Win the Battle With Your Ego

Before taking my first trip to Las Vegas, I was probably the most confident 21-year-old poker player on the planet. Of course, I was sent back home with my tail between my legs, and was ready for all the remarks that I was sure to hear from the other regulars in my local $10-$20 game. It was something I really wasn't looking forward to. I didn't want to hear all of the "I told you so's," or have that overall feeling of failure. There was no question, my first trip to Vegas was just that, a failure, and I knew I'd hear about it.

But, I had to get back to work sooner or later, so there was no sense sulking at home, hoping that everybody would forget. Why should I care? I shouldn't, and that's just the point. That's what the whole experience taught me.

I was 21, though, and my ego was huge compared to my poker skills, and that's about the worst combination possible. However, my Vegas trip was such a humbling experience that my ego and poker skills eventually became balanced.

Anyway, I finally decided to head into the poker room, and things weren't as bad as I thought they'd be. The other players were more considerate than I expected, which was lucky for me. They had the perfect opportunity to stick it to me, but they opted not to do so. They realized that I wasn't the first one to fail in Vegas, nor would I be the last.

I've discussed in previous columns how important it is not to let your ego make your decisions for you, and I can't stress that enough. I see people make bad choices all the time concerning poker, and it usually revolves around their egos. To this day, I fight an ongoing battle with my ego. In the back of my mind, I always want to play the biggest game in the house, and if I let my ego make that decision, I'd likely be in big trouble.

Playing poker for a living can be a very unstable profession. Unexpected things happen all the time that can cut into your playing bankroll, leaving you shorter than you'd like – anything from an untimely losing streak to car repairs. You shouldn't be ashamed of an untimely losing streak. Again, you aren't the first person it's happened to, and you surely won't be the last. So, what can you do to protect yourself from going broke? It's simple, yet not so simple.

When I see a pro who regularly plays, say, $30-$60 playing $15-$30, I don't look at him negatively. In fact, I'm proud of him! Swallowing your pride in order to make the right decisions can be very difficult if your ego is your decision-maker. Rather than the pro risking going broke in a $30-$60 game, he gives up a little bit of profit until he has a comfortable enough bankroll to return to that limit.

Of course, while he's sitting in that $15-$30 game, he's bound to hear, "Why are you playing $15-$30" about 100 times. He has more than a few ways to answer that question. "I'm kinda tired today" … "I'm leaving soon" … "Been runnin' bad, trying to build my confidence" … "This game is really good" … yadayadayada. Then, of course, there's the truth: "I just can't afford it right now."

Whichever way you choose to answer this question is irrelevant – it's really nobody's business but yours. If you feel more comfortable with an excuse, go ahead and be creative! The bottom line is that you'll be smarter than the others who are playing $30-$60 with their last remaining rack. They're hoping they'll have a lucky day and won't go broke.

Now, I was lucky that the players in my game were very understanding, but that won't always be the case for you. There are many people out there who are just waiting for you to fail so that they can laugh at you. Try not to pay too much attention to them; they obviously have some serious "issues" if they are obsessed with your results. Just keep your head up and work hard, and before you know it, you'll be back in the game you belong in. Oh, and don't be that guy who makes fun of other people's misfortunes. You may think that it could never happen to you, but that is just naive.

Daniel is a successful high-limit poker player as well as one of the top tournament players in the world. From '97 through '99, he won 12 major titles, more than any other player. He can be reached at [email protected].