Is an Ultra Competitive Nature Counterproductive for a Poker Player?

[Reel Deal]

I’ve been thinking about this question a lot lately… I’ve always been very competitive and while that’s helped me in some areas like sports and law school, I think it might be a hindrance as a poker player. I really don’t like to lose, actually, I fucking hate it, and in poker you’re going to “lose” a number of hands, it’s inevitable. I think my competitive nature can sometimes take me off my game when some moron sucks out and takes away a pot. I wouldn’t say I really go completely on tilt, but I do notice sometimes that I’ll loosen up some to go after the joker that sucked out. Also, it does make it difficult to enjoy the game at times. If you’re not enjoying it and are loosening up, that’s obviously not a good thing for your game.

Anyone else feel like it’s an issue for them? How do you deal with it? I’m trying to continue to tell myself “decisions, not results,” but are there any other ways that people have used to quell their competitive nature? Or, does anyone think a competitive nature is a good thing for a poker player?

[Talking Poker]

I think you can use it to your advantage. For starters, you need to realize that getting mad and playing badly is not going to help you win. So, if you are truly competitive, you'd rather play well instead.

Also, remember that in poker, we don't keep score on any one hand or even any one session. It's all on big, long session. KEep that in mind and play well, and rest assured that you'll end up "winning" a lot more than they guy who sucked out on you in the long run.

[thrash1294]

I have taken some bad beats myself lately but havent gotten mad once.I tend to look back on the hand realize where I made a mistake or how, I played the either right or wrong. If i played it right and still lossed I caulk it up to "thats poker".Example 0-4 pocket aces yesterday allin preflop each time and did not win once but thats poker.

[Nikita]

I can definitely relate. I'm the same way, I get pissed off when I'm sucked out on and I know I've tilted a couple times after a bad beat.

For me, it helps to have Rob around. I don't know how he does it, but he never lets the beats bug him. When I start to get upset, I know he's there for me to talk to and vent a bit. I also try to mimic his calm demeanor. It's starting to work. I still get upset, but I get over it faster now.

I've also started to think of poker in the long run. Just as TP mentioned, I can't think about the single hands. I have to look at the big picture. If I'm winning more money than I lose, I'm beating the game.

I also don't play cash games very often. I'm not very good at them, I think just because of my competitive nature. I think for someone who hates to lose, tournaments are a better way to play poker. You can't really win at cash games, but you can win a tournament. I know I get less upset about beats in tournaments, than I do in cash games.

And of course, just like you, I always think about my decisions, and not the results. That helps the most. As long as I know I made the right decisions, I can definitely cool down faster.

[melioris]

In the end I think being a successful poker player requires a highly competitive nature. It is going to come down to greed or competitiveness that motivates you to be a good player. The hard thing to reconcile about poker and ultra competitive personalities is the competitive side demands short-term reward (winning the hand) for playing correctly while poker results fluctuate wildly short-term and only even out over the long-term. Somehow you got to reconcile the long-term nature of the game with the short-term successes and failures to allow your competitive nature motivate you to succeed without destroying the fun of the game when things go wrong. I know it sounds wacky, but your competitive nature might be the secret. Because good players see the big picture and don’t let one stupid bad beat get them on tilt, and goddamn it, you are going to be a good player so let the bad beat go and be happy with playing the hand correctly. You should be able to tell that I have told myself this mantra a few times.

[Zybomb]

This still makes me crack up everytime I hear it

[2Tone]

I guess it depends on what your definition of win, but I have definitely had cash games that I have won and lost. And that goes beyond just how much I have made/lost in any given session.

Example – angle-shooter tries to short the pot by skipping a round of raises in a multi-way pre-flop capped pot. I call him on it, dealer stops play, makes him put in another 1/2 bet. He glares at me. His Jacks don't improve, and my Queens take down a fat pot, with him calling me all the way down.

He goes on full steaming tilt. I let others take their turns at him when I don't have the cards, and win a couple of more pots when I do. He loses a rack, plus another minimum rebuy before storming away. I win. He loses.

Of course, there's been plenty other situations where I feel I have 'lost' more than just the cash I brought to the table – times when I have been outplayed, been goaded into making the wrong decisions, etc.

[JDMcNugent7]

Competitve nature is def. good for poker IMO.

In sports when you're losing do you just start going on "Tilt" and playing dumb ? No. So in poker u can still be very competetive and not go on tilt, just play better instead, keep playing ur game, and in the end if u know wut ur doing and are better than ur competition u will win.

[Nikita]

I agree with what you are saying.

What I was trying to say, is in cash games, there is no first place. People come and go and play as short or as long as they like. Whereas in tournaments, you are trying to outlast everyone else. Your only goal is to come in first; to win.

I think that's why I like tournaments more. They appeal to my competitive nature. Where in cash games, I don't really get the feeling like I'm trying to outlast all the others, I'm just trying to come away with more money than I sat down with.

[bunny]

Which is a challenge money-wise, instead of player-wise.

I find both challenging. Tournaments because of what you just mentioned, trying to outlast everyone and take down 1st place. And cash games, because I try to double, triple, etc...my bankroll.

More money>more challenge

[Reel Deal]

Actually, I've seen it happen in sports. Be it basketball or football I've seen players go on tilt, some good trash talk can definitely take someone out of their game. I've also seen people do desperate and stupid things in sports when they start losing.

I do think a certain amount of competitiveness is a good thing for a poker player. But I think it's obviously best if used to learn how to be successful at poker (i.e., learn the proper way to play the game then have the discipline to follow that strategy). What's hard with poker is that even when you play correctly you can lose to an inferior opponent. And for a competitive person that doesn't like to lose, that's a hard thing to stomach. With sports, if I play my best I'm not going to lose to an inferior opponent. I think what's hard, for me at least, is that you really have to look at winning or losing as a long term proposition. Like with basketball you're not going to stop your opponent from making their shots here and there, you just have to concentrate on making more than they did when the horn sounds. I have to look at things in that light when playing poker.

It's funny, my ultra competitive nature has definitely flowed down to my youngest son who is 5 years old... he's on his first soccer team right now and has a meltdown if the other team scores even one goal... lol. I'll try the "long term" speech on him at our next practice.

[Talking Poker]

Yes, exactly. The horn hasn't sounded on your poker career yet. And like in sports, just because the other team scores now and then doesn't mean they are going to win the game. You simply need to adjust your poker mindset to more of a long term attitude.

[2Tone]

Reading Iggy's blog, I found this quote from CardPlayer writer and WSOP bracelet winner Steve Badger.

"The problem is: you just can't will yourself to win -- be it a tournament, a single day's play, or even an individual hand. And then, unfortunately for some, not winning is something many players simply can't handle. And being able to not win well is a fundamental, key ingredient of being a winning player."

[Talking Poker]

Nice quote.