Being a magnanimous champ is easy. Being a gracious loser is a lot harder. Although you have no control over your fortune, you can control the way you behave. The upbeat temperament is not only handy in making more friends at a game but also an important ingredient in your long-term gambling career. After all, your feelings are one of the few factors that are controllable when you are gambling, so why would you let the house have an advantage by giving in to a self-indulgent behavior?
Please, don’t get me wrong. I’m not espousing some kind of ‘mind over matter’ mantra that magically changes your hands into winners. But how well you handle adversity ultimately influences your prosperity. Russ Hamilton the winner of World Series of Poker in 1994 and is widely considered to be one of the greatest all-around gamblers. He insists that keeping a proper mental attitude is fundamental to his achievement in poker. He advises you to ask yourself these questions:
- Do you often complain if you have a bad beat?
- Do you often say, “I’m an unlucky gambler”?
- Do you ridicule your opponent when they beat you?
- Are you a complete jerk at the table?
If your answer is ‘yes’ to one of these questions, you are not maximizing your gambling potential. A negative attitude will not help you win and likely costs you money.
You can also try thinking that your loses are only a tempory loan to bad players that you will eventually get back via play or a poker bonus!
