Copyright 2005 Full
Tilt Poker
October 10, 2005
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Lessons)
Poker Lesson: It's
Not Easy Being Green. Or Is It?
Author: Team Full Tilt
In the premier episode of our new show, "FullTiltPoker.Net
Presents Learn from the Pros" broadcast on FOX Sports Net,
five of our pros engaged in a roundtable discussion about stepping
up in limits.
Everyone agreed that one of the best ways to improve
your game is to play against better players. Jennifer Harman said
she faced more tough decisions at her first table with Doyle Brunson
than she'd faced in all her previous years of playing
poker. Layne Flack and Howard Lederer agreed that the constant
pressure can be a good thing, forcing you to weigh each decision
more carefully and rethink old habits and patterns. Chris "Jesus"
Ferguson said his best learning opportunities come at World Series
final tables, and Phil Ivey remarked that, with time, you start
to look forward to playing out of your comfort zone. Perhaps the
adrenaline helps keep you focused.
But maybe there's a corollary to this; the idea
that being a first-timer relieves you of the pressure that can
only come from having already had a taste of victory.
It's true that you see a lot of the same names winning
tournaments, but some newcomers have had some incredible finishes,
and many of today's pros started out with very early success.
Erik Seidel finished second to Johnny Chan in his very first World
Series of Poker Main Event. Andy Bloch won the first No-Limit
Hold 'em event he ever entered. Phil Gordon finished fourth in
his first WSOP Big Dance. And Howard Lederer has made the final
table of the World Series of Poker Main Event just once - the
first year he entered the event. When Howard survived to Day 4
in 2003, he made this observation:
I am playing for more money than I ever have, and
this kind of chance at the WSOP will probably only come up for
me a few more times in my life. But, for some reason, I am only
thinking about this table, this hand, this moment. I have read
some Zen Buddhism in the last few years and it is really helping
me now.
In particular "Zen and the Art of Archery",
a short little book, has everything you need to know about staying
in the moment. Thinking about the recent past or the possible
future at moments like these can only hurt your ability to make
the plays necessary to win. And, those thoughts can actually make
it impossible to win. I have started to think that players like
Varkonyi and Moneymaker have an advantage over experienced tournament
players. Yes they would like to win, and they know this is an
important tournament, but they don't feel that importance deep
in their bones like a seasoned pro who has been trying to win
the WSOP for years. It frees them up to play their best when it
matters. My best finish was in my first try. It wasn't real to
me. I remember having a great time, and not feeling a lot of pressure.
Getting back to the roundtable... everyone agreed
that tournaments are a good way to get out of your comfort zone
without risking your bankroll. Try to let inexperience work for
you, not against you. If you're at your first final table and
you see enough bracelets to fill a Tiffany display window, use
it as a learning opportunity. Also use it as a chance to enjoy
the moment and focus on the here and now. You don't yet have a
past, and living in the moment is the best way to ensure you have
a future.
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