Playing for the Long Term

They all look up to Faldo!

Poker is a marathon – it is not a sprint. Luck plays such a big roll in our short-term results. Maybe even in our long term results.

For example, an experiment was held where nine computers with the same program were set up to play each other. Identical programs. They played for the equivalent number of hands that a professional poker player would play over a three year period.

I forget the blinds or the stakes, but I do remember the cash results! Most bunched up around the “even” plateau, most actually making a small profit. Two of the programs however, were out of the normal curve. One “lucky” bot won $38,000 and an unlucky bot lost $56,000!!

Remember, these programs used the exact same strategy for playing their hands. Then, throw the “rake” in there and see where they are at profit-wise!

Now, let’s make them all humans, who just happen to play identically. One thinks he is all that and a bag of chips and is planning to “move up” to the big games! And the other is quitting poker and taking up basket weaving at the insane asylum built to hold other players that play on PokerStars.

So knowing this, your poker mindset is to think “long term”. Each poker session is just a fraction of your life at one LONG poker game.

So, never play to get “even” in a given session. Make decisions based on that hand, that table and that set of circumstances. If you don’t feel like you are playing well or you don’t like the table, quit. Come back to that “life long” game later.

Never play to protect a “win”.  Make decisions based on that hand, that table and that set of circumstances. Cards have no memory. You may be on the verge of a monster heater at the perfect table to take advantage of it. And you better, because the “cold deck” has no memory either.

Never tilt. Remember, this is one session. Play your best at all times, and forget about that 2 outer that beat you yet again. It’s over. Move on to the next hand. Cards have no memory and neither should you about such things.

Never get mad at bad players. Unless you are a life long Democrat who always hates the people paying the taxes, why would you get mad at the people supporting the very poker system itself? This is the dumbest and most short-sighted, ego driven thing you can do. What are you trying to accomplish? Do you want to always sit down against eight Phil Iveys?

And be careful making rash changes to your game. As that computer experiment shows, there may be nothing wrong with your style or your game. That does not mean you stop trying to learn and pick up better tactics, but to change your entire approach may not be necessary. It may just be the ‘luck’ factor hitting you all at once.

Back in Faldo’s early years, he was crushing the charity limit poker rooms in Canada. Two years booking solid profits and streaks of winning every session. One lasted 17 straight sessions.

Then one year, it all dried up. No streaks, no profit. Faldo actually had a small loss for the year. What happened?

Well, several things in retrospect. One, the competition got better. Everyone learns over time. Secondly, Faldo pushed a little more early in the year, waiting for the “rush”, then nutted up too much when the push back-fired. In other words, major changes were made to Faldo’s game based on short term results. And the worst thing of all; Faldo quit trying to improve his game. He thought he had arrived.

Faldo had not even started the journey, let alone arrived anywhere.

So, think long term. Life is one long poker game. Most importantly, enjoy the trip.