Pokerwiner.com → Within poker principles
ON TILT: PART II – THE PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE
In Part One of this two part look at the problem of “tilt ” I defined tilt as any adverse impact of emotion on one’s play. I encouraged readers to develop a thorough understanding of the monetary swings to be expected in poker as an aide to preventing tilt. This understanding is an integral part of what is presented here an attitude, possessed by some of the best players, which is completely contrary to acting on emotions during play.
Once we recognize that going on tilt involves the influence of emotion on one’s play, we can begin to address the cause of any instance of tilt. Usually one of two things triggers the emotional reaction that creates tilt. Most often it is a downward experience with another player (e.g., you reach angrily to something said by another player, and this affects your play). The idea that runs through this article applies mainly to preventing tilt in response to downward fluctuations. Though it does help somewhat in dealing with interpersonal factors. If you have frequent problems maintaining good play despite that others at the table may say or do, this reflects emotional issues which may require more serous intervention than is offered by any reading material.
Understanding the Professional Attitude
There is an attitude toward the game which can be of great benefit to any poker player. Many excellent players exhibit it to one degree or another, often having developed it naturally, without thinking about it, through experience and study. I believe it can be purposefully developed as well. Once possessed, it strengthens your play immeasurably, particularly your ability to play well regardless of recent results. I call it the “professional” attitude because I see it as the most aware, rational, and sophisticated way by which a winning player can view his results over time. Note however, that simply being a poker professional do not maintain it very well. I see those few who do as the most professional in the business. Note as well, that you certainly need not be a professional player to take advantage of this attitude.
I know highly skilled players who do not play for the bulk of their living, but who clearly exhibit the professional attitude. So what is it? First , the foundation of the professional attitude is an understanding of the principles of correct play paired with an accurate appreciation of the nature of the chance element particularly the kinds of fluctuations of nearly every conceivable variety, restrained only by the standard deviation associated with your play at particular limits, and the upward trend (if you are a winning player) dictated by your hourly rate. The second element of the professional attitude is the ability to assess your own play and that of your opponents.
When you are able to analyze a hand and determine that you have played correctly, that is one step toward being less emotionally invested in whether or not you won the pot. When you are able to identify your opponents’ errors and accurately contrast their level of play with your own, you will be able to choose games in which you know you have a positive expectation. Then, when you know you are beating the game in the long run, you will be closer to a healthy indifference toward your short term results.
Professional …NOT!
Before I identify the third and probably most important facet of this attitude, I should mention that it is easy to spot an absence of the professional attitude. When I hear a player complaining about a bad beat, or how bad his luck has been during a session, I know that, at least temporarily, he is out of touch with an accurate appreciation of poker’s chance element. Though we all claim to know it, some players seem to need remedial help in truly embracing the fact that bad beats are to be expected, and are just an indication of an opponents’ bad play the poker games would be unbeatable? Similarly, without periods of bad luck, good players would always win, bad players would only lose, and there would be no more games. Sometimes players who do not possess the professional attitude will try, with the best of intentions, to force their irrational views on you.
I recall thinking about this sometime ago during a playing session in which I experienced some unusually large fluctuations. After getting ahead $1,300 in a $15-$30 game, I gradually lost back all but about $100 of the win. Friends who had witnessed the downswing were coming up to me offering words of encouragement. Some suggested I leave before I lost back all of my win. Repeatedly I responded with comments like, “That’s just the way it goes sometimes.
No big deal. It’s a good game; why would I leave?” I had the sense that they felt sorry for me, that they didn’t realize that I really meant those things. Yes, I was disappointed at my result, but I knew that I had not made any errors that I could identify, and that it was an especially good game. So my disappointment was only mild. I remembered as well a session a couple of months earlier when I had been stuck $1,200, then had a $1,300 upswing to end with a $100 win.
As most players would, I had felt good about that result. I realized that on this day I had simply had the same fluctuations in reverse. Had I not kept in mind a clear view of these sorts of facts, supported by an understanding of the nature of poker’s fluctuations, I have no doubt that I would have been considerably more upset about the outcome of this session, increasing the chance that emotion would affect my play.
I am not suggesting that it is easy to avoid emotional reactions to downswings. I sometimes struggle with this myself. But to the extent that you can take fluctuations in stride, as natural, unavoidable occurrences, you will bypass the major factor that puts most online poker players on tilt. (*That said, since it is not always possible to completely avoid all emotional involvement in how you are doing in a game, I will pass along a clever idea pointed out to me by David Sklansky in discussing this essay ).
Subtle Losses of Judgment: Part I
Subtle Losses of Judgment: Part II / A Poker Player in Therapy