players are experts at what others do wrong to hurt their game, others are also aware of their own contribution to problems. When a player slow-plays a good hand and is outrun by two small pair, certain players whine, while others will admit that they invited being outrun by making it easy on opponents. It's important to balance awareness of other player's actions with self-awareness. We all come to the poker tables with certain mental gifts of intellect, mood, and awareness. While many of us exercise our bodies on a regular basis, it's time to pay attention to our mental gifts and exercise our minds at the poker table.
Jim McKenna has been practicing psychotherapy for more than thirty-five years. His books include the acclaimed Beyond Tells: Power Poker Psychology, Beyond Bluffs: Master the Mysteries of Poker, and Beyond Traps: The Anatomy of Poker Success, all published by Kensington Press. Write to Jim@Jimmckenna-PhD.com.
