The Psychology of Losing Poker

It's no secret that there is a lot of psychology to the game of poker. A basic knowledge of psychological principles can help a player plan his approach, read his opponents, and deal with his wins in a tournament setting. One of the most often overlooked psychological aspects of the game is the psychology of losing. Having a better understanding of what happens physiologically and psychologically when one loses the game can help prevent addiction and keep one focused on the game itself.  It is important to realize that when one loses a game, there is a natural physiological response that the body produces. It is uncomfortable. It makes your stomach churn, changes your blood pressure, constricts thousands of muscles and causes physical and mental anguish. The automatic recourse that one has to this reaction is to try to win, and fast. A win would certainly rid the body off this pain, but rushing into another game to quell the loss is the start of a poker addiction. Patience is a very important part of good poker play, as is keeping to be neutral to positive outlook.   Adjusting the way one thinks about the game can prevent this bodily reaction from taking place and allow the player the opportunity to make more rational game decisions, including a more rational response to losing a game. It is vital to one's poker game to make sure that he knows when he is prone to the aforementioned physiological response. It is possible to diffuse it with acceptance of the loss and additional adjustment of one's expectations for his play. Holding lofty expectations only amplifies the effect of said physiological response and proceeds to make it not only a real influence to one's poker game, but his life in general as well. A good way to normalize one's expectations is to keep records of his games and his statistics for play.