Awestruck

Although it seems like ancient history since I was in high school, it is possible for me to venture way back into the memory banks and recall that era. I can remember being a hopeful young basketball player; a sophomore hoping to make the Varsity team. In retrospect, I was way too short and way too skinny to honestly compete on that level. I remember looking up to the seniors on that squad. They seemed like giants to me. They had a special swagger about them. During one practice the old coach decided to invite some of the school's best players back for a visit and a talk. A handful of ex-greats descended on the court. Each had scored over a thousand points in their high school career. Many had played at the college level. And although a few of them had grown older, chubbier, and slower, even the mighty seniors on the team watched those old timers in awe. It was a dramatic snapshot of the hierarchy of respect.

I see this same principle in action all of the time in the poker rooms. Tourists and newbies meekly slide their cash onto the table, buying-in with too little. They gaze across the table and lock eyes with the awaiting hungry poker veterans. A mix of intimidation and jealousy fills the heart of the new player when they measure themselves against the competition. Later, that aforementioned poker veteran takes a seat in a major tournament. He sits across the table from a huge poker superstar such as Phil Ivey or Daniel Negreanu. Suddenly the grizzled poker veteran feels the "butterflies" commandeer his stomach. When measuring himself against these televised stars, he feels decidedly overmatched.

Whether it is a Junior Varsity basketball player being awestruck by a tall Senior, or a poker veteran freezing up when sat at the same table as TJ Cloutier, the cause is the same: our own psychological hiccups and deep-rooted insecurities drive this emotional barrage. You see, most of us attempt to trick ourselves into the real reason that we play poker.� We sometimes say it is for extra income, or fool ourselves into thinking it is simple recreation.� In fact, poker (for the vast majority of us) is all about ego.� We love the challenge of besting others.� We love to feel powerful, superior, and untouchable.� We measure ourselves and our self worth by matching our abilities versus the competition.� When that measurement is thrown out of whack by having a more formidable foe across the table, our emotions are rattled.� We wonder how to cope with the insecurities.� We begin to question ourselves and, thus, increase the likelihood of wilting under the pressure.

I wish that I could boast that I stood up to the Senior basketball players and made the Varsity squad.� I ended up on the Junior Varsity team that year.� Even if I did have a solid jump-shot, I was not mentally ready to match up against those guys.� I was intimidated.� Now that I'm a grown man with experience at the poker felt, though, I'll never let that happen with the cards in the air.� I've sat at tournament tables with some of the most accomplished poker pros on the planet: Phil Hellmuth, Gavin Smith, Antonio Esfandiari, TJ Cloutier, Mark Seif, etc.� I vowed long ago that while I might indeed respect those who deserve respect, I will never be awestruck again.� I will never been scared.� I will never question myself or my ability.� You see, it is that exact slice of weakness that the best pros can sense and exploit. They are predators on the prowl for the weakest prey.� If you are not one of the hunters, then you are the hunted.� If they choose to tangle with me,�I am strong enough for the fight.�

Even if it is your first trip into a live casino, stride in with confidence and your head held high.� If you are skilled in the art of poker, there is no need to allow an ounce of self-doubt to arise. Controlled cockiness is a desirable trait to have in poker.� If you are lacking in that realm, you are nothing but a target.� Get your emotions on track, and your bankroll will rise.� Now go make it happen.�

John is a National Certified Counselor (NCC). He has a Master of Arts degree in Counseling from West Virginia University, and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Lock Haven University. You can find out more about the psychology of poker from "the Poker Counselor" at carlisle14@hotmail.com.

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