Poker News

John Carlisle

A poker buddy of mine recently forwarded his hand history to me from an online tournament. He was perplexed at how he went from being the chip-leader at the table to being busted out in only a few moments of time. As I inspected his results, it was apparent that he had made some rather critical errors in judgment during his play. On one hand, he called the blind from early position with suited Jack-2. He ended up doubling-up the guy sitting across the table when the Jacks hit for trips, but the opponent had a face-card kicker. When I asked my buddy why in the world he was calling the blind with such a vulnerable hand, he bluntly replied, “Well, I was playing out my rush!”

Most of us know that we must not make emotional decisions at the table. Instead, we know that we should analyze the incoming information (cards, bets/raises, tells of opposition, chip stacks, etc.) to make an intellectual choice on the proper move. Nearly every player seems to be aware of the dangerous effects of tilting after a bad beat or costly loss. What many of us fail to recognize is that “rushing” can be a more costly and dangerous than tilting!

All veteran players have gone through periods of bad beats and terrible cards. All seasoned players have inevitably hit a hot streak of great cards too. New players who hit a rush of great cards and lucky wins love to ?ride the wave.? The rush that players speak of refers to more than a series of cards, as it also alludes to the psychological rush of positive emotionality that accompanies the cards. It can be infectious, and usually alters the way we think and play. A rushing player feels invincible. Any two cards seem like a sure winner. The heart pumps and adrenalin heightens, making the player poised for action. With this, the rushing player is sure to take more chances with poor starting hands, attempt to bluff and steal at a much higher level, and is likely to overplay small pairs and draws.

When a player is hitting many consecutive wins at your table, do not avoid the next hand against him. Instead, gauge whether he has grown to be a victim of the emotional rush that accompanies a string of good cards. Play your big hands a bit more passively than usual against him, as the rushing player will likely maximize the pot for you due to his feelings of invulnerability. On the other hand, be sure to check your own emotions and play during your next run of good cards. I instruct players to take a moment to reevaluate themselves and their play after each big loss AND each big win. Our main weapon against rising emotions which may affect our play is our thoughts. Be conscious of your emotions while being sure to combat tilt and an emotional rush. Doing so will enable your instincts to remain sharp and your intellect to stay in the drivers seat. Be sure that you never have to use the feeble excuse, “I was just playing my rush!”

Now go make it happen.

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