Poker News

James McKenna, Ph.D.

Knowledge about psychological needs can help your game of poker. Besides food, there are three psychological needs that all of us yearn to fulfill. I refer to these as the “S-Hungers.” That stands for the hungers for Stimulation, Structure, and Strokes (Recognition).

Stimulation. All gamblers are in search of some excitement. Yet, some players yearn for stimulation more than others. Many will watch your every move while others will listen to what you are saying. Others will satisfy their need for stimulation by using their feelings and intuition to get in touch with others. Finally, there are players who rely on smell and will sniff out a bluff.

Some players seek excitement by creating incidents when they play. They want the greatest amount of excitement in their game in the shortest time span. Knowing this can help you determine that such a player is actions-oriented instead of thinking-oriented.

At the same time, there are players who would like little stimulation. They seek solitude when they play cards. So, the absence of stimulation is their main psychological need. While charging their batteries by being alone (even in a card game), they reveal that they are non-action oriented personalities.

Still, a good many players come to play for the social contact. They reveal that they are reaction-oriented and will be more impulsive players. They’ll moan, cheer, groan, and whine. It’s all a part of their need for contact.

Structure. The need for structure is stronger in some than in others. However, limits and knowing what to expect are important to all of us. When high-structure people play poker, they bring predetermined ideas about how and when to play. Such players will use the structure of odds to determine when they play, call, raise, and fold. They are thinking or convictions-oriented and even come equipped with time structure. For example, such players will have a win/loss limit and have predetermined how much they will lose and leave when they have won over a certain percentage of their stake.

Strokes (Recognition). When it comes to poker, many players don’t want to be noticed. This contradicts our need for recognition. Such players want you to notice the opposite of who they are and what they have. Still, if you learn what strokes are important, you can determine how a player is prone to play. The kinds of strokes players want will let you know if they operate more out of their thoughts or emotions.

Rather than being noticed for how they play, there are more and more players who just want to know that you appreciate them. They yearn for the recognition of their person. Yet, there are players who want to be noticed for how well they know the game and how well they play. To suggest that they are doing well because they are lucky would be a negative stroke to such players.

So, What!? How is knowledge about a player’s psychological needs going to help your game? Knowledge about what people need the most will also tell you what personality orientation they prefer. That knowledge about your opponent will clue you into how that player is likely to play. That includes when they are likely to call, check/raise, fold and bluff. For example, if a player is high in needing structure that reveals that you are playing a “Left-brained” opponent who only plays cards and hands that have good odds. You can’t count on them to bet if you are into trapping with a check/raise. Why? Because they have already figured the odds and possibility that you could have the best hand. “Right-brained” players are less structured and more impulsive.

I modified this chart from my new book (Beyond Tells) to demonstrate how to determine personality orientations from psychological wants. I will discuss what the orientations reveal in more detail in my next article.

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