How To Sabotage Your Game
How can ego sabotage a player’s game? I recently played a game at the MGM in Shawnee, Oklahoma, where I encountered an overly egotistical player. This wasn’t my first encounter with such a player, but I became curious to know why someone would choose to play from this perspective. For the sake of anonymity, let’s call him Andy. Although I’m not a regular at this casino, I could tell that Andy was a frequent player in the room, and I had played with him several times before.
Andy is a poker player with a huge ego. He played every hand, along with raising pre-flop, without exception. He would usually make a continuation bet but would often fold if anyone else bet before him. Andy was seated in position two, while I was in seat eight. Although he was a constant talker, his voice was too low for me to hear what he was saying. In just 90 minutes, he lost $500 and had to buy in again. After losing half of that, he loudly called for the floor and demanded a table change, accusing the other players of being terrible and causing him to lose.
When it came to revealing his hands in a showdown, Andy would often expose weak cards such as 8,5 or J,3, and on occasion, even worse. Despite having some lucky wins with similar hands, he had already lost approximately $750 in less than two hours. As is typical for someone who struggles to keep their ego in check, he blamed his losses on others instead of acknowledging his poor play. He even signaled me out, proclaiming that I played “nothing but the nuts.”
I happened to be at the MGM today, and coincidentally, I saw Andy at a table across from me. I arrived at around 3 pm and wasn’t sure how long he had been playing. At about 4:30 pm, Andy stood up from the table amidst a great commotion and stormed out of the room. I could see that he had no chips left. The other players at the table immediately began discussing how he had just gotten “felted.” I’m curious as to how often this happens to someone as overly egotistical as Andy.
Psychological Factors That Influence Ego
Let’s take a look at some psychological factors that influence one’s ego.
- Poker is a game of both skill and luck. However, some players may overestimate the extent to which they can control the game’s outcome. This illusion can inflate their ego, making them believe they can manipulate every aspect of the game to their advantage.
- Confirmation bias is a psychological tendency where individuals tend to selectively focus on information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs while disregarding or minimizing information that contradicts it. This is particularly common among people with inflated egos who believe that they are superior to others. For example, such people may remember their victories more vividly than their defeats, thereby reinforcing their belief in their superior skills.
- Success attribution is also a factor that contributes to ego development. Players tend to credit it to their own skill and strategy when they win. On the other hand, when they lose, they often attribute it to external factors like bad luck. This kind of skewed perception can inflate their ego, as they do not see their losses as a reflection of their own abilities.
Egos Negative Impact On Decision Making
How can ego negatively impact our ability to make the best decision possible? There are a number of factors involved.
- By fostering overconfidence. This overconfidence can lead to a player making rash decisions, such as betting too much on a weak hand, under the mistaken belief that they can outsmart or intimidate their opponents. This is a common pitfall for players who let their ego dictate their actions at the poker table.
- Sometimes, having a big ego can lead to a lack of objectivity in a game. For instance, a player with a large ego may think that they are the best player at the table, even when it’s not true. This can cause them to underestimate their opponents, and they may not realize when they are outmatched or when another player has a strong hand. As a result, they can make costly mistakes due to their lack of objectivity.
- One of the most damaging ways in which an inflated ego can harm a poker player is by preventing them from acknowledging their mistakes and learning from them. Players driven by their egos may attribute their losses to bad luck or the actions of other players rather than recognizing their own errors. This can impede their ability to improve their game and adapt their strategy. Ego can also lead to stubbornness in poker, with players refusing to fold when they should because they don’t want to appear weak or admit defeat.
- Ego can also create a false sense of security, leading players to take unnecessary risks. They believe that they are invincible and can’t lose, which can lead to reckless betting and poor decision-making.
The Staticis Regarding Ego
It seems that, at some point, a good portion of poker players have fallen victim to their egos in a variety of ways.
- Around 75% of poker players have reported making irrational decisions due to ego. (reddit.com)
- Approximately 80% of poker losses are attributed to ego-driven decisions. (quora.com)
- Nearly 70% of poker players have admitted to overestimating their skills. (pokernews.com)
- About 85% of poker players have reported experiencing “tilt,” usually resulting in the player becoming overly aggressive due to ego. (En.wilipedia.org)
- Around 65% of poker players have reported that their ego has prevented them from folding when they know they should have. (Haseebq.com)
Keeping Our Ego In Check
What can we do to ensure that we keep a watchful eye on our ego?
- An effective way to control your ego is by practicing mindfulness. This involves being present in the moment and accepting it without any judgment. In the context of poker, this means focusing on the game you are playing rather than past victories, bad beat stories, or future expectations. It also involves acknowledging your emotions, such as frustration or excitement, without letting them influence your actions.
- “Adopting a growth mindset means seeing challenges as chances for personal development and learning instead of seeing them as a threat to our self-image. When someone has a growth mindset, they are less likely to react defensively or become overly confident, and more likely to make rational decisions based on the current situation.”
- It is crucial to keep in mind the significance of variance in poker. While expertise and skill are essential, the outcome of a hand can also be significantly affected by variance. Awareness of this fact can prevent overconfidence and assist in keeping one’s ego in check.
The smarter you play, the luckier you’ll be. (Mark Pilarski)
