Poker Is Mental - Never Make a Permanent Decision In An Emotional State

By Troy McTeer

Welcome to Poker Is Mental, Pokerbet’s newsletter where we provide practical ideas and tools to help you become a better poker player by understanding and mastering the mental and emotional sides of poker. We aim to give you insights, distinctions and new perspectives that you can implement to improve your game.

Principle First

Never make a permanent decision in an emotional state

Emotions cloud the mind and your ability to make good decisions. Nowhere is this more evident than at the poker table. Emotions flare up in an instant, and in that state, you have limited time to make a decision that could potentially end your tournament… permanently.

Our ability to think critically and access intelligence shuts off when we are in an emotionally aroused state of anger, fear, irritation, or frustration.

Making a decision in an emotional state generally results in the wrong decision. And you don’t want to make incorrect decisions when your tournament life and a big score are on the line.

You cannot completely eliminate incorrect decision-making at the poker table because you have limited information, however you can limit the frequency of poor decision-making by cultivating emotional equanimity.

Emotional equanimity is the most important skill you can learn at the poker table. Think about the best players in the world: Jason Koon, Phil Ivey, Stephen Chidwick and Fedor Holz. They all share the skill of emotional equanimity - whether they win or lose, they remain calm and focused.

It's a skill they have worked on, and you can do it too.

Tool

Slow down your actions at each decision point

One way to improve your emotional state at the table is to increase the time you take to act. Think about your own game and how often an unconscious, reactive decision to a 3-bet, an overbet or a bad board run out has cost you money.

Taking time to analyse your hand, your opponent's range, the board texture, and what you want to achieve with your next action will help you make better decisions that will ultimately make you money.

One way to stop the emotional reaction to circumstances at the poker table is to use the 10-second rule - wait 10 seconds before acting.

It may sound simple, but this pause will give your mind time to slow down and think, giving you the best chance of making the correct decision.

Implementation

The most challenging part of the 10-second rule is remembering to implement it when you are emotionally charged at the table.

The first step is to become aware that you are emotionally charged. The next step is to interrupt the old pattern of reacting from emotion with the 10-second rule.

The best way to do this is to use your breath, particularly your exhale. As soon as you realise you are emotionally charged, use a longer exhale. It only needs to be done once or twice for it to have a calming effect on your mind and thought process. 

Pro-tip: Exhale for 10 seconds slowly through pursed lips.

It immediately regulates your emotions and will prevent you from making a permanent decision in an emotional state.

Rounding It Up

Managing your mental and emotional state is the most important skill you can learn to improve your overall game.

There are simple and easy-to-implement tools you can use to regulate your emotions so that you can be in a position to make the best decision possible and increase your ROI at the tables.

Implementing the 10-second rule with the longer exhale requires self-awareness and practice to become a habit. The more you practise, the faster it will become second nature.

Try it out and notice if your thinking is clearer and if there is a notable difference in your ability to regulate your emotions and make better decisions at the table. 

Practise, practise, practise and let us know if it positively affects your game.

Share your thoughts and feedback with us so that we can continue to provide you with valuable content. In particular please let us know what topics you want in this newsletter (be it strategy or mental).