{"id":780539,"date":"2018-01-22T09:00:12","date_gmt":"2018-01-22T07:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pokeriomokykla.com\/poker-psychology-focusing-on-results-creating-a-winning-mindset"},"modified":"2025-04-29T00:27:33","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T22:27:33","slug":"poker-psychology-focusing-on-results-creating-a-winning-mindset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pokeriomokykla.com\/en\/poker-psychology-focusing-results-creating-happiness","title":{"rendered":"Poker psychology. Focusing on results, creating a winning mindset"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Previous part of the book “Mental Game of Poker”: Bad Card Tilt<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

5.2.1 Focusing on Results More Than Quality<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the last decade, poker has evolved at a tremendous pace. Part of the reason for this rapid evolution can be attributed to players shifting their focus from results to quality. Since this is a relatively new concept for most players (you've probably heard players say, “it's better to be lucky than good”), you can hear them saying that focusing on results is bad, but they can't help themselves when a losing streak hits.<\/p>\n

Focusing on the quality of play is a skill that follows the rules of the Adult Learning Model (ALM). However, players often make the mistaken assumption that performing a results-oriented action (e.g., checking the money balance during the game) means that no progress has been made in focusing on quality. It is impossible to accurately determine subtle positive skill improvements if you don't document everything on paper or have a photographic memory. And when you only care about the final result, you miss smaller signs of improvement, such as increased recognition, less frequent balance checking, reduced irritation, greater focus on quality, or more hands reviewed after the session.<\/p>\n

Every time a losing streak hits, you have the opportunity to prove how much you've improved. Only when skills manifest under strong emotional pressure can you see what has been learned to the level of unconscious competence. Everything else is still in the learning process.<\/p>\n

INSERT LOGIC: SKILLS DETERMINE EVERYTHING; YOU'RE JUST NOT BEING REWARDED PROPERLY AT THE MOMENT.<\/strong><\/p>\n

IF SKILLS DETERMINE EVERYTHING IN THE LONG RUN, THEN IN THE SHORT RUN, YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON SKILLS.<\/strong><\/p>\n

5.2.2 Creating a Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

When a bad streak lasts, there's a desire to end the session while you're still ahead and thus finish the day without losses. During bad periods, you generally forget what winning feels like, so you can create a winning session for yourself to regain the feeling of victory, earn some money, and avoid another painful losing session. Creating a win (along with playing at lower limits or fewer tables) is advice offered by traditional poker wisdom when failures affect your confidence.<\/p>\n

So, is creating a win good? Or should you just keep playing, knowing that if you maintain good play quality, everything will eventually be fine?<\/p>\n

The answer: it depends on the circumstances. Your goal as a poker player is to assess the risk. Two things you need to consider before making a decision:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Creating a win is a good choice if your confidence has dropped, and it's clear that you're playing poorly. <\/strong>Create a win for yourself if you feel crushed and can't remember the last time you won. When your edge has diminished to a minimum or disappeared entirely (tilting<\/em>), continuing to play is a waste of money. If creating a win can boost your confidence and get you back on the winning track, then do it. Just know that this is a temporary tactic that doesn't solve confidence issues in the long run. If you don't directly address this problem, it will resurface the next time a losing streak hits. Don't let your confidence waver every time; better read Chapter 8 on how to build stable self-confidence.<\/li>\n
  2. Continue playing if you know you're better at handling tilt<\/em> and can control it. <\/strong>Forcing yourself to play even 10 minutes longer trains mental muscles, strengthens poker skills, boosts confidence, and helps eliminate deeply rooted tilt<\/em> causes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    5.2.3 Poker and Life Balance<\/strong><\/p>\n

    A prolonged losing streak can start affecting your personal life. It becomes difficult to leave poker aside, losses affect your mood, you avoid socializing with friends, don't want to engage in any activities, and it becomes increasingly hard to concentrate, sleep, and enjoy your free time. For some players, one session is enough for poker to start interfering with their personal life.<\/p>\n

    A good way to prevent poker from affecting your life is to create a protective bubble. The following steps will help you leave poker aside so it doesn't interfere with your life. Here's a strategy that has helped many players:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Vent by writing on paper or on a computer. <\/strong>Most people vent incorrectly. They direct it at others or themselves. Instead, vent everything on paper or a computer to get the thoughts out of your head and create a description of the things that annoy you in poker. Essentially, you are documenting fresh information. You don't need to do anything with this information; just get it out of your head with the intention of analyzing your tilt<\/em> once you calm down and can look at everything objectively. It's okay if you need a break before writing, but it would be good to start writing no later than a couple of hours later.<\/li>\n
    2. Note technical and psychological poker mistakes after the session.<\/strong> You don't need to do a very detailed analysis; just note certain hands, game dynamics so that you can work more effectively on your weaknesses in the future. It will be easier if you note relevant hands during the session.<\/li>\n
    3. Take a break.<\/strong> Up to this step, you've done everything you could. Apart from relaxing, there's nothing more you can do to improve your game. You can't change what happened, but you can use it to gain a better understanding of technical and psychological issues to become a better player in the future. You've done everything in steps 1 and 2; now it's time to relax and let your thoughts and mood recover.<\/li>\n
    4. Get poker out of your head or write down thoughts about it on paper.<\/strong> It's likely that thoughts about poker will bother you even after completing the first three steps. If this happens, try to push them out of your head by focusing more on what you're doing at the moment. If those thoughts persist, then write them down on paper.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Although thinking about poker might not be what you want to do right after a bad session, it's a great way to get rid of oppressive thoughts about poker.<\/p>\n

