Hi reader,
I began playing poker in school around a decade ago. All I knew was that I wanted to be wealthy one day, and that working a regular job wasn’t going to get me there. Unfortunately, there are few options for a 15-year-old to get wealthy, and I was unaware of internet marketing. The poker craze was in full swing, and it seemed like every Asian person I knew was trying their hand at the game. I assumed I’d give it a go because I’m good with numbers.
It’s easy to become addicted to the poker scene. You may make a lot of money just playing at home. I watched all of the poker shows, and it appeared like every pro was enjoying the high life. If you’re skilled at poker, you can also achieve a certain level of male respect. When you’re on a winning streak, there’s nothing quite like it.
I’m not claiming to be the next Scotty Nguyen, but I was able to learn a lot in that short amount of time. When I discovered that internet marketing was a considerably better fit for me, I quit. I not only learned how to play poker, but I also deconstructed the information and applied it to my personal life.
Here are some things I’ve learnt from poker that I still apply today. The best part is that instead of grinding it out like I did, you can learn these in 5 minutes of reading. Here are some lessons that I learned from playing poker that I still use today.
1. Emotional Control
Emotions might sabotage your decision-making abilities. When you’re dealt awful hands, another player is shit-talking you, or you lose a hand with a 1% chance of winning, it’s easy to feel irritated in poker. Tilt is the word for it, and it throws all of your good judgement out the window.
Life and job throw me off at times, and it’s vital to recognise it. When I’m on a bad mood, my first impulse is to seek vengeance or payback. I’ll recognise my feelings and step back. I’ll sleep it off and make no regrettable judgments.
I’ve also focused on improving my emotional control. I exercise and meditate. I’ll get a massage every two weeks. When I’m in the thick of combat, I’ll concentrate on my breathing. You’ll never catch me saying or doing something hasty. Everything I do is calculated and rational.
2. Firing Bullets
When you fire bullets, you make an aggressive wager before the flop. Perhaps you had a fantastic hand. When the three cards are revealed, though, you have nothing. You can either quit the game now and accept your losses, or you can keep betting in the hopes of convincing people that you have a great hand.
All I know is that firing the third bullet takes guts.
What does it mean to fire three shots in real life? It is being afraid yet pushing through.
When I was going to quit my work, I was terrified, but I took the plunge and quit.
I was in a bidding war with another individual. We were both out of cash. He left when I kept pushing.
3. Dealing with Failure
If you want to get better at poker, you’ll have to lose a lot of money. Poker aided me in developing a more positive outlook.
Failure provides information. Was it the proper decision if I lost that hand? What could I’ve done differently? Because of variance, you may have losing streaks, but you must not allow this to sap your motivation.
This is a major holy shit moment for me. I’ll improve faster as I gain more experience. I used to spend the most of my time playing in person. I was wasting time driving there, and you can only play so many hands in an hour.
I took things to the next level when I started playing online. Rather than playing 1 table, I could play 6 tables at a time now. Experience ++
You have to lose now to win later.
4. Choose the Right Game
It’s easy to overestimate your abilities and begin playing games “beyond your skill level.” Sharks will eat you alive and humble you if this happens.
Do you think you’ll make more money playing in a game with Phil Ivey or in a game with intoxicated rich dudes on a Vegas trip? You must also choose a table or website that better suits your playing style.
What impact does this have on life? I’ve seen far too many folks pursue enterprises that are either overly competitive or not a good fit for them.
I see far too many newcomers pursuing games that are too difficult for them. The number of beginners who get redboxed on Facebook and seek guidance on how to overcome it is an example. They’re playing games that are too difficult for them.
Next year, I’ll begin offering affiliate training. I could do a million other things, like start-ups, software development, and so on. However, this business is a natural fit for me and plays to my talents. I’m selecting a table that is ideal for me.
5. Discipline
If you want to be successful at poker, you must be disciplined.
When you aren’t performing at your best, you must have the discipline to stop playing before you lose too much. If you win, you must have the discipline not to spend all of your money on hookers and blow that night.
Don’t “call” only to see what the other guy’s hand is holding.
Discipline is required in any situation. Instead of writing this post, I might be perusing Reddit or playing video games.
“I wish they had my discipline,” people tell me. This isn’t how I was born. Nope. In university, I was the person who only studied for tests the night before.
Discipline and willpower are traits that can be developed. Exercising, meditating, and forming new beneficial habits each day are all simple ways to start.
Bonus: I’m not going to tell you about the most important poker lesson I ever learned, which is the notion of Expected Value. Anyone who appreciates the power of EV realises that a paragraph is insufficient. In the future, I’m going to devote some time to writing a fantastic post on it.
Conclusion
Be Creative, Take Risks & Aim High!
Many people believe that we are born with our creativity and Discipline, but that is not true. Discipline and mindset is something that we need to work at and nurture. We need to be open-minded because mindset comes from the unexpected. We need to take risks and aim high because if we don’t do anything then nothing will happen.
The conclusion of this article is that by follow up few things can make big diffy, we can find new ways to approach problems. We should not be afraid to take risks and try new things. In the long run, it will pay off.