Feb. 7, 2004

Attitude. It's not just a word that refers to an individual frame of mind. The alternative definitions of attitude should be a major step in every poker player's climb up the ladder toward success.

ATTITUDE as MIND-SET: Every player should have a mind-set about starting hands and position, two of the most important factors for successful poker play, particularly hold'em but for other variations as well. When you have a mind-set you rarely deviate, which is good in the beginning of your career. Later, when your decision to play or fold is well established, you can work on being less stringent in your outlook toward that first get.

For example, while watching a friend who practically memorized Lou Krieger's book ("Hold'em Excellence") play practice sessions online before putting cash at risk, I notice that she played very few hands. Her decisions were correct, according to the book, but her frustration was obvious because she was just about the only player at the table who didn't see a flop on every deal.

I asked her what would happen if she loosened up her starting requirements in this situation and she almost bit my head off. Accustomed to playing exactly according to the starting-hand chart, she was hard-pressed to deviate. So I asked her if she would let me play the hole cards for a couple of rounds, leaving the remainder of the decisions to her.

She agreed and immediately we were involved in three pots. She folded one after the flop and won the remaining two.

Playing this game can be a lot like driving on the streets of Las Vegas or any other city where people no longer pay attention to the rules. We've always been taught that when the traffic light turns green, it's time to go forward. That almost always worked. Opposing traffic almost always stopped when their light turned red. Today it's much different. Very often there's one, two, sometimes three vehicles sailing through their red light. Had you continued with your mind-set of accelerating on green, you'd be creamed!

So it is with the attitude that ruins many poker players.

Attitude adjustment ... it's more than a yuppie catch phrase.

ATTITUDE as APPROACH: Jim M. plays a lot of poker in the same cardroom in Las Vegas. Jim is a brash, outspoken, confident individual. No matter where he goes, he never fails to make an impression -- good or bad, it doesn't matter. But when he plays poker, hardly another player recognizes him.

These are the same people he sees three nights a week. But because he pulls back and reveals virtually nothing, he becomes almost invisible. When I first watched him play I thought he was timid or afraid because he never said a word. I asked him point blank what happened to his animated personality and he told me point blank that he wasn't going to let anyone judge him when there was money on the line.

Attitude adjustment ... it works wonders.

ATTITUDE as OUTLOOK: What is your preconceived notion about your own poker game? Are you like Jim's roommate, Frank? Frank started playing poker about six years ago and quit four years ago. (He's since gone back to playing with moderate to good success.) For a solid year he never had a losing session -- not one! This is amazing in itself but according to his records, it's true. Frank told me that the streak didn't last, however, and soon he was losing constantly.

"I thought I was a genius and couldn't lose," he told me. "And then suddenly the streak turned around and no matter what I did, I couldn't win. I was only winning once every week or so."

To verify this he showed me these records, which certainly indicated that something had gone drastically wrong. Frank thought he'd found the mother lode but the vein petered out and he lost confidence. This time he planned to be more realistic.

Attitude adjustment ... it keeps you on an even keel.

ATTITUDE as BEARING: Did anyone ever tell you he was lost until he got his bearings straight? People who play poker can easily lose their bearings, especially people who play online poker. Start with the fact that money has become nonexistent. You don't play for or with money; you play with chips or you play with cyberchips. It's easy to forget the value of one chip and subsequently step into a neighborhood that costs more than you can afford.

Before you start, remind yourself that this is money. When you win, this is the money you are going to use to buy a new dress, a sofa, a car, a house, whatever. This is money that will get you into a big tournament. This is money and if you lose it, well, it's gone forever.

Attitude adjustment ... it can be enriching.