Pessimist or Optimist

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 ?

I personally always expect a bad beat and if it doesnt come i take it as a pleasant surprise so yea, being pessimistic is awesome!

I play my best poker when I am confident. When I first sit down with 300, I ALWAYS drop to 240-260 in chips, and after a first win or 2 of the pots I become a different person.

I think it depends on the way to think of each one. In my case I am pessimistic and always think i'm going to lose. This makes me be more careful with my game. Especially in the initial stages and half of a tournament.

Not sure if pessimistic is the right word more like realistic would describe how I think ,you are not gonna win every hand you are ahead in, this is just the reality of poker .With a realistic mind set the 2 outers and 3 outers that will inevitiably happen if you are making good decisions, should not bother you as much .......scorp

In life, I am an optimist, but in the game closer to the pessimist, because I know that I was on the river who then move) Anyway it's the same game, and there have already decided everything for us) And we're left with only the choice of all.

I like to think that I can play without carrying frustration from previous hands into future hands. But that trait is probably my biggest weakness. Especially after someone who makes a horrible call is rewarded. I am always surprised when I win a hand though, because I'm sitting there thinking wow finally someone didn't hit an inside straight draw after a 20 blind raise??

Usually I see the 1-4 outers hitting and generally am right when it happens. I have always said for a long time I need to vision of winning big hands where I am a big favorite rather than see the bad cards.

Maybe I can turn my luck around?!

If I have had a really bad run and im shallow on a bankroll I can get pessimistic.
When I have a deep bankroll at my stake of choice I will play my best game.

What I do find though Is if im negative I lose more tosses and if im positive I win more.. This may just be strong intuition picking up on whats going in any current session

I really dont know if is a question of being pessimist or optimist. I think is a question of understanding the game like it is, sometimes you will loose, sometimes you will win! And at the end of the day that´s it.

After that in mind, you need to find your own strategies to deal with this reality.

I am a pessimist in my normal life and even more so in poker.

I very often have to suppress my pessimism, to some extent, whilst playing or else I'd fold every hand where there was any possible adverse outcome. So, as the quote from the book says, I am prepared for the eventuality which makes dealing with bad beats a little easier. Still hurts though especially when going through a dry spell.

Just call me Eeyore .

Generally, in my everyday life I'm optimistic, and usually when I sit down at a table that follows me - until I've taking a few beatings. Then the pessimist in me comes out. And if I happen to win some the optimist in me comes back out. So basically I can be both depending on how the day goes.

vinylspiros said:

I personally always expect a bad beat and if it doesnt come i take it as a pleasant surprise so yea, being pessimistic is awesome!

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Lol..i like this .

always have to think positive .. but in poker send letters, can have all the positive penamiento but if you got strong hands sirvew anything not thinking ..

steveiam said:

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.

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When I'm all in on the flop, I'm a pessimist if the villain calls on a draw. I've just been drawn out on so many times that I expect it to happen again. In reality, I've probably won most of those races, but I tend to remember the suckouts more.

But I think being an optimist can generally be +EV. Example:

Optimist: "How can I win this pot, regardless of my cards?" (encourages creative thought)
Pessimist: "I'm so card dead. If I don't get a good hand soon, I'm toast." (encourages passive play, impatience, getting blinded away, taking few risks)

I think the optimist can find more creative ways of winning pots by floating flops and turns in position etc, or by repping strong hands when they are weak etc.

But I think the book may be addressing the attitude one should have before sitting down at a table. For example, the pessimist who is about to sit down at a $1\$2 table with $200-$300 has embraced the possibility of losing his stack, whereas the optimist expects to book a win that may not happen.

In that case, I prefer to be the pessimist, and if I'm not comfortable losing my stack, I will sit in the lobby and read a poker book or play a training App while my friend plays a 6 hour cash session. Call me a supernit, but I have literally done this before to avoid playing scared-money.

I don't think pessimistic point of views really helps to get over bad beats. At least for me it doesn't work. It's terrible attitude to always assume badbeat to come, isn't it? I wonder how can you guys even play thinking about things this way...?

topper39 said:

I don't think pessimistic point of views really helps to get over bad beats. At least for me it doesn't work. It's terrible attitude to always assume badbeat to come, isn't it? I wonder how can you guys even play thinking about things this way...?

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Its easy. Expect less, GET MORE!!!!

vinylspiros said:

Its easy. Expect less, GET MORE!!!!

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I like this way of thinking, Its always a nice surprise when your better hand stands up

Whoever is the tightest loosest player will make money
Whoever is the loosest tightest player will make money

Fieldsy said:

Whoever is the tightest loosest player will make money
Whoever is the loosest tightest player will make money

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What

steveiam said:

What

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LOL, i was looking at that post for like 2 minutes and was thinking exactly the same thing. Say WHAT????

steveiam said:

What

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Gotta mix it up but generally don't go too far on one side.

don't ever underestimate your opponents hands don't play in a rush and you will never have a feeling of badbeat or w/e, i always wait for a better hand and when on showdown i see opponent with absolut trash hand if he gets in, after my raise when i obv have a hand, i get even upset because i was going such stress when i was ahead from the very beginning.

I just concentrate on trying to get good reads and get the money in good. If you do that you'll take the big pots much more often than not. On those rare occasions when I take 10 beats in a row or so I feel like I've been kicked in the stomach though.

For me is better to be optimist. When i think in a pessimistic way, I always lose (the card i dont want always comes on turn/river).