Poker games demand a strong mental game. Players can experience the thrill of big wins and the frustration of crushing losses in a single session. This emotional rollercoaster can take a toll, leading to tilt and burnout. That’s where mental toughness comes into play – particularly with poker online.
Just as physical endurance is crucial for athletes, mental resilience is essential for poker players. These specific exercises will build your mental toughness so that you can do the following –
- Maintain focus
- Regulate your emotions
- Bounce back quickly from setbacks
Understanding Mental Toughness
Mental toughness refers to the ability to maintain focus, emotional control, and confidence, regardless of the outcome. It’s about the following actions –
- Staying composed during suck-outs and losing streaks
- Managing stress during important decisions
- Bouncing back from mistakes without letting them affect the next hand
For many players, poker's unpredictable nature can lead to tilt, where frustration overrides logical thinking and decision-making. This is why resilience is so crucial; it helps you navigate the game’s ups and downs without losing your mental edge.
Developing mental toughness helps you avoid things like chasing losses or playing overly conservatively due to fear. By improving your mental game, you can make better decisions, stay focused on your long-term goals, and enjoy playing more, even when poker variance isn’t on your side.
Cognitive Exercises for Mental Toughness
Building mental toughness starts with mastering your thoughts, and there are several cognitive exercises you can use. These exercises challenge unhelpful beliefs and help you maintain focus even when things are going poorly.
Exercise 1: Cognitive Restructuring
Cognitive restructuring identifies and reframes negative thoughts that can sabotage your performance. For example, thoughts like “I always get sucked out on” or “I’m never going to win” can lead to feelings of frustration and self-doubt.
Recognise these automatic thoughts during or after a session to practise cognitive restructuring. Write them down and ask yourself:
- Is this thought true?
- What evidence supports or contradicts it?
Next, reframe the thought with a more balanced perspective, such as, “Variance is part of the game, and one session doesn’t define my skill level.”
Doing this should shift your focus from outcomes to process, which will help you feel more confident and less emotionally reactive.
Exercise 2: Mental Rehearsal
Mental rehearsal is a powerful tool in preparation for challenging situations before they arise. It involves visualising successful plays and responses to potential setbacks. To practise, close your eyes and imagine yourself in a poker scenario where you typically struggle, like facing an overly aggressive opponent or recovering from a bad beat.
Visualise yourself remaining calm, making confident decisions, and flawlessly executing your strategy. Incorporate as much detail as possible—what you see, hear, and feel.
Practising these mental rehearsals conditions your mind to respond resiliently in a poker hand.
Emotional Regulation Techniques
Maintaining emotional control is a big part of being a winning poker player. To do this, practise emotional regulation techniques that will help you stay calm and focused no matter what happens at the table.
Exercise 1: 6-2-7 Breathing Technique
The 6-2-7 breathing technique is a simple method for calming your nervous system and reducing anxiety. It involves inhaling through your nose for a count of six, holding your breath for two seconds, and then exhaling slowly through your mouth for a count of seven.
This technique activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and calm. Use it whenever you feel your tilt rising. Practise often, and you’ll reduce your overall stress levels.
Exercise 2: ACT-Based Defusion Techniques
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) uses powerful tools for dealing with unwanted thoughts and emotions. Cognitive defusion is one technique which helps you create psychological distance from unhelpful thoughts.
For example, instead of getting caught up in the thought, “I can’t believe I missed that bad beat jackpot,” you might say, “I’m having the thought that I can’t believe I missed that bad beat jackpot.”
Another technique is to imagine the thought in a silly voice or as a song lyric. These methods may sound simple, but they can significantly reduce the impact of negative thoughts by stopping them from influencing your behaviour.
Building Long-Term Resilience
Long-term resilience is more than reacting well in the moment—it’s about developing habits and mindsets that strengthen one's mental game over time.
Two key strategies for cultivating resilience are adopting a growth mindset and engaging in regular self-reflection.
Exercise 1: Developing a Growth Mindset
A growth mindset involves viewing challenges and setbacks as opportunities for learning and improvement instead of failures. To cultivate this mindset, focus on process-oriented goals rather than results.
- For example, instead of setting a goal to win a specific amount of money, aim to play a specific number of high-quality sessions or work on a particular skill, like bet sizing.
- Practise reframing mistakes as valuable data points that reveal areas for improvement.
This mindset shift can help you stay motivated and resilient.
Exercise 2: Regular Self-Reflection
Consistent self-reflection allows you to evaluate your progress and identify patterns in your thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. Set aside time each week to review your sessions.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What went well?
- Where did I struggle?
- What emotions came up, and how did I handle them?
Use this information to create actionable goals for the following week. By making self-reflection a regular habit, you'll build greater self-awareness and a stronger ability to adapt to poker's ups and downs.
A continuous cycle of reflection and improvement is how you develop long-term resilience and possibly winning that WPT poker tournament!
Mental Toughness Exercises – Conclusion
Developing mental toughness and resilience is essential for thriving in poker. By incorporating these cognitive exercises and emotional regulation techniques, you can enhance your ability to stay focused, manage stress, and maintain composure, no matter what happens.
Remember, building resilience is a gradual process that takes consistent practice. Start with one or two exercises that resonate with you and track your progress over time. You’ll see good results using these methods!
