Stop Whining!
Many poker players understand that Texas Hold'em is a mental game. Not only do you have to be skilled at playing the cards and reading your opponents, but also you have to have the focus, discipline and emotional fortitude to handle the swings of the game. Psychology is as big an element of poker as anything else, especially in a game like no-limit Texas hold'em, where a mental mistake can cost you your entire chip stack. One element of poker psychology that any player who wants to succeed should try to master is to stop that whining!
Whine No. 1: How Could You Make That Call?
The board reads Ad 5s Ts Jd 4s. Your opponent has been betting all the way, but has been making successively weak bets, and you know he didn't hit the flush. Your Qd 9d didn't get there either, but when he checks the river, you constantly announce "all-in" and shove in your entire stack. Your opponent goes into the tank, and finally reluctantly calls, turning over Tc 8c. "What?" You scream, "How could you possibly call such a huge bet with middle pair middle kicker with an ace and all those spades out there?" He shrugs sheepishly as he drags the pot and leaves you steaming.
Get over it. Either your opponent is better than you imagine and correctly put you on a bluff, or he is a bad player who will call on the river with anything. Instead of complaining about what a donkey he is, devote your energies to figure out which one it is and take advantage, by either demonstrating the same behavior pattern the next time you have a real hand if it's option one, or waiting for premium hands and betting him for value until he is broke if it's option two.
Whine No. 2: Can You Believe What a Bad Beat I Just Took?
"Okay, okay, I had pocket queens right? And the flop was Q 3 T. Long story short, a guy called all-in and hit a running straight on me! Have you ever heard of such a bad beat?"
The answer is yes. Anyone who has played poker long enough has seen, heard or participated in all sort of losses to four outers, two outers and even one outers. If it will help, keep in mind that the better you are, the more bad beats you are likely to take, since you will have your money in with the best hand more often.
Whine No. 3: This Online Poker Site is Rigged!
Some players who are losing will insist that the online poker site they are playing on is rigged so that they will lose, or so that they will win a lot initially, but then be completely shut down once they are hooked on the site. This is ridiculous. Reputable online poker sites have nothing to gain by rigging the cards and everything to lose. They rake every pot so they do not care one bit whether you lose or win. It is far more likely that a player is weaker than he is willing to admit than that the deck is stacked against him. Bad beats happen more often online because more hands get dealt and because more amateurs see flops with non-premium hands. It has nothing to do with the way the cards are generated.
- Date posted Apr 24, 2008
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Clark Jensen
Hand analyzes
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