The psychology of poker. Strategic recall, repetition on demand, interruption of play

Previous part of Mental Game of Poker: Recognition, deep breathing, logic insertion

4. Strategic reminder

Depending on when you catch your emotion (how far advanced it is), you may need some time to get back to solid play. You can shorten this time by reminding yourself of a few key technical points.

This move has nothing to do with a psychological game; it is pure poker strategy.

For example, when trying to cope with an impending or ongoing Bridge, you may make technical errors such as being too loose preflop, ignoring the position, forgetting to assign your opponent a range of hands, or not thinking about how your range looks to your opponent. Because you are dealing with a mind that is not functioning very well, those new skills you are currently learning disappear. To prevent this from happening, write down any of the following lists along with your chosen statement:

1. A list of things that disappear (due to emotions) when you try to make decisions while playing poker.
2. A list of all the factors you consider when making your decision.

You can't expect to always play your best game. Such thinking ignores the reality of how the brain functions under intense emotions. Strategic reminders help to keep control of the game.

5. Repetition on demand

The psychological problems in your game are not yet solved. As you play, those problems will come back and keep you going, like the fly you keep trying to swat away. Be prepared to go through the first four steps again and again if necessary to keep your emotions under control and play well. Some days you may need to repeat these steps more than usual.

6. Termination of the game

Stopping the game is a skill. One of the components of that skill is the realisation that the psychological problem has become too great to continue the game. There is no well-defined rule that defines when the best time to stop playing is. Sometimes you have to buckle down and just play, and sometimes you have to stop things before it's too late. But in the end, solving the psychological problem of the game means that you have found a way to keep playing.

Some players have no choice but to find a way to play, regardless of any psychological problems. Tournament players are the best example of this, but even cash players who make a living from it have to find a way to play despite the problems. The fact of the matter is that without a clear plan for dealing with the problems, stopping the game ultimately only improves the skill of stopping the game, but does not solve problems such as the following Bridge. In fact, there are some players who say they don't have Bridge problems, because they just stop the game before it even starts bridging. But Bridge Avoidance does not mean the problem is gone. The Bridge don't show up because they don't play, but this is also a losing approach as it loses hours of gameplay that could have won money.

Termination makes strategic sense when the player has a clear plan for solving the psychological problems of the game. There is always a choice, and each player has to decide for himself what is best for him. The main factor to consider is the ability to recover and return to solid play. If you know for sure that you will not be able to recover, then a suspension is necessary until you can return to the game later with a clear head. If you know for sure, or have some doubt, that you will recover, then consider the following approach to increase your chances of success.

Playing well in bad times requires mental strength to control your emotions. Emotional control is not automatic. It takes effort to develop mental strength. This can be likened to lifting weights to build muscle: start with weights you can lift, then gradually increase them. In the same way, when playing, instead of trying to keep playing in situations where you used to stop playing, try to stretch for just 5 or 10 minutes by playing solidly and avoiding big mistakes. When you feel yourself getting stronger psychologically, add another 5-10 minutes. By starting small, session after session, forcing yourself to keep up a good game for longer and longer, you will learn to control your emotions, not only at certain hours, but also during very unsuccessful periods.

Of course, such a strategy is somewhat risky. But you are a poker player. Evaluate the relative risks/rewards of stopping and continuing and make the best decision depending on the situation.

This series of articles is based on Jered Tendler's book on the psychology of poker, The Mental Game of Poker. If you would like to purchase the original, which is available in English, you can do so at amazon.com

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