Mind Over Poker

In The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi writes in depth about his lifelong exploration of two essential elements of ancient martial and strategic traditions. According to the Thomas Cleary translation, "[t]he first of these basic principles is keeping inwardly calm and clear even in the midst of violent chaos; the second is not forgetting about the possibility of disorder in times of order."

I think these elements have significant application to no-limit Texas hold'em. Let's look at them one at a time. In this column, we'll examine the first element, and I'll look at the second element in the next issue.

Just about all of us would recognize the need to remain calm and clearheaded, no matter what happens at the poker table. Poker is all about making right decisions, and we need to remain objective and rational. Plus, we don't want to give off tells. However, I think this element goes a little deeper than that. We often believe we are levelheaded, yet we jump to quick conclusions. I see players make stock decisions without considering all of the factors. Let me offer a recent example of a relatively simple play that I observed that illustrates this point.

Recently I was playing in a tournament with two players whom I knew quite well. They had only a vague familiarity with each other. Player A was a solid but tight player who could easily make good laydowns. Player B played very fast and loose, and liked to create chaos. The two of them did battle in a critical hand. Player B open-raised a modest amount from late position. Player A called from the big blind, and they saw a flop heads up. The flop came Q-8-2. Player A checked, allowing Player B to make a continuation-bet. Player A then check-raised. Player B studied for about a minute before going all in - creating maximum chaos for Player A. I was fairly certain that Player B had nothing. I also know that Player A would typically fold top pair there in the great majority of cases. Player B had Player A covered, and Player A would have plenty of chips left if he folded. Yet, it did not take Player A long to make the call. He remained very calm and didn't immediately react and revert to his normal fold. I could see that he had already formed an impression of Player B. Player A turned over Q-10, while Player B turned over A-4. Player A's hand held up. That is not a call that Player A would typically make at that stage of the tournament. Yet, by remaining levelheaded, he was able to see through the chaos.

While this is a rather simple example, I think the lessons are huge. It is second nature to most of us to avoid chaos. Our defensive instinct is to get out of the way. That instinct probably serves us well at the poker table in many instances. It doesn't pay to be cynical. Yet, if we always avoid chaos, we'll become an easy mark. Remaining calm so that we can think everything through is critical, no matter what the situation. Don't jump to quick conclusions. Remember that opponents want to create confusion.

In that very same tournament, I made a move when we were down to three people. The button folded, the small blind limped, and I checked my option from the big blind with 10-8. The flop came 10-8-2. The small blind led out, and I took my time contemplating what to do. We both had plenty of chips behind, so I wanted to maximize my profit here. I kept thinking back to a hand about an hour earlier, in which I had tried to make a move on this same opponent, and he had reluctantly called. I thought that if I smooth-called, he may shut down. So, I went all in, hoping to convince him that I was making a move. He called instantly, and turned over 8-7. He was shocked to see my hand, as he had figured I was making a move. He was drawing awfully thin and my hand held up. I have to believe that if he had taken his time rather than react quickly, he could have come to a different conclusion. He may have realized that I was using the previous hand to trick him here. Maybe not, but the lesson remains the same. Remain calm and reasoned instead of reactive in the midst of chaos.

David Apostolico is the author of several poker books, including Tournament Poker and The Art of War. He is available for lessons, and you can contact him at [email protected].