Poker News

Jennifer Matiran

I live in sunny California. This has been the hottest summer ever. We crank up the air conditioning despite of all the warnings that there might be power outages. Power is not my problem, it’s the Southern California Edison’s problem, and I pay for their services why should I worry?

Power, I learned, is very important when you do not have it. Our electricity went out, we had a power outage. It was the most awkward seven hours of my life. I could not watch television, read a book, listen to the radio, bake a chicken, blow dry my hair and I could not leave the house because my car was in the garage and we have an electric garage door opener. Power is muy importante, I realized.

The dictionary defines power as the ability to act or produce an effect. I’ve also heard that consistency over a period of time equals power. In order to be powerful, one must have clear cut strategies and plans. In order to be a first class player, one must maintain their power.

We must take a break from poker from time to time. We must re-charge our body and mind. If we neglect ourselves we will have a human power outage. A human power outage is way worse than an electrical outage. When our power is off, we lose money, confidence, self respect, drive and self worth. We treat others poorly, the server, the dealer and our fellow players. The saddest part is when we go home and treat the people we love, meanly. Don’t forget to take a break.

I have a friend named Joe, who is a very good poker player. Within an hour he usuallydoubles or triples up his buy in. He maintains his earnings for awhile and then inevitably loses it all back, plus his buy in. Joe doesn’t know when to quit. I said “Joe you have to know when to quit, how much do you want to win before you stop?” “I want to be able to pay off my mortgage before I quit” he joked. Seriously, how much do you want to win before you call it a day? Measure when to quit with how much money you have, not how long you’ve been playing.

When Joe wins, he starts playing every hand. He starts relying on luck rather that skill and odds. He starts going to the river in hopes of the miracle card. At first, he assessed the odds but after he won, he started thinking he had some sort of super power. He wanted to feel the high of winning another pot. Don’t be a high junkie; it leads to irrational playing. There’s nothing better than the feeling of winning and there’s nothing worse than the feeling of winning then losing what you won because you played like an idiot. “If I could just win the money I lost yesterday” says Joe. It’s very bad to think about yesterday’s loss while playing today. It’s hard to have a clear head when you’re worried about the past, don’t begin the today with your mind in yesterday. Play with a clear head and focus. Today’s a new day with new opportunities, don’t let the past take over the present, the past will repeat if we dwell in it.

Until next time, remember, “You can’t think your way into a new way of living- you have to live your way into a new way of thinking.”

Filed under: Poker News