Archive for May, 2009
May 18th, 2009
I have found a large number of poker players who regularly practice some sort of meditation or conditioning to help keep them calm and mentally alert in the game. They are not the only ones.
We have all had times when we have experienced peak performance. Athletes call it being "In the Zone,"; Zen Masters call it "Being as One"; others call it "Experiencing Flow." It is that time when all outside distractions are blocked out and our concentration is devoted solely to the task at hand. It can happen in our everyday work, when we play a game, read a book, see a movie, or play poker. When this happens, we are totally unaware of outside forces and time seems to speed by. In my first tournament win I actually was so much in the zone I was unaware when I actually had taken over as chip leader. My total concentration was on the game. This was not the first time I had been in the zone and I later learned that with a little practice you can learn to trigger this state and enter the zone on command with the help of a post hypnotic anchor.
A friend and fellow gaming author introduced me to the work of late psychologist Steven Heller, who taught many people how to enter the zone to achieve peak performance. Further study led me to the work of others who use the same simple technique, which is a form of self-hypnosis and visualization. Here is how to do it.
1. Find a quiet place where you will be undisturbed. Sit in a chair or lie down and make yourself very comfortable.
2. Think of a time when you had one of your greatest achievements or a time when you were totally confident. This might be a night when you had your best win at the tables. In my case I use my first tournament win, when I was making all the right moves at the table. This will be your power image.
3. Now mentally visualize everything you felt and heard when your power image was taking place. Amplify the feelings and images in your mind. Make the sound louder and the picture brighter.
4. When you amplify your power image you will get a feeling of supreme confidence. You will feel a sudden burst of energy. When this happens, you squeeze your thumb and index finger together forming a circle. This becomes your physical anchor to this image. You can also repeat a name or phrase associated with this image as your squeeze your fingers together. I use the code phrase "concentrate."
5. Repeat this routine ten times visualizing your power image while bringing your fingers together and repeating your code phrase. This will reinforce the link between your fingers and the confident feeling.
6. Repeat this exercise once or twice a day. Eventually you will be able to trigger your confident feeling and peak performance any time you desire.
7. You can use this at the poker table if you suffer a bad beat or if you feel your concentration slipping away. You can also use this in your daily life, anytime you find yourself in a situation where you need to be confident when making decisions.
Tags: online poker, peak performance, poker players
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May 17th, 2009
Shut Up and Deal, Jessie May says, "Poker is a combination of luck and skill. People think mastering the skill part is hard, but they're wrong. The trick to poker is mastering the luck."
It is critical that you learn to keep your emotions in check when you play. Every player is going to suffer bad beats and losing hands. It's the luck of the draw and bad players do get lucky at times. It is the player who can remain calm in the face of adversity who will be the ultimate winner in the long run. All the poker experts advise learning how to play "tilt free" poker. Most of the time it is more than one incident that will set a player off. I think most of us know when we start to feel our emotions building up.
There are several things you can do when you feel you are on the verge of losing control. The first thing to do is take a deep breath. Breathing gets more oxygen to the brain and will help clear up your thinking. It is the first thing you are taught if you have ever tried any form of meditation or deep relaxation exercises. It is very simple and can be done right at the poker table without being too noticeable.
1. Take in a deep breath through your nose. Count to four as you are doing this filling your lower diaphragm.
2. Hold your breath while counting to four again.
3. Slowly exhale through your mouth.
4. Repeat this four times.
If deep breathing does not help sooth you, get up and leave the table for a few minutes. Take a walk to the rest room. If the walk does not calm you down try washing your face and hands. A little cool Water will help cool off the hot temper that you are feeling.
After taking a break, if you find that you are still not in control °f your emotions, then you have no choice but to leave the game. If the cause of your aggravation is one particular player then you can switch tables if that is possible. If not, quit playing altogether. It is better to call it a night then to risk going on tilt.
Tags: losing control, luck and skill, online poker, poker table