Dam the Leaks – Ego Check
Playing poker entails risk, which is why those who play regularly for real money must have a minimum level of confidence in their game. Poker celebrities sometimes take that confidence a little too far and betray themselves as ego maniacs with their temper tantrums at the table. But letting your ego drive your game is a sure way to throw your chips away.
In poker, ego gets in the way of logical decision-making and can prompt a player to call a bet instead of folding because the player does not want to be seen as weak. If folding is analogous to surrender, an aggressive player will make the crying call even though the hand is beat just to avoid the appearance of surrender. The result is that chips are sacrificed to the ego. Give up the ego, and keep your chips!
Ego can force players to seek revenge. A player may put a bad beat on you, and that compels a series of unjustified bets to get even. Once again, emotion and ego are clouding judgment and that can only lead to a diminished chip stack.
Sometimes players just get in too deep in poker games they can’t beat, but are reluctant to move down to a lower level. What follows is a busted bankroll. Again, this is ego talking and not common sense self-appraisal.
Bragging about your abilities at the poker table might make you feel good, but you are giving free information to your opponents. Be guarded about your strategies and poker knowledge. Remember, boastful over-confident players can drive weak amateurs away, and those are the fish you want to keep in the game.
