Football Player Gary Brackett Gives Us Life Lessons

Every August for the past 14 years, Jan Fisher and I have participated as the poker instructors and poker tournament directors for Mickey’s Camp (see mickeyscamp.com for more information) in Indianapolis, Indiana. This fundraising event has raised more than $3 million for Indiana charities. It’s a special five days each year that we really forward to since we get to spend time in the beautiful Bradford Woods. When we aren’t teaching poker, we get to be “campers” and participate in classes like gourmet cooking, kayaking, self-defense, flyfishing, crossfit, culinary knife skills, dealing with conflict, batting cage, billiards, boxing, rifle/pistol, pickleball, nature hikes, and so on.

My two favorite courses this year were Krav Maga, a course in which Sheriff’s Deputy Robert Amos taught us how to defend ourselves and protect our loved ones and Football with Gary Brackett. Brackett played in the NFL for nine years with the Indianapolis Colts. He was a team captain for six of those years and has become a very successful restaurateur in Indianapolis. While listening to Brackett share the coaching philosophy of both Coach Tony Dungy and Coach Jim Caldwell that not only lead to his success on the field and off the field, I realized that many of the strategies relate to how to be successful in poker as well. Therefore, here are some of the philosophical points I remember from his presentation that you will hopefully put into practice in your poker careers.

If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. Staying ready for poker involves reading the latest poker books and magazines, getting involved with training sites, talking poker with friends and associates, and lots of practice, practice, practice.

Dress like you’re the boss. Brackett said that they were required to dress well when they were on the road. This will be a hard one for most poker players, because we need to be comfortable at the tables. I ran into a friend of mine recently who was wearing a suit at the poker table. I pulled him aside and asked why he was so dressed up and he said that he had been experimenting with different attire when he played poker. He told me that when he dressed in business attire, his bluffs worked a lot better than when he wore T-shirts and jeans and a baseball cap…food for thought.

Don’t let bad moments lead to a bad day. When they missed a catch, got intercepted, or caused a turnover, the coach always told them to, “Shake it off, and move forward with confidence.” In poker, how often have you made a bad call or missed several big draws in a row and then gone on tilt?

The speed of the leader determines the rate of the pack. Lead by example. Don’t just relay the message, be the message. Translation: be a role model at the table. Be courteous to other players and the poker room staff. Follow the rules and don’t be an angle shooter. Take your beats well!

Addition by subtraction. Sometimes less is more. Letting go of a friend who creates negativity or causes you grief and not listening to or telling bad beat stories will elevate your morale as well as those around you.

Play hard, rest and recover, and play hard again. To be effective at the poker tables, you need to rest with the same intensity as you play.

Your best ability is your availability. Brackett said that if they got injured and couldn’t play, it didn’t matter how good they were. His coach always said that they win with the best team, not the best individual players. Poker is an individual game, but obviously to play your best, you need to feel well, be rested, and be in the right frame of mind.

Fair is not equal. Brackett told some fascinating “behind the scenes” tales. He admitted that the all-stars got treated a little better than the rookies. For example, they didn’t have to wait in lines. He said “Life is not fair; get used to it.” Translated to poker, you will have times when you lose ten coin flips in a row, or you miss ten or more flush draws in a row, or you don’t cash in a tournament for six months or more. Deal with it without losing your confidence or going on tilt.

No Gas! This is an acronym for No one gives a sh%$#*! Don’t complain or tell bad beat stories. Remember NO GAS!

Expect adversity and then expect to overcome it. This needs no explanation.

Keep setting the bar higher and higher. Challenge yourself to get better and better. Have a poker plan; perhaps it might be to read one poker book a month, to play 20 or more hours a week, to memorize some poker statistics, and so on.

Leave every situation you touch better for your being involved. Again, this needs no explanation.

Brackett was charming and charismatic. He gave each of us a copy of his autobiography Winning: From Walk-on to Captain in Football and Life. I love his philosophies and understand why he is so successful in life. ♠

Linda is a partner in Card Player Cruises and is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame and the Women in Poker Hall of Fame. She is available to host tournaments, seminars, and corporate events.