Mind set, personal and essential for the best use of your skills

[I Live Poker]

Hello my dear friends, the game of Poker involves so many mathematical, tactical and technical aspects that many times the disciplinary, organizational and mental aspects are forgotten or underestimated. I can say this with knowledge of cause and effect, because most of my time as a player I always go over these concepts that initially seemed a bit silly to me, and with my perception somewhat "mathematical" and distorted by the emotions caused by this amazing and intriguing game I too, like many others, ended up going over essential and primordial concepts such as:


*Discipline: Pre-stipulate a time of availability to play, tournament schedule, day to study, day or a time to relax. Also keep a routine, this will help you to notice your patterns, get to know yourself better by preventing a tilt before it happens, or even know when it's not okay to play.

*Mental health: Cultivate in your mind positive, constructive ideas and vehemently avoid negativity in matters related to poker, I guarantee you this will not lead to anything constructive and will ultimately directly influence your performance at the tables in a negative way. Also cultivate the habit of daily mental hygiene even outside of poker this will positively reflect your performance.

*Physical Health: Feed yourself correctly, set your meal times and make them calmly, never stopping eating, or changing the time of your meal, remember discipline is a fundamental key.
Do physical activities at least three times a week, and take advantage of the tournament breaks to stretch and get up from the chair for a few minutes, stretch your back, stretch your wrists, neck, shoulders, you can find stretching exercises in video of you tube for exmple , with some physical education professional. This will keep your blood circulating properly and prevent repetitive strain injuries.
Well those are my tips, based on the behavior I've adopted. I've noticed a big change in my game, and in my reactions to situations that poker can cause such as high adrenaline surges, as well as stressful situations. However I'm sure what is a good plan for one may not be the best for another, mind set is a somewhat personal matter, and it makes all the difference in the final performance.

So if you want to share your strategy, or your min set that made you reach your best poker form, we'd all be grateful.:shakehand
Sometimes it's just a little push to turn the key to success!:icon_chee

 

[whiskers77]

Thank you for this interesting and very reasonable post about the mental essentials in poker. I think, all your 3 point make sense and actually all are based on discipline somehow. But it is good to bring this in mind again and again, because I also think, it is not a fast development, that people will do. It will take time to add things into daily life and make them a habit.

But they make definitely sense and are not only connected to poker. They also could be applied to any job in my opinion.
It always is useful to take time and review things. Also to learn new concepts.
Maintaining physical health for sure as well.

Some psychologist say it takes at least 21 days to make a habit and others even say, that routines are developed within these times, but still not a habit and it also depends on the subject. Eating chocolate is easier turned into a habit than learning math for example.

 

[I Live Poker]

Thank you for this interesting and very reasonable post about the mental essentials in poker. I think, all your 3 point make sense and actually all are based on discipline somehow. But it is good to bring this in mind again and again, because I also think, it is not a fast development, that people will do. It will take time to add things into daily life and make them a habit.

But they make definitely sense and are not only connected to poker. They also could be applied to any job in my opinion.
It always is useful to take time and review things. Also to learn new concepts.
Maintaining physical health for sure as well.

Some psychologist say it takes at least 21 days to make a habit and others even say, that routines are developed within these times, but still not a habit and it also depends on the subject. Eating chocolate is easier turned into a habit than learning math for example.

Thanks for the answer! I'm still crawling in that direction, it took me a long time to realize that it makes a difference, and I realize the direct influence on my performance.
Maintaining more arduous habits is much more difficult but with resilience you start to have a vague vision of the benefits and this is already a great achievement and encouragement to follow the path of discipline.
Another interesting point you mentioned was the relationship between poker and life, I've always used this motto: "poker is the game of life" this in the face of so many ups and downs, moments when we lost control of the situation, moments when we made mistakes and still it works. However, I perceived this relationship but did not put it into practice with discipline.
Just to complement the transformation, it started in such a complex and simultaneous way that I barely know how to define punctually. But poker was practically the driving tool for this change of thinking, after being challenged by this intriguing game I looked for knowledge and discipline to nurture myself, and I realized that at this point I found my balance.

 

[whiskers77]

Maintaining more arduous habits is much more difficult but with resilience you start to have a vague vision of the benefits and this is already a great achievement and encouragement to follow the path of discipline....

Somehow I think resilience and discipline contribute to eachother. If you increase your discipline you can be more resilient. And if you are resilient you will be able to increase your discipline. Let's have a simple example, like proper bankroll management.
You need to be disciplined about this, but it will give you more resilience.
And if you are resilient, then you are less tending to make mistakes with your bankroll management, which increases your discipline about it.
If you want to look on other aspects of poker like learning and study. This will make you also more recilient, because you become familiar with situations and you are also increasing your discipline about it.

... But poker was practically the driving tool for this change of thinking, after being challenged by this intriguing game I looked for knowledge and discipline to nurture myself, and I realized that at this point I found my balance.

