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Even the most skilled players can find their performance undermined not by lack of ability, but by hidden patterns in their own thinking. Understanding the psychological traps that quietly sabotage decision-making is often the missing key to unlocking consistent success.
‘This Is The Best Hand I’ve Had In An Hour!’
You hear people say this all the time, but it doesn’t mean anything. Card distribution is always random. It’s just how life works. Saying this sounds as nuts as…
“Why does this guy get to be so big?”
“Why does she get to have blonde hair?”
“Why does Canada get their own country?”
These are all just facts. They have nothing to do with anything else. We sound like insane people when we bring them up in this fashion.
So, this is the best hand you’ve had an in an hour. So? If the best hand you had in an hour was Q♠5♠ under the gun, would that be worth playing? Well, no, because that hand is terrible.
Factually, that could have been the best hand you’ve had in an hour, but that fact doesn’t help you. That’s like trying to join the NBA by saying, “well, this is the tallest I’ve ever been.”
‘He Can’t Have It Every Time!’
You also hear people say this, but it’s a generalization that they’re using to justify gambling.
Yes, someone can’t have it every time. No, that doesn’t mean you can necessarily call in this particular spot. There are many times where a person can be aggressive and there’s nothing you can do about it.
If you have just called preflop instead of three-betting, then your opponent knows you likely don’t have your premiums. They can keep firing at you post-flop.
If you have just called on a board with flush draws and straight draws, like 8♥6♥4♣, it’s likely you would have raised sets and two pairs to protect yourself from the bad turn cards. Your opponent could reasonably apply pressure on you with decent hands on the turn.
Your opponent doesn’t need to have much in either of these scenarios to go after you. This isn’t a case of them, ‘having it every time.’ This is a case of you obviously not having jack shit.
Most people who say, “he can’t have it every time!” have just had to fold three times in situations like this where they obviously didn’t have much and a double barrel or triple barrel could put a lot of pressure on them.
Those are specific situations. Those are completely different spots than, say, when someone raises you on the turn or river. Or when some check-raises you large on the flop and bets huge on the turn. Or when someone raises you multi-way. Those are situations where people are a lot less likely to be bluffing.
If you project your anger on to someone because they called out your capped range a couple of times, then you’re likely to run into a monster when they actually do have it. Keep patient and wait for the right moment.
‘If I Do This, I’ll Be Exploitable!’
No one is paying attention to you. Trust me.
One time, I went into a cardroom. Everyone got to know me. People learned I wrote books. I wondered if anyone was paying attention to my play.
I did not run a single bluff for three months, and I wanted to see if anyone would notice. No one ever did.
I was playing maybe 12% of my starting hands and only triple barreling when I had it. No one folded. No one cared.
People are on their cell phones. Others are watching sports. Some are too busy having fun looking at their own cards. They’re not thinking about what you had when you overbet and no one got to see the hand.
‘People Are Going To Start Noticing If I Always Do This.’
Again, no. No one will care.
There are multiple people I play against who never notice my betting strategy. It’s been the same for years.
When I want a call? I bet 20% to 80% of the pot. On the river, if two or three of them are in the pot, I’ll always bet 40% because I know they will all call when I bet that amount. They never fold. They always give me several times my money.
When I want them to fold? I triple barrel, overbet, or move all-in. They’ve never figured it out.
Every time that overbet goes in there, they still freak out. They assume it’s some kind of set that is worried about a flush draw. They fold a mediocre top pair every time.
These guys aren’t bad either. They do okay at the game. They make money from most players. They’re just not paying attention. They’re not forcing themselves to think critically about the game. They get into a pot with me or anyone else, play it, and forget about everything. That is how most people operate. They play poker like a video game.
‘I Can’t Just Leave Myself With This Many Chips.’
You see people do this all the time in cash games and tournaments. People bring $600 to the cardroom to play $1-$3. They buy-in for $300 and lose it. They buy-in for another $300 and lose a sizeable pot. They’re left with $114.
If they feel they’re not playing well, they should get up and leave. But they’ll never do that. That $114 is going to be fired into the middle at some point as a desperate Hail Mary. It usually won’t go well.
The same kind of thing happens in tournaments. People lose 70% of their chips and they give away the rest of them because they don’t want to grind a short stack for hours. They have no idea how many tournaments they would have won if they had just bit down on their mouthpiece and toughened up.
Those chips you spew away add up. Don’t give them away. Anyone can win when the deck is hitting them over the head. Real players can deal with bad streaks. Are you a real player?
Conclusion
Mastery is not only about refining skills, but also about recognizing and dismantling the mental habits that hold you back. By becoming aware of these five psychological traps, you give yourself the power to replace self-sabotage with clarity, confidence, and control.
Learn how to play A-K when it misses the flop!
Alexander Fitzgerald is a professional poker player and bestselling author who currently lives in Denver, Colorado. He is a WPT and EPT final tablist, and has WCOOP and SCOOP wins online. His most recent win was the $250,000 Guaranteed on ACR Poker. He currently enjoys blasting bums away in Ignition tournaments while he listens to death metal. Free training packages of his are provided to new newsletter subscribers who sign up at PokerHeadRush.com
