While most poker players make the mistake of hiding behind their limits, there are only a few who consistently push beyond them (a sin we all occasionally commit). This is most commonly referred to as FPS (fancy play syndrome). As the name itself suggests, it is an attempt to play fancily where a simple and obvious action would be a much better choice. As a constant problem for a player, chronic FPS is quite rare.
So, what can we say about FPS itself?
Despite the widespread use of this term, the name “fancy play syndrome” is somewhat misleading, as it seems to imply that the player is “overly creative.” In fact, one could argue that such a player usually exhibits a lack of creativity.
If you are obsessed with this syndrome while playing, it actually means that you attribute a certain type of thought process to your opponent that is completely out of touch with reality. The simplest example of this is a kamikaze bluff—a spot where your opponent puts a large part of their stack into the pot with a clearly predictable strong hand, and you, trying to win, attempt to make them fold despite their good odds to call, because you believe that such a strong play will make them think you have the nuts.
So, what is the problem that prevents calling all this action “creativity”? There is a good chance that if someone performs many such bluffs (and is called an FPS player), they are not actually inventing anything new. They simply have a tendency to incorrectly attribute to others the ability to fold big hands. Such a player is not trying out many different experimental plays; they are simply speculating with the same action over and over, hoping that it will eventually work or that they will finally catch the right situation.
Well, true creativity manifests in trying out new things. It requires a bit of self-observation and realization that what you think is creativity might actually be just an excuse for bad play. But taking responsibility for self-analysis is part of the challenge that helps you better understand yourself.
If you are a fan of fancy play, I would suggest “installing” two new beliefs in your mind: “people usually have it” and “players don't fold when they have it.” If you reinforce these two new beliefs and keep reminding yourself of them, it is likely that your exaggerated and wrongly directed aggression will relax much more.
However, if you are called an FPS player simply because you are truly creative, then by all means, continue your journey. Don't let the label hold you back. As long as you learn from your experiments and constantly try new and complex things, no matter where you are in your poker career, you will improve. Of course, finding a good poker coach to help refine your experiments is also a good idea. But in any case, you should do everything you can to learn as much as possible from your experiments.
A wise gentleman once said: “You have to make every possible mistake once, but only once.”
