DonSifu
Enthusiast
Silver Level
Why does winning not feel as awesome as losing feels bad?
This question has been on my mind for quite some time now. We all do it; we all have that one hand, that one story that we have to tell everybody; that one time when you played so perfectly, trapped so deceptively, and then lost to a one outer. You remember the day, the time, the weather, what the villain was wearing, what exact suits the cards were; every minute detailis stored forever in your ‘bad beat brain’.
But what about when you win? For me, I can’t tell you how I got there; what exact hands led me to the win, how the betting went down on that final bubble hand. So why is that? Why do remember our losses with so much more reverence than our wins?
So far I can’t even begin to figure out why. But I do knowthat when I’m winning, I’m in that Zen state of mind; that ‘right nowness’ that allows you to be in the moment fully, and to only focus on that exact moment in time so that you’re making the best decisions. Often when I win, it’s like I was in some kind of trance, and not until after it’s over that I start to think back about key hands that got me there; of course there are a couple that will always stand out, but what about the hundreds of other hands that you played toget the win? What about that amazing fold to that four bet when you had queens?Or when you were able to sniff out that bluff holding only middle pair? Why don’t we remember those hands in detail?
Then there is the feeling. When you lose that that suck out,your heart drops into your stomach, your temper boils, and steam and moan andgroan. You want to throw chairs and punch faces. There is no worse feeling in the world than losing like that. Poker is a cruel game, where you can do everything right and still lose. But when you win? It’s not nearly the same. For me, it’s more of a feeling of accomplishment, but something that I deserved and earned. I know I can win, so when I do, it’s more like finishing a project than claiming a victory.
Perhaps it’s because when we’re losing, all we can do is analyze and dissect the hand, looking for where we went wrong, so we study andstudy and study until those losers are stuck in our minds forever. But when you’re winning, you don’t have time to study; you simply win and move forward, focusing on the task at hand.
They say you should have a short memory when it comes to bad beats, but perhaps the opposite is true; better to have a short memory about winning, so that you’re always focused on that next victory.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on winnig vs losing, thanks!
This question has been on my mind for quite some time now. We all do it; we all have that one hand, that one story that we have to tell everybody; that one time when you played so perfectly, trapped so deceptively, and then lost to a one outer. You remember the day, the time, the weather, what the villain was wearing, what exact suits the cards were; every minute detailis stored forever in your ‘bad beat brain’.
But what about when you win? For me, I can’t tell you how I got there; what exact hands led me to the win, how the betting went down on that final bubble hand. So why is that? Why do remember our losses with so much more reverence than our wins?
So far I can’t even begin to figure out why. But I do knowthat when I’m winning, I’m in that Zen state of mind; that ‘right nowness’ that allows you to be in the moment fully, and to only focus on that exact moment in time so that you’re making the best decisions. Often when I win, it’s like I was in some kind of trance, and not until after it’s over that I start to think back about key hands that got me there; of course there are a couple that will always stand out, but what about the hundreds of other hands that you played toget the win? What about that amazing fold to that four bet when you had queens?Or when you were able to sniff out that bluff holding only middle pair? Why don’t we remember those hands in detail?
Then there is the feeling. When you lose that that suck out,your heart drops into your stomach, your temper boils, and steam and moan andgroan. You want to throw chairs and punch faces. There is no worse feeling in the world than losing like that. Poker is a cruel game, where you can do everything right and still lose. But when you win? It’s not nearly the same. For me, it’s more of a feeling of accomplishment, but something that I deserved and earned. I know I can win, so when I do, it’s more like finishing a project than claiming a victory.
Perhaps it’s because when we’re losing, all we can do is analyze and dissect the hand, looking for where we went wrong, so we study andstudy and study until those losers are stuck in our minds forever. But when you’re winning, you don’t have time to study; you simply win and move forward, focusing on the task at hand.
They say you should have a short memory when it comes to bad beats, but perhaps the opposite is true; better to have a short memory about winning, so that you’re always focused on that next victory.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on winnig vs losing, thanks!