And like you say here, you become balanced by this, your life and your game. Which is really nice in my opinion. So we can say, poker is a mean that also can contribute to your daily life and also to your attitude towards daily life.

 

[zipocool]

Hello my dear friends, the game of Poker involves so many mathematical, tactical and technical aspects that many times the disciplinary, organizational and mental aspects are forgotten or underestimated. I can say this with knowledge of cause and effect, because most of my time as a player I always go over these concepts that initially seemed a bit silly to me, and with my perception somewhat "mathematical" and distorted by the emotions caused by this amazing and intriguing game I too, like many others, ended up going over essential and primordial concepts such as:


*Discipline: Pre-stipulate a time of availability to play, tournament schedule, day to study, day or a time to relax. Also keep a routine, this will help you to notice your patterns, get to know yourself better by preventing a tilt before it happens, or even know when it's not okay to play.

*Mental health: Cultivate in your mind positive, constructive ideas and vehemently avoid negativity in matters related to poker, I guarantee you this will not lead to anything constructive and will ultimately directly influence your performance at the tables in a negative way. Also cultivate the habit of daily mental hygiene even outside of poker this will positively reflect your performance.

*Physical Health: Feed yourself correctly, set your meal times and make them calmly, never stopping eating, or changing the time of your meal, remember discipline is a fundamental key.
Do physical activities at least three times a week, and take advantage of the tournament breaks to stretch and get up from the chair for a few minutes, stretch your back, stretch your wrists, neck, shoulders, you can find stretching exercises in video of you tube for exmple , with some physical education professional. This will keep your blood circulating properly and prevent repetitive strain injuries.
Well those are my tips, based on the behavior I've adopted. I've noticed a big change in my game, and in my reactions to situations that poker can cause such as high adrenaline surges, as well as stressful situations. However I'm sure what is a good plan for one may not be the best for another, mind set is a somewhat personal matter, and it makes all the difference in the final performance.

So if you want to share your strategy, or your min set that made you reach your best poker form, we'd all be grateful.:shakehand
Sometimes it's just a little push to turn the key to success!:icon_chee

great post I agree with everything, can you write more about how you deal with tilt?

 

[Luvepoker]

Hello my dear friends, the game of Poker involves so many mathematical, tactical and technical aspects that many times the disciplinary, organizational and mental aspects are forgotten or underestimated. I can say this with knowledge of cause and effect, because most of my time as a player I always go over these concepts that initially seemed a bit silly to me, and with my perception somewhat "mathematical" and distorted by the emotions caused by this amazing and intriguing game I too, like many others, ended up going over essential and primordial concepts such as:


*Discipline: Pre-stipulate a time of availability to play, tournament schedule, day to study, day or a time to relax. Also keep a routine, this will help you to notice your patterns, get to know yourself better by preventing a tilt before it happens, or even know when it's not okay to play.

*Mental health: Cultivate in your mind positive, constructive ideas and vehemently avoid negativity in matters related to poker, I guarantee you this will not lead to anything constructive and will ultimately directly influence your performance at the tables in a negative way. Also cultivate the habit of daily mental hygiene even outside of poker this will positively reflect your performance.

*Physical Health: Feed yourself correctly, set your meal times and make them calmly, never stopping eating, or changing the time of your meal, remember discipline is a fundamental key.
Do physical activities at least three times a week, and take advantage of the tournament breaks to stretch and get up from the chair for a few minutes, stretch your back, stretch your wrists, neck, shoulders, you can find stretching exercises in video of you tube for exmple , with some physical education professional. This will keep your blood circulating properly and prevent repetitive strain injuries.
Well those are my tips, based on the behavior I've adopted. I've noticed a big change in my game, and in my reactions to situations that poker can cause such as high adrenaline surges, as well as stressful situations. However I'm sure what is a good plan for one may not be the best for another, mind set is a somewhat personal matter, and it makes all the difference in the final performance.

So if you want to share your strategy, or your min set that made you reach your best poker form, we'd all be grateful.:shakehand Sometimes it's just a little push to turn the key to success!:icon_chee

Vitor my friend. Really great post. Absolutely agree with you. Sadly many people forget how important the mental aspect of the game it in poker and life in general.

great post I agree with everything, can you write more about how you deal with tilt?

Zipocool, dealing with tilt is not easy to just give and answer. The thing is depending on what makes you tilt and how, if you find a answer it will not only help you in poker but more instantly life its self. I use meditation to help me get into a good mindset before poker and use it often in live its self. There is plenty of options you can find on you tube that will help depending of what you need. Also when I play I stopped listening to normal music most days and listed to meditation music. What I found was I would concentrate on the game more but even better I would be so mellow when playing bad beats did not get to me and I would not tilt. If you really want to go deeper you can always sign up for a mindset coach. I was given a months gift to one and what I learned was really helpful. to be honest it actually changes a good part of my life after opening me up to new things but also helping me resolve a personal issue. While I cant afford one that one month was pretty dam amazing.

