Poker is the most psychological form of gambling. It is the one where the ability to control your own emotions and read those of the other players is crucial to success.

You can learn the different poker strategies in books off by heart, like pot control were players focus on controling the size of the pot, but if you lack the ability to regulate your emotions it will all be for nothing. Playing the game emotionally will lead to poor decision-making and will turn you into an easy read for experienced opponents.

The best players are able to stay calm at all times. This means they can provide the rest of us with useful insights into how to make smart decisions under pressure.

Poker Players and Emotional Intelligence

Iron emotional control coupled with accurate interpretations of the emotions of others is what separates the top poker players from the rest. Most people will have heard of the term ‘tell’ in relation to poker. It refers to the unconscious emotional cues that less skilled players transmit during games. These ‘tell’ more controlled players whether they have a good or bad hand.

Reading those cues and avoiding sending them out yourself is key to playing the game well. The only situation where it will be less of an issue is if you choose to play poker online, because then you can play against the particular site’s algorithm rather than other human beings.

You will still have to manage your emotions carefully though, because you will be coming up against an opponent that has none at all. What the combination of self-control and reading rivals boils down to is emotional intelligence.

That is not a term that is often used in relation to poker players. People will talk about skill, strategy, thinking several steps ahead and even mathematical ability, but not consider the EQ aspect at all.

It could at least partially be due to the fact that most top poker professionals are men, while emotional intelligence is associated more with women. Poker games involve high pressure scenarios with a lot of highs and lows though.

Players have to be able to cope with the euphoria of big wins and the devastation of losses without signaling their feelings to the other players. They also have to be able to identify the signs of those feelings in their opponents. The only suitable phrase for people who can do both is emotional intelligence. 

The Importance of Psychological Resilience

The reasons why you need to be resilient in the face of both ups and downs in poker are twofold. Firstly you cannot afford to let your feelings show during the game, because other players will pick up on those cues and exploit them ruthlessly.

Secondly you must be able to divorce your decision-making from your emotions. A common mistake in poker is to react to losing streaks by panicking and going all-in even if your hand is not that great. It is known as ‘tilting’ and it is usually disastrous.

The only way to avoid it is to ensure that your emotions do not get the better of you. Equally, good players know when to stop even if they are riding high, because they do not let positive feelings determine their decisions either.

How the Best Players Stay in Control

There are things we can learn from the very best poker players about how to cope with pressure scenarios.

• Meditation

One strategy that you will find cropping up with surprising frequency among the finest players is meditation. This has been championed by the likes of Daniel Negreanu, who is one of the top money earners of all time.

Meditation helps you to stay calm and focused over long periods of time by increasing your levels of mental stamina.

• Breathing exercises

The best poker players often cite breathing exercises as crucial, both before big games and during breaks. These help to regulate the emotions and keep them on an even keel, so that decisions are made rationally rather than impulsively.

• Custom poker equipment

Many of the finest players favor custom pieces of equipment. Custom poker chips feature unique markings that provide a level of security against cheating. That enables the players to avoid distracting worries.

Custom cards can be made of plastic rather paper. They are smoother to handle and easier to deal, again removing potential distractions during games.

• Muscle relaxation

This is another technique for defusing feels of tension and stress. Many poker players deploy it to make sure they stay cool and in control of their choices even when things are going badly for them.

Poker is a game where emotional intelligence is just as important as strategizing. You must know and manage your emotional states and be able to interpret the cues of others.