steveiam
CardsChat Elite
Silver Level
When you play do you always think the worst is going to happen (villian hits one outer on the river) or do you think the outcome is going to be a positive one. I'm reading the Zen and the art of poker at the moment and one of the chapters mentions this.
" By expecting the worst, you have already mentally dealt with
it. You are ahead of it—steady, calm, cool, and collected for the
next hand. The optimist in such situations fares poorly. Cheerfully
expecting to win, he is stunned when it doesn’t happen, and
his agitation often carries over into future hands.
Thus, being a pessimist becomes a positive trait in poker. It allows
you to forge ahead coolly. (And to look cool, too, which opponents
often interpret as strength.) The ability to see the dark
side—what can go drastically wrong—and to have this view of
things always within easy reach become an advantage in poker."
Is this the right way to go or should we always be positive ?
" By expecting the worst, you have already mentally dealt with
it. You are ahead of it—steady, calm, cool, and collected for the
next hand. The optimist in such situations fares poorly. Cheerfully
expecting to win, he is stunned when it doesn’t happen, and
his agitation often carries over into future hands.
Thus, being a pessimist becomes a positive trait in poker. It allows
you to forge ahead coolly. (And to look cool, too, which opponents
often interpret as strength.) The ability to see the dark
side—what can go drastically wrong—and to have this view of
things always within easy reach become an advantage in poker."
Is this the right way to go or should we always be positive ?