At first glance, poker appears to be a simple game similar to monopoly, scrabble, or computer games. When you really go deep into poker, you realize that it’s more than simply a game. Poker is a game of demoralization and only the powerful will prevail. Once you get the general structure down for your game, managing your emotions is the most crucial aspect in playing great poker. Anyone can understand the odds, starting hand requirements, and how to react in multiple hand circumstances. Only a small % of the poker playing population can control their feelings when things are going bad. Playing well after squandering big pots is what separates awesome players from average ones. Think about everything you do in life that follows a similar sequence. When you are in a bad mood, you have trouble focusing attention on daily happenings. When you are pissed, you have trouble thinking properly. As humans, we are incredibly emotional when it involves life. Poker is a sport that shifts us amongst the assorted array of feelings. We have the greatest highs after raking in a huge pot. We have the lowest lows when we are deprived of a huge pot.
Emotional control is a skill that can be learned by anyone. In any sport, or game, emotional control is the ‘item’ that creates amazing players. Similar to anything in life, it takes a lot of hard work and experience to control your emotions at the poker game.