 

[RustyRed83]

Great post.

Poker is an extraordinary, frustrating game. Stress levels can increase and decrease, Allowing emotions to overtake your ability to think clearly about hands is the biggest reason we lose.

Meditation is a great way to improve your game.
Drink plenty of water or flavoured water, stay away from alcohol & surgery drinks.
You cannot control, what others do at the table.

 

[I Live Poker]

Vitor my friend. Really great post. Absolutely agree with you. Sadly many people forget how important the mental aspect of the game it in poker and life in general.



Zipocool, dealing with tilt is not easy to just give and answer. The thing is depending on what makes you tilt and how, if you find a answer it will not only help you in poker but more instantly life its self. I use meditation to help me get into a good mindset before poker and use it often in live its self. There is plenty of options you can find on you tube that will help depending of what you need. Also when I play I stopped listening to normal music most days and listed to meditation music. What I found was I would concentrate on the game more but even better I would be so mellow when playing bad beats did not get to me and I would not tilt. If you really want to go deeper you can always sign up for a mindset coach. I was given a months gift to one and what I learned was really helpful. to be honest it actually changes a good part of my life after opening me up to new things but also helping me resolve a personal issue. While I cant afford one that one month was pretty dam amazing.

Thank you my friend, you were very important in understanding these questions. It's like a philosophy of life, I don't even know if there's much more to add to my friend Zipocool, but it doesn't hurt to try. Big hug my dear!

great post I agree with everything, can you write more about how you deal with tilt?

Thanks for participating my dear! as I mentioned above, Luve poker has already covered it quite thoroughly. If I could re-iterate something it would be, "seek within yourself" no one better than you to know your weaknesses and tilt start points. However, we often need to resort outside, in training, books. meditations; and ultimately it will activate your true essence and then you will know for sure.
Poker, life, your success and your priorities; nothing is separate it's all parallel in perfect sync, so look for positivity in general in your life, and it will be reflected in all areas. Hope I helped, hugs!:icon_thum

 

[darkvick]

Thank you for these advices. Awesome post my friend!!

 

[I Live Poker]

Some of the sports that we observe around the world require a lot of focus, in addition to skill and hard training, however it is not just skill that good results depend on.
Among the sports that I practiced and I can attest: Table tennis, martial arts, skateboarding, football, skill is very important but casualties happen and not always the most prepared and skilled wins. That's how it is in poker and if we let ourselves be carried away by external factors and casualties we can be swallowed by pressure and lack of focus, not to mention that poker brings with it a series of individualities that can take your attention away from the present moment, such as: prize pool, money involved, several players competing individually among others.

Over time I instinctively started to relate to other sports and I couldn't help but notice how difficult it is to stay focused on the present moment in poker, with every move, every round. So I asked myself some questions like when I played table tennis, sometimes the ball catches on the corner of the table and escapes in the last point that would close the set, and it is almost impossible to save this ball, it is a lucky move by the opponent . But soon after a new set starts and you can't afford to keep thinking about that ball you lost, if you think about the lost ball you will probably lose other balls and your game will be lost.

In skateboarding too, you score high on the first lap and you're very satisfied, but another competitor manages to score better than you, and then fear takes over. You end up getting all the wrong maneuvers on the next lap, that's because you let yourself be carried away by your emotions and your fluctuations.

In football and martial arts, this also happens a lot in different ways, either by underestimating the opponent or out of fear. Not to mention the luck factor specifically in football, the team is the underdog and the ball deflects and the goalkeeper can't defend, or his best player gets injured and then the emotion comes to destabilize.

What I would like to emphasize here is emotional control and unwavering focus!

When I practiced these other sports, I often felt and went through these situations of loss of concentration due to a stroke of luck from the opponent, or even overconfidence and ended up losing the match due to indisplicence. can't afford to think too much have to execute, otherwise...
Poker has a characteristic that makes it difficult in this sense because imagine it is a strictly mental sport and when you occupy your mind with external factors and even parallel to the game you will not have another mind to keep thinking and executing your best game. Keeping your mind clean and clear is essential, focusing on the present moment. Do as in table tennis play point to point, this is a good way to win.

 

[I Live Poker]

Bankroll and discipline
For a while, I've been reluctant to this aspect of online poker, and it's going to sound corny but it's very important to control your bankroll. I don't want to stipulate or dictate some infallible bank control rule, but in a plan aspect, to draw a plan and have the discipline to follow and calmly absorb the risks.
Playing in peace and enjoying the poker experience with as little pressure as possible is priceless!
Poker, like life, is like a tightrope the more balance and lightness the further you go.
There is also the opposite effect to the pressure of playing with a small BR, which is when you have a good amount to play with and end up playing slack.
So to finish, everything we do with love and discipline will surely be satisfying regardless of the end result.