The G-Spot: New Year; Fresh Perspectives

By Tony Guerrera

2008 is here. Every New Year, people make resolutions. “I’m going to exercise five times per week.” “I’m going to read a two books per month.” Often, people lack the commitment necessary to follow through, and come February or March, many of these January go-getters will have reverted back to their old habits.

New Year’s resolutions are typically about breaking old habits, and poker exemplifies a setting where breaking old habits is difficult–especially if you massively multitable when playing online. Massively multitabling isn’t inherently bad–I do quite a bit of it myself. But if you’re not careful, you can fall into a rut where you can’t break away from autopilot poker, making it extremely tough to adapt to changing playing conditions. Even if you don’t play eight tables of online poker simultaneously, it’s easy to settle into a comfortable rut where you cling to old ideas, refusing even to consider the potential importance of new, unconventional ideas that challenge what you’ve held dear for so long.

We shouldn’t need a special time of year to change how we think, but sometimes we need a kick in the butt, and the New Year is just that kick. Whether you’re shoveling snow or sipping Mai Tais while catching some rays, the New Year is a great time to initiate the self-improvement process. And with just a little discipline, you can take the new and improved you well beyond February or March.

Since this is a poker article, here are some poker thoughts to take into 2008:

Respect and Enjoy the Poker Playing Process:

Poker hand are all about getting your chips in when you think you have the best of it–and having the best of it is all about the long-term. Sometimes, an opponent with a distribution that you dominate will have a superior hand. Sometimes, you’ll lose even when you get all the chips in as a huge favorite. If you think about the short-term, you’re toast. Regardless of the results, enjoy the intellectual exercise that poker presents.

A Few Extra Seconds of Thought Can Mean a Few Extra Dollars of Profit

Even when a decision seems trivial, take a few moments to consider all the angles. Thoroughly deconstruct things before acting; something that appears to be trivial on the surface can feature many subtle layers of complication beneath the surface.

You Can’t Play If There’s No You To Play

You can’t play if you’re sick or dead. Many players don’t take care of themselves, but you don’t have to join the bandwagon. Avoid all-nighters, eat properly, hydrate yourself, and get some exercise. Take care of yourself physically, and your poker mind will reward you.

May your 2008 feature happiness, good health, and monster profits at the tables…Happy New Year!

Tony Guerrera is the author of Killer Poker By The Numbers and coauthor of Killer Poker Shorthanded (with John Vorhaus).