In most endeavors, greatness is not achieved without some amount of pressure. From creative pursuits to business, creators and leaders must work through what is sometimes a great deal of pressure in order to succeed. The difference between greatness and mediocrity often comes down to one's ability to handle pressure. If often seems like the true greats are immune to pressure. Certainly, every individual has his or her own innate level of capacity to handle pressure. Dealing with pressure, however, is something that can be learned. Face the same crisis over and over again, and the great majority of us will improve over time.
Poker is a game of paradoxes. Betting more is often less risky than betting less. Playing too conservatively can cause more pressure than playing too loosely. One of the reasons I was first drawn to poker was that it enabled me to relax. When I play poker, my entire focus and concentration is on the game at hand, and I forget any pressures or stress I may be facing outside of poker. This is not to say that I don't face difficult decisions at the poker table. I often do, and at times, the decision-making process can be stressful even when I believe I have made every right move.
Overall, though, I believe I have a good ability to limit the pressure I feel at the poker table. For one thing, I have played so much that I have faced so many situations over and over again that I have reached a certain degree of comfort. Next, I don't dwell on mistakes or decisions after they have been made. It amazes me to watch a player make an easy preflop fold, only to kick himself when he sees that he would have flopped a winning hand. I play in a regular home game in which players constantly rabbit-hunt to see if they made the right decision. They don't understand that the "right" decision is based on the information available at the time the decision was made - not in hindsight. Their incessant rabbit-hunting is often a cause of additional stress.
Any game of poker can be viewed as a game of pressure. There are a lot of sayings in poker, such as, "If you're going to call, you might as well bet or raise," or, "It's better to raise or fold than call." While those sayings are not absolutes, the rationale behind them is that it is better to put pressure on your opponent than yourself.
People who avoid pressure are often risk-averse. They want the safe bet. In poker, they are afraid to lead the betting without the nuts. The irony in this thinking is that instead of reducing pressure, this will greatly increase the pressure they feel. Opponents will feed off their tentativeness and attack without mercy. Both everyday life and poker can carry enough pressure as it is, so why create more pressure for yourself?
How can you lessen the impact of pressure at the poker table? First, avoid trouble hands such as weak aces or K-10 when there is a good chance you are dominated. Some players have a lot of trouble throwing away any two paint cards preflop. Next, when at all possible, take control of the betting in order to put the pressure squarely on your opponent. Finally, observe everything going on at the table so that you'll have as much available information as possible to make an informed decision. Make the best decision you can at the time, and move on. Learn from every hand and experience (even if you are not involved in the pot), so that situations you are likely to face are not foreign to you.
Of course, you are never going to play poker pressure-free. Just remember that greatness is rarely achieved without fighting through some sort of pressure. Pressure can be a good thing. It heightens the senses and can provide clarity in thinking. When pressure exists, embrace it rather than fight it. The game will become much easier.
David Apostolico is the author of numerous books on poker, including Lessons from the Felt, Lessons from the Pro Poker Tour and Tournament Poker, and The Art of War. You can contact him at [email protected].
