Self- Discipline in Successful Poker Players

A research conducted in 1972 by Walter Mischel has been widely regarded as the Marshmallow studies. Walter was a psychologist whose study consisted of children that were given choices. in this, the researcher would leave a room for a short while and the children would be allowed to eat a marshmallow immediately. However, if they waited for an additional 15 minutes, they were to be rewarded with two marshmallows. This article looks at the results of this short narrative and how this relates to self-discipline in poker players.

As anyone would expect, the children of Mischel’s experiment had a tough time waiting for the 15 minutes to end. A third of the children ate the second marshmallow right away while another third succumbed to temptation after a few minutes. Only a few kids waited to be rewarded with the second marshmallow. These results would be shelved until later when the participants of the study became adults. Mischel’s daughter was among the participants and correlations were noticed with regards to the self-discipline the participants had when they were young and when they grew up as teens and finally adults. Mischel found out that the children that had swallowed their marshmallows right away had trouble in their teen years.

When he did further research and analysis, he found out that the major determinants of success in the kids and consequently in poker included self-discipline or intelligence. While intelligence cannot be altered easily, self-discipline is a virtue that you can cultivate as you play your favorite poker game type.

It is essential to becoming an elite player in different parts of the world. Successful poker players should show self-discipline consistently. This ranges from game selection, bankroll management or even in making in-the-moment game decisions. In cultivating self-discipline as a poker player, you should so the following:

• Set a Rigid Goal- You should have goals of the poker habits you would want to adopt. Remember that when it comes to goals, ensure that they are measurable and at the same time quantifiable. Identify the outcomes you would want and craft habits around them in a way you can measure. For instance, in online poker games, you could set a goal of making a particular set income limit per week. Look whether your daily earnings add up to on a daily basis.

• Monitor Your Behavior- You could have a poker journal where you keep a record of your progress. This way, you are able to understand what needs some boost as you face opponents in different poker game types. Monitoring your behavior will also ensure that you are accountable both in the short-long terms.

With the above tips, ensure that you become a respectable poker player who exhibits high levels of self-discipline. Here is a trusted website which offers you all the details on poker online.