Mistakes

Tiger Woods hooked his approach shot into the water at the PGA event at Doral just a couple of weeks ago. Michael Jordan missed the potential game winner versus the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1985. Tiger still won the tournament. Jordan still won the game (by hitting his 2nd winning attempt of the game). The simple lesson: true champions can find a way to overcome mistakes to still achieve greatness. While these legends may have mastered the skill of playing through their faux pas in their chosen sports, this is not an easy exercise for most amateur poker players. Instead, an error can cause a swirl of negative emotion and self-doubt. Mistakes can lead to tilt even faster than a bad beat. In short, one mistake can often ignite the fast track to more costly mistakes.

Sports psychologists often spend large amounts of time mentally preparing athletes for let-downs. The mind must allow the body to perform optimally despite difficult circumstances. One example is that of a major college athlete who was faced with two foul shots as time was about to expire. With the team down by one, the free throws were of vital importance. The first attempt fell a bit short, hitting the front of the rim and bouncing out. The opposing coach, of course, called a time-out to "ice" the shooter before the game-tying attempt. The pressure was intense. The stakes were high. And the athlete had to rebound from the disappointment of missing the first shot. The seasoned athlete had practiced foul shots since he was a child. Although this one held more importance than any before, he just went about his normal foul shooting routine. Two dribbles, a deep breath, the bend of the knees, and .... swish.

I tried a risky bluff last night in pot-limit Omaha tournament at a popular online poker room. The betting style led me to believe that my opposition was weak. I figured him for trips, at best. With my draws missed, I talked myself into the bold bluff with a pot bet (more than enough to put him all in). My opponent called the rest of his chips in a heartbeat, exposing his full house. I had made a ridiculously foolish mistake. My instinct was to immediately play harder and faster to make up for my terrible error. I identified that instinct as a bout of tilt, so I worked to regain control of my emotions and thoughts. It started with a deep breath and some quick self-scolding. "What am I doing?" I said to myself. I shook my head is disgust as if trying to shake the cobwebs out of my skull. "Let's do it," I said aloud in the empty room. That understated mantra is my self-imposed command to get refocused and rededicated. I went on to a cash finish. If I would've allowed that single mistake to railroad my emotions, I would've been out of the tournament 35 minutes too early!

We commonly think that taking a bad beat is the most common pathway toward tilting. That is not correct, in my opinion. We most often steam after we play a hand poorly. The disappointment in ourselves is much more powerful than anger towards the unlucky cards or our opposition. Identify your mistakes, then work to get yourself back into a confident mental state before the completion of the next deal. Like the basketball player facing a tension-filled foul shot after his initial miss, coming back from a poker mistake involves preparation, routine, confidence, and preparedness. Never allow errors to compound upon themselves. Take control of yourself and your game.

Now go make it happen.