Poker Article - "Have You Stomped In A Mud Puddle Lately"

Have You Stomped In A Mud Puddle Lately? - By Al Spath

Okay, by a show of hands, can you remember stomping around in all sorts of mud puddles when you were growing up? Wasn’t that one of the best times in your childhood, so much fun, regardless if you got wet, dirty, or in trouble when you went home? Well, life cannot be serious all the time and we often let the stress of playing poker get to us in a negative way. We get all caught up in the numbers and forget to relax and remember how it was to have a bit of fun when playing our game of choice.

I’ve talked to many players who lost sight of what attracted them to poker in the first place; the competition, the interaction, and the joy of winning, as they now press everyday to compete for money. It’s not the end of the world if you lose, get knocked out of an event, or lose a small amount of your bankroll, but some players take it pretty hard and it leads some incorrect conclusions. Sure, you don’t want to incur repetitive losses, but you can’t let the game (and it is only a game) become an obstacle for you to actual enjoy what you are doing. It then affects your thinking, creating self-doubt and you begin to question everything from your play to your overall poker ability. None of us plan on losing, but how we handle it may determine how we cope with the highs and lows associated with this form of gambling.

Do you remember when you took a few chances when nearing the bubble, instead of sitting tight, hoping to slip into the money spots? Do you remember when you weren’t satisfied with 5th place and gambled with your remaining chips to put yourself in position to win the event, rather than finishing high in the money?

Those were exciting and exhilarating times at the table; we were carefree, willing to risk more, able to laugh off a bad beat and humbly accept a back-handed compliment for catching runner-runner to win a huge pot, or end a tournament. If was fun to mix it up, to stray from the “tight-aggressive” image you have spent years trying to perfect and project, and come away from the table with a broad smile, leaving any stress for your opponents to deal with. That’s when the game meant more to me and I think to you.

Sometimes, as we continue to move up (tournament entries and higher table limits), we lose sight of the enjoyment this wonderful game can provide to us. Unlike steel workers, firemen, police officers or investment bankers, we get to sit and play P-O-K-E-R! Are you kidding! This is a wonderful work environment! How many other great places do you know to work? Maybe on a baseball field, or a Hollywood set, but this is so sweet. Enjoy it, embrace it, and let others fall into the trap of becoming so serious that they can’t relax, thus negatively impacting their game. You can be at peace with yourself if you allow yourself the luxury to realize it’s only a game. A game that you can only play to the best of your ability, and you have to accept the outcomes of your decisions. If you need more guidance, you seek it, if you need more experience, you log more hours, if you need a break, you take it. Break it down to its simplest form, and don’t complicate the way you play or the way you handle the highs and lows associated with winning and losing.

I recommend you seek out a few “mud puddles” this week. Maybe it’s dropping down into a lower limit game or a tournament, and just try to have a bit more fun, take a few risks, un-stuff that shirt, go back to being a bit more of a risk taker, and interact with your opponents on all sorts of social and poker levels. So, take a deep breath, loosen up your game up a bit, and prepare to have fun. By all means stop waiting for the absolute nutz. Try some of those trickier moves that everybody always seems to pull against you. An occasional bluff or semi-bluff in the right spots can and do reap big rewards. You will be surprised at the new image you will be projecting and how you can tactically change speeds that will garner you additional pots. I guarantee you one thing, you won’t hate it, you will revile in the nostalgia and you will come away with a better perspective on the game and of life itself.

Come on, let’s not allow ourselves to become so mindless that we forget about the competitive nature of playing poker and how it was when we experienced a triumph when facing a sure defeat, as well as preventing a complete collapse because we felt the collar around our necks squeezing from the pressure we put on ourselves. You know, it does not have to seem like work, to be work!