Here's a poker article I wrote in 2010. Times have definitely changed after two years though. I welcome your comments!
January 26, 2010
The Poker Life
by Alex Krapivinsky
There it is. You’re sitting down at your local casino’s 2/5 No Limit Hold’em game, up a few buy-ins, when all of a sudden you run into a myriad of bad beats and unfortunate coolers that drop you down 500. Variance. Bad luck. It can shroud your mind with thoughts such as, “this game is rigged” or “life hates me” but as the games’ oldest poet will tell you: “That’s Poker, Folks.”
Well, that’s easy to say. If you’re not careful, it’s really not that hard to slip into a frustrated poker-absorbed existence where the world goes on without you. And how’s your stress-level? Is there anything you can do to have any control over that at least? Hours spent hunched over your keyboard, not daring to move anything but your carpal tunnel, your optical nerves and occasionally a brutal assault on your vocal chords. Ah. But “That’s Poker, Folks” and if you get it, you love it. If you can end the day up, you love it. But keeping an even keel – knowing how to manage these three taps – is the difference between, well, being a winner and being a loser. It’s about keying in and concentrating in the three aspects of life: Mental, social and physical.
Variance
Whether you’re a beginner, a solid player on the side or a full fledged poker whiz, dealing with variance is an art, but it is arguably the hardest most demoralizing side of poker to master. After hundreds of thousands of hands, it is still the demon that crushes my spirit -- and my game -- when it doesn’t go my way.
Recognizing that losing is an integral part of winning, is as funny as it sounds. When you’re winning, you’re on top of the world. You get cocky. When you’re losing, you wish you had never heard of the game in the first place. You have to dig deep and remember that variance is just that. Variance. You have to focus on the game and persevere, having faith that the game you love will smile on you again. It’s not an easy frame of mind to hang on to.
Often, friends who are amateurs tell me about the run that made them think they were the next hot thing; those dreams quickly dashed by the other side of variance rearing its ugly head. The common factor with these players is that when times get tough they quit. They blame poker for “hating them,” or God for giving them the “unlucky” trait. They don’t see the positive in the negative. Losing should give you time to think about what you could have done better to minimize the damage. Losing should teach you to be better. The tilt that comes along with it is the hardest part to beat but with each losing session, if you approach it with this philosophy, your defences to tilt get stronger.
The most practical advice when you’re on the bad side of variance is to work on being a better player. Study up and follow a strict bankroll management strategy. Read up on the game. It may sound like a cliché, and the last inclination you have at the time, but its true, and it works. These are the most important factors of getting in control if you
want to be a profitable poker player. Mastering these two elements helps put you in more the driver’s seat mentally when things are not going your way.
Unfortunately, after those two huge building blocks come, there are others that separate the good players from the great players and ultimately, the truly elite.
Social
Poker is very time consuming. Tournament poker can take whole days at a time, and if you get into a habit of playing a lot of tournaments, it can really take over a part of your life. You can somehow forget where your life is. The friends you know and love, who might not understand or appreciate poker like you do, can empathize when you vent, but it can seem ignorant and inconsiderate – they just don’t know. Take a break. Keep a balance by getting out there, maintaining a social life and improving yourself socially. It’s pretty important. If you’re playing cash games and are on a huge downswing, you might not want to talk to people for a week. A bad social dynamic doesn’t only hurt you, it takes a major toll on your poker game. Having a life is an important aspect of your well-being, and in turn of your success at poker.
Physical
One of the biggest personal improvements I’ve made to my poker game has been getting into the routine of going to the gym and really getting healthy and strong. If you were to ask the top professional poker players how they get ready for a big tournament, or just a night of playing, it’s by pumping iron and doing some cardio. A probable misconception would be that it would just tire you out, but it’s the exact opposite effect. It makes you more mentally prepared for the heavy lifting of a poker game.
Since I started going to the gym regularly a year and a half ago my profits have doubled playing the same game. Of course I’ve learned through downswings, and gotten smarter, but getting a quick workout between sessions has helped my stamina and the way I think through hands. When you play a lot of poker, especially tournament poker and getting in a lot of hands, you tend to go into robot-mode. Physical stamina helps you through it.
Focusing on the three aspects of life – proper attitude with the task at hand, friends, and your own physical well-being will only benefit your game and increase profits -- even if means cutting into the number of hands you play.
The obvious draw is that poker is about the money involved, but it’s also about the love of the game and the competition. Poker can teach you about life and life can teach you about poker. There are ups and downs, and but those with a negative attitude and bad work ethic, those who put their friends and themselves aside, are usually the fish at the tables.
“That’s Poker Folks.” That’s Life.
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