Poker News

Dr. Scott Aigner, M.D.

Think about the first time you went to an amusement park. The memory could be when you were a child or even as a parent. The experience can be terrifying, thrilling, exhilarating, or even filled with complete and utter terror. The feelings or emotions you feel are based on your past, your maturity level, whatpeople have told you, and even on superstitions.

Playing poker can be just like a roller coaster. Each session can be filled with anticipation, excitement, fear, and even exhilaration. The difference with poker is that the ups and downs occur over a much longer period of time than a one minute ride. A number of people just do not realize how this ride can influence their decision making process. As complex as we are we sometimes cannot perceive how a game played with money can affect our lives. Emotions that we feel influence our behavior whether we are consciously aware of it or not. It can give away the strength or weakness of our hand, alter our observations, and even change our judgement.

When on a real roller coaster ride we are in a state of constant motion. There are brief moments of anticipating the next turn, an upward or downward movement, and the rush we feel with acceleration as well as with the changes of gravitational force. We have very little time to really react to the experience and once the roller coaster starts in motion we are no longer in control just as the turn of a card in poker can change whether we win or lose. Either way, we lose reality of time, space, and even a sense of direction. The only thing we know beforehand is that the ride will eventually end. How it ends is the great unknown. The ups and downs in poker can be like the person on a roller coaster. It can be very exiting, thrilling, and exhilarating. Each hand we play repeats those feelings and we anticipate the thrill with each and every hand we play over and over again. A poker session is a series of rides each with an unexpected outcome. Whether it is the thrill of flopping the stone cold nuts or winning a huge pot on the very next hand, we are anticipating the next hand that will bring us that feeling of exhilaration. It is the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat! The ability to beat one’s own fear or just the thrill of competition. Everyone who plays the game will experience some emotional turmoil in the ride.

Human beings seek those things that bring pleasure and avoids things that cause pain. When one ends and the other starts can sometimes become distorted. The problem really is tough for us to comprehend because the game of poker can be so pleasurable even if it is just one hand in a session. Just like the roller coaster, we can forget about time, space, and even the sense of direction. It really is up to you to control your emotions when playing poker. The persons who can control them are the ones who improve their outcome. Whether it is to lose the minimum based on the cards we held in the session or the ability to maximize our gain doesn’t matter to the winning poker player. It is not the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat that controls them. Don’t let your emotions influence how you play poker. Make each decision based on the things you can measure in an objective fashion. For those who do ride the roller coaster of poker (or any related gambling endeavor), I hope you find a way to get off the ride before the highs become too high and the lows become too low. Patience, discipline, and controlling one’s emotions are major keys in how you fare in poker. Use these keys and your bankroll will thank you for it.

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