Disassociating the Ego - Part III, The Final Breakdown

In Part I and Part II of this series (available at www.CardPlayer.com), we looked at just a few of the many ways that our own egos can interfere with our ability to win at poker. In this final installment of the series, I will hit upon several of the smaller habits that some of us may have that cause us to perform poorly.



Artistic Expression

Should you check-raise with the intention of moving all in on the turn, representing a made hand that you can't really have any logical chance of holding? Probably not. It is so obvious that he can't possibly have that 9 8 in this spot, so why would he possibly try to make you believe that fairy tale? Probably because he has it. Is it smart for you to continue on with your move despite the fact that you have been raised three times so far in this hand? Once again, probably not.



Starting to get confused yet? Me too. Let me break it down for you. Poker, at its base root, is a very simple game. If you have a good hand, you bet. If you don't, you fold. That's really easy, right? So, why do I so often see players trying to complicate things by playing so intricately and imaginatively? Stick with the basics and you will go far. I can't tell you how often I have raked in a ton of chips from players doing something absurd at the table, such as trying to represent hands that they couldn't possibly have, or using some insane deductive reasoning to convince themselves that they should either make a call or lay down a hand, when the simplest move was probably the right one 90 percent of the time. Don't try to outplay your opponents just for the sake of outplaying them. You are there to win the money, not impress everyone.



I'll never forget a passage in Dan Harrington's recent book, Harrington on Hold'em, in which he wrote about a player explaining some convoluted method of reasoning that had enabled him to arrive at the decision to fold a set on a rainbow disconnected flop. I believe he referred to the player as … oh, what was it? That's right, an idiot. Don't be afraid to make the correct decision just because it appears to be simple.



Folks, please don't make this game any more difficult than it has to be. There is a fairly well-known mathematical principle known as Occam's Razor. It states that with all things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the right one. Stick to it in poker, as it applies much of the time. Trust me, there's nothing more fun than picking off players who continually attempt to come up with elaborate long-shot schemes to win hands. Don't be one of them.



Accurate Self-Assessment
When I sometimes ask someone who the best player at his table is, it is amazing how often he will invariably say himself and maybe one other player. I've got news for you, friends – we all can't be the best players in the game. An important skill to acquire is being able to assess which games you have a shot in and which games you don't. So much related to winning has to do with the first decision you make, which is to sit down at the table or not.



While it's true that poker is a game of misinformation and deception, this concept shouldn't apply to your own honesty with yourself! The players who are the most honest with themselves will be the ones with the cash. To illustrate this point, I need only look as far as a recent e-mail, from a young player still in college. He told a story of how he had begun playing online and had managed to squander his tuition money for school. Miraculously, though, he made a final stand and ended up winning every penny back, starting with just the few dollars he had remaining. Unbelievable comeback, right? It would have been if it didn't have a twist at the end of the story.



It seems that just as he was about to quit, he saw Phil Ivey sitting at one of the high-limit tables, waiting for a foe. That's right, he decided to take a seat and attempt to win some cash from Phil. Um, Phil Ivey … heads up … after he had won back his once-lost school tuition. Say, what?



You get the point, and I'm sure you can figure out how the story ended. He lost it all and was distraught, completely lamenting his decision.



For the love of all the spades in the deck, please try to be able to figure out when a game just might be over your head. Also, it's probably not a good idea to play Phil for your school tuition.



Packing It In for the Day

One terrible mistake that players make time and time again is continuing to play in a game when they are not playing their A-games. In fact, I have seen players whose alphabets have completely fallen off the charts, as they're playing their T-games! That's scary stuff when you see someone deteriorate to that level.



Don't put yourself in a situation in which you just can't play well. Whether it's due to fatigue, a bad beat, or any other type of ego-driven madness, don't force yourself into a spot in which you can only lose money. It's not smart, and will probably lead you to play even worse than you had been previously. It's a vital weapon of all great players to be able to pull themselves out of a game in which their opponents can take real advantage of them. Those other players already may have eaten your lunch, but don't let them take away your dinner, too.



The bottom line is that you can't win every day, so don't bother trying. Know when you aren't playing up to your capabilities and don't fall victim to egoist feelings of superiority over those you may think are inferior players. Protect your cash and come back to fight another day.



Giving It Up Sometimes
Perhaps one of the toughest skills to master in all of poker is being able to let go of a hand. Don't refuse to fold just because you think you are the better player and can't believe that you could have to fold against someone so bad. I have made some calls that were pretty weak, only to realize later that I had been playing with some feeling of superiority over my opponents. I think I was just unable to accept that my hand could be beat by players I had deemed to be worse than me. Bad players also can catch cards, though, so don't be afraid to pitch it in the muck from time to time.



Be sure to stop for a second and think about why you are calling with the A on a double-paired board. If it's because it really doesn't make sense for your opponent to hold a hand that beats you, go for it. Just be sure that you aren't making a call because the player is horrible and you don't want to give it up. Calls like that will add up over time.



In closing, always try to be aware of what kind of emotional state you are in. Players commonly get very irritated when they are losing hands to players they think are inferior. Make sure that you are playing with your head. You just might be the best player in the world, but that doesn't mean that you can't lose a hand to the worst.

Joe Sebok loves to know when you think he is wrong. You can reach him at [email protected].