Mind Over Poker: An Unbiased Look

If you have been playing poker for a while, take a moment now and reflect on the evolution of both the game overall and your game specifically. Think of how each has changed over the years. How were you playing 10 years ago versus now? How were you playing a year ago versus now? What changed? What were the catalysts for those changes?

As you contemplate the evolution of the game and your own personal development, hopefully you’ll see how and why you made the adjustments that you did. Of course, this column would be pointless if it served only to confirm what you have already accomplished on your own. Rather, the goal is to take that accomplishment and build on it in two important ways.

First, start to think about how the game will change over the next year, the next five years, and the next 10 years. What do you need to do to remain ahead of the curve? Of course, it is impossible to predict the future. If we could do that, we’d find a lot more lucrative areas of interest than poker. The exercise is still incredibly valuable, however. A constant reminder that poker is a game of never-ending learning and that we have to be open to change and adaptation can only help our play in the short, intermediate, and long terms.

Next, and perhaps even harder to do, think about how you can make adjustments in the short term. It is often easier to make changes over a long period of time. Biases tend to erode over time, and one can be more objective in looking at long-term trends. In the short term, we tend to be more stubborn. We don’t like to be wrong in our decision-making, so we look for external forces to blame rather than look inward. It is easy to look back over 10 years and recognize mistakes and evolution, because the mind can detach itself from the various outcomes and become unbiased and objective. To do that in real time, however, is very personal. Players don’t like to be wrong or to be outplayed, or to be behind the curve in their play. Yet, by definition, not everyone can be a winner in poker. Poker is a zero-sum game. So, to ensure that you are one of the winners, make sure that you are consistently taking an unbiased look at your play. Those who are constantly evolving and adapting will be the winners of tomorrow. ♠