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Maryann Guberman has been a writer and editor with many gaming publications, including Sports Form, Card Player, Poker World, Player's Panorama and Systems and Methods. She also has written and edited numerous books on gambling.

Dec 23, 2006

Taming the Dragon

A bad habit never disappears miraculously; it's an undo-it-yourself project. -- Abigail Van Buren

You have probably seen or heard about people who can walk on hot coals and not feel the heat on their feet. If you have seen them, you probably wondered what their secret was. How did they walk across a bed of glowing coals without feeling the pain of the fire?

Of course this is kind of a trick. Most people have fairly thick skin of the bottoms of their feet, so if they walk fast and have the extra protection of the ash, which acts as a partial barrier, they can accomplish this seemingly impossible (or stupid) act.

Even knowing that the coals probably won't burn, would you take a trip across them?

Many people will not do it because they have become imprisoned by the fear of being burned.

Compare it to bungee jumping. Despite the super tensile strength of the cord, the careful guidance of the helpers, and the knowledge that no one has ever been hurt, you still might not dive head-first off the Big Tujunga Narrows Bridge in the Angeles National Forest, would you? (Take a look before you answer: The Big Tujunga Creek Narrows Bridge)

Yet repeatedly we see the most unlikely individuals pulling off what appear to be crazy stunts or incredible tasks. People, some of whom have never jumped from something as high as a truck bed before, jump from the bridge almost daily.

Last time, we discussed the challenge of self discipline because having a good grasp on your own life is the first step to having success at the poker table.

I'm sure you've heard of the multi-million-dollar tournament winners who have gone broke within a short time after acquiring their windfall. Some of them have been known to be in debt to fellow gamblers for millions of dollars. After losing their bankrolls, they've borrowed money so they might have a chance to win something that they can use to pay back their loans.

It's insane.

But it's not, really. It's just a sign that these people don't have the kind of self image and attitude that allows them to be winners in life. They don't gamble to win money so they can enjoy what the money can buy; they gamble because of their own shortcomings, their own demons, their own dragons that lead them to believe they aren't after money, they are after the challenge.

To these people, I reiterate part of last week's opening quote: Tame the dragon!

And the first step to taming your own dragon is uncovering or admitting that one lives and breathes within you. Your dragon might come from an unhappy childhood where your mother didn't understand your genius or your father saw you as a competitor or your peers saw you as a bully or a nerd. Your dragon might come from an unpleasant encounter during your formative years or from a tiny misunderstanding that grew like a fungus in your gut. Or it might just be that your dragon came from an environment that did not encourage your own inner greatness.

In truth, it doesn't matter where or how your dragon was born. What matters is that you recognize it and get over it. The way you overcome your obstacles is up to you. You can choose the method that is most comfortable, most affordable or most enticing. But there is sure to be at least one method that will suit your personality.

Here's a good way to start: Get a copy of Barry Greenstein's Ace on the River, the book or the audio book, and take his poker professional personality test. Start with the first question. If you are the kind of person who yells at the driver who pulls out in front of you, write yourself a sticky note and put it on your dashboard where you can see it peripherally. Choose wording you can handle, words such as "I'm glad I'm calm enough to avoid an accident," or "I hope that driver gets to his destination safely." Write anything positive. When you get into your car, look at the note and read. When someone offends you on the road, let the note guide your reaction.

Don't worry. Your attitude and reaction won't change with just one incident but over time, if you concentrate on changing your reaction of anger or frustration, you may just find your drive time less stressful. You probably won't notice it but you will experience a slight personality shift toward a calmer, more positive lifestyle.

Take all of Greenstein's questions and gently attack them with your own methodology. To further adjust your personality to a positive, winning one, you might want to invest in an Anthony Robbins course or take an EST retreat. Even better, get yourself some self-hypnosis lessons. (I can hear the scoffing sounds now.) Hypnosis is nothing to fear and it can be a powerful tool to retraining yourself. The state of hypnosis is merely a heightened state of suggestibility and if performed properly and consistently, it will do the job - as long as you know what the job is. (Check into hypnosis methods created specifically for poker fans called the No Tilt Audio Series.)

Let's end with this memory. When you were learning the alphabet, you didn't get it overnight. You probably were not one of the few lucky kids who caught on immediately so you had to follow along in class, constantly repeating, practicing, maybe even singing the ABC song until one day, without even realizing it, you knew the alphabet from A to Z.

So it is with mind altering methodology, be it purposeful training (as with the sticky notes), personally guided advice (as with the seminars) or self discipline through hypnosis or subliminal suggestion. In the end, it's the undo it yourself project that will result in a happier life and a winning poker life.