      5.2.4 Predictable Failures<\/strong><\/p>\n

      A losing streak becomes even harder when your mind starts predicting losses in advance. You get dealt aces, and you immediately assume you'll lose. You catch a middle set<\/em> on the flop<\/em>, and your opponent check raises<\/em>, and you immediately think he has the top set<\/em>. Before the river<\/em> card is revealed, you're a 20-1 favorite, but you already know there will be a suckout<\/em>. This is a pre-made conclusion that you'll lose. You play just to find out how it will happen this time.<\/p>\n

      For some players, the ability to predict failure leads to thinking that bad beats<\/em> happen because they constantly think about them. This illusion arises from not understanding that the mind predicts the future based on recent past events.<\/p>\n

      The mind, like the body, has the ability to sense the future. As you move, your body constantly makes certain predictions to be prepared. An example of such a prediction failing is when you climb stairs and don't pay attention to how many steps there actually are. If you expect a step that isn't there, you might stumble because the body's prediction was wrong.<\/p>\n

      A prediction, whether by the body or mind, is always made based on the information available at the time. When a losing streak hits, your mind draws data from a stream of information related to losing. So naturally, your mind predicts more losses. Conversely, when you're winning, you also see wins in the future because recent experiences suggest that this will continue.<\/p>\n

      Predicting bigger failures is a problem when:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. In despair and wanting to avoid losses, you start using bad tactics in the game.<\/li>\n
      2. You believe that your predictions are factual reality.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Believing that your mind can influence results is an illusion unless you have some mystical powers (but then why are you reading this book?).<\/p>\n

        Tokia kontrol\u0117s iliuzija yra labai subtili ir giliai slypinti problema, kuri\u0105 reikia spr\u0119sti. I\u0161spr\u0119skite \u0161i\u0105 problem\u0105 ir nes\u0117kmi\u0173 prognozavimas neprid\u0117s papildomo pyk\u010dio, bei ne\u012ftakos j\u016bs\u0173 priimam\u0173 sprendim\u0173 nes\u0117kmi\u0173 periodo metu.<\/p>\n

        \u012eTERPIAMOJI LOGIKA: TU GALI KONTROLIUOTI SAVO REAKCIJAS \u012e GAUNAMAS KORTAS, TA\u010cIAU NEGALI DARYTI \u012eTAKOS PA\u010cIAM PADALINIMUI.<\/strong><\/p>\n

        5.2.5 Min\u010di\u0173 atstatymas<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Nes\u0117kmi\u0173 periodui u\u017esit\u0119sus, nuolatiniai susir\u0117mimai su tilt\u0105<\/em> sukelian\u010diais dalykais pradeda varginti j\u016bs\u0173 mintis. Kai tilt\u0105<\/em> su\u017eadinan\u010di\u0173 \u012fvyki\u0173 da\u017enumas yra normalus, j\u016bs\u0173 mintys gali b\u016bti atstatytos gerai i\u0161simiegojus, pabuvus su draugais ar pasidarbavus sporto sal\u0117je. Ta\u010diau kai tiltas<\/em> kaupiasi diena i\u0161 dienos, tampa vis sunkiau atstatyti mintis ir sugr\u012f\u017eti prie \u017eaidimo \u0161varia galva. Vakaryk\u0161t\u0117s dienos tiltas<\/em> u\u017esilieka galvoje, padid\u0117ja tikimyb\u0117, kad tiltinsite<\/em> v\u0117l. Jeigu anks\u010diau reik\u0117davo 5 bad beat\u0173<\/em>, kad priversti jus susierzinti, tai dabar vienas priartina tilt\u0105<\/em>, o po antro visi\u0161kai pametate kontrol\u0119.<\/p>\n

        J\u016bs\u0173 protas turi i\u0161k\u0119sti per daug pyk\u010dio, tod\u0117l tas pyktis kaupiasi. Papildomas pyktis slegia jus ir gali priversti kuriam laikui sustoti \u017eaisti poker\u012f, tam kad gal\u0117tum\u0117te atstatyti mintis. Kai kuriems \u017eaid\u0117jams tai rei\u0161kia kelet\u0105 dien\u0173 be pokerio ir vien jau tai gali b\u016bti tilto<\/em> prie\u017eastimi.<\/p>\n

        Jeigu nenorite daryti pertraukos, turite pa\u0161alinti t\u0105 susikaupus\u012f pykt\u012f, su kuriuo j\u016bs\u0173 smegenys negali nat\u016braliai susidoroti. Tai galite padaryti \u0161iais b\u016bdais:\n<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Vadovaukit\u0117s \u017eingsniais, pateiktais \u201epokerio ir gyvenimo balansas\u201c skyriuje, tam, kad atitrauktum\u0117t poker\u012f nuo savo gyvenimo.<\/li>\n
        2. Naudodamiesi pirmajame priede pateiktais patarimais, mokykit\u0117s nusiraminimo praktikos.<\/li>\n
        3. Vadovaukit\u0117s visais \u017eingsniais apra\u0161ytais \u201esusikaup\u0119 emocijos\u201c skyriuje.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Min\u010di\u0173 atstatymas bloguoju periodu n\u0117ra tik \u0161iaip sau gra\u017ei id\u0117ja. Tai yra tai, kas padeda i\u0161laikyti ger\u0105 \u017eaidim\u0105, tuo metu kai viskas nesiseka.<\/p>\n

          Kur geriausiai \u017eaisti poker\u012f?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
          <\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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