Most of your poker sessions will start near or already at A-level play. Being in the best shape means the following:
1) you are fully conscious and actively using your rational analysis;
2) you can fully (at least for now) resist tilt;
3) you can stop playing at the right time.
The last two points are related to the first, so let's examine everything in more detail. First, what do I mean by saying you are using your consciousness? Remember the difference between consciousness and subconsciousness that we discussed in previous articles. Conscious thought processes are discursive (tend to deviate), experienced through language, and are slow. They also strongly correlate with the analysis of poker theory.
However, it would be incorrect to say that when playing at an A level, you only use your consciousness. Even when playing at your highest capacity, you still “employ” your subconscious in most actions. Your consciousness is simply too slow and too laborious to process all the hands you encounter. (And honestly speaking, that process would probably be unbearably boring – imagine having to explain every c-bet or raise preflop to someone.)
When your consciousness is sharp and fully focused, it usually does three things: first, it processes the background of the game, such as game flow, reads, and opponents' psychology; second, it “stands by” in case a hand suddenly requires direct analysis; and third, it monitors your mental state and the game itself. There are a few rare exceptions where consciousness joins the game. When playing at an A level, your consciousness skillfully maintains this juggling of actions.
But what happens when you start playing at a B or C level? At this stage, consciousness is certainly not simply discarded. It is still there, just more tired, less sharp, and doing less work – it might now be juggling three balls instead of four. Maybe it no longer updates reads by observing the game flow, or it doesn't follow the psychological profile of players as often, maybe it stops checking your mental state and allows you to play a longer session even though you are tired. Or perhaps the threshold of hands that would stop you from continuing to play has risen. Of course, it's not that consciousness stops analyzing any hands; when the subconscious doesn't know how to handle a certain hand, it passes it to consciousness, no matter what, but easy or somewhat strange hands won't be double-checked as usual, and you will be more inclined to accept the intuitive subconscious response. It will also be harder to resist cognitive biases and think less about how those biases might affect your initial conscious response (requiring additional data processing). And what happens when the game drops to a D level? At this point, our consciousness has probably already shut down – it no longer pays attention to our mental state, no longer models the opponent's profile, and, of course, no longer double-checks standard hands. Occasionally, when we try to pass a hand that is very big or so strange that it requires a decision, consciousness still provides an answer. But there is a high chance that the answer will be very biased, as the subconscious motivation will overflow due to our discursive thinking. That motivation could be a desire to have a draw, an effort to avoid risk, or an unwillingness to be confused. At this stage, it is already difficult to stop playing. Usually, this happens only when the subconscious wants to stop playing, when you feel so bad that you no longer want to play or lose hope of achieving a draw.
You have probably noticed that a continuous, gradual process is happening at that time. In poker, we often talk about “autopilot mode,” but in reality, there is no autopilot, no on/off button. Your consciousness sharpens and fades during the session, and this process is usually continuous. So instead of using the binary term “your game” vs. “autopilot,” we should describe the session as a process of consciousness fading, as a natural deterioration of consciousness sharpness during the session.
Also, remember that consciousness is the main defense against tilting. You have probably long noticed that most people have a hard time realizing that they are already tilting. And this is another cognitive bias: most people believe they are more resistant to tilt than they actually are. This includes us, no matter how smart or resistant to tilt we think we are.
When playing at an A level, potential tilting events will affect you less, but it will also be harder to recognize that you have reached your tilt threshold. Once you start tilting, your subconscious will overcome your conscious mind and block the realization that tilt is starting. In other words, the point at which your consciousness concludes that you are tilting usually comes after a while, and then consciousness shuts down. This does not bode well for us. How can we improve our chances of recognizing tilt and avoiding it during a session?
First, there is one useful mental belief. If you are an incorrigible tilter, at the beginning of the session, it would be helpful to tell yourself: “Today I might tilt, and one of the challenges for me is to stop myself before that happens, I will stop playing before tilting, I will achieve one of my goals for today.”
What does it feel like to tilt? When it happens and you don't want to stop playing, your subconscious has two choices: quit playing and feel bad about losing or continue playing and possibly feel good about achieving a draw. Don't dismiss this behavior by calling it illogical; instead, understand that such behavior is simply a response to different stimulus constructions than you would prefer. By applying the above-described belief about stopping the game before tilting, which is a valuable goal that makes you feel good, you will make stopping the game more attractive to yourself. You will create an opportunity to feel good even after quitting the game, which will naturally lead your subconscious to accept such a decision.
The second way to manage tilt is the circumstantial method. Instead of hoping that your inner observer will catch you before tilting, employ external protective measures to help prevent tilt. One example could be forcing yourself to stop playing after a certain number of lost buy-ins, or after a specific tilt trigger (e.g., after losing a big flip or soul-read, or after rising up and then returning to a draw). By incorporating external mechanisms that define when you will stop playing, you will avoid the constant lag and delayed realization that you are tilting. Of course, to use this method, you must be able to adhere to the rules you have created. Another option is programs like Tiltbuster or simply taking breaks (every 3-6 hours), which are also great mechanisms for self-control. A less technology-dependent and more universal method is simply creating strict rules: “I will stop playing immediately after a soul-read” or “I must stop playing immediately after dropping three buy-ins.”
The circumstantial method can be very effective, but it does not help address the underlying emotional weaknesses, so it is best to use a mix of these methods, both in poker and in life.
Author: Haseeb Qureshi
