Do Successful Poker Players Need to Have the Mindset of a High Roller?
For poker players who usually play in charity circles for relatively low stakes, taking part in competitions at the World Series of Poker can seem like a distant dream. Some people do aspire to take their game to the next level, though, by going after those major cash prizes. Surely most Texas Hold’em fanatics have dreamt of taking down the jackpot at the Main Event and following in the footsteps of previously unknown amateurs like Chris Moneymaker and Scott Blumstein.
The question is, do you need to have a particular mindset to take on the games at the top level? Could thinking like a high roller give you the extra boost you need to succeed in the major tournaments?
Thinking Like a High Roller Can Help You Relax About the Prizes
Imagine going deep in a busy poker tournament and finding yourself on the final table. You start thinking about the cash prizes and begin to realize that you could really use that money. Does this situation sound familiar? Everyone’s been there. You get close to the end and allow yourself to dream. You may even start deciding what you’re going to spend your newfound riches on. A new car maybe, or a holiday with the partner. Before you know it, your mind is drifting, and you’re calling bets on autopilot. You get sloppy and bet on a weak hand only to get check-raised and lose.
Do high rollers ever find themselves in this situation? It seems unlikely. It’s not like they need the money, is it? Most players at the top have all the riches they need and are more interested in cementing their status as the best in the poker world. It’s this mindset that allows them to disassociate from the prizes. The cash at the end of it won’t make or break them. If regular players can think like this, it can allow them to play in a more relaxed way in the final stages of a tournament, while still retaining their focus. It can hold them back from making silly calls or gambling on a coin flip.
Players Can Chase High Pay-outs on Other Games
For players who want to climb to the top of the poker business and make it to the WSOP, the jackpots involved in games should be regarded as a secondary objective behind mastering the skills needed to win. This means that gambling on hands for the chance to win a huge pay-out is not conducive to optimal poker strategy. Therefore, having the high roller mindset at the poker table does not mean that you feel that you have so much money that you can afford to gamble.
Indeed, if you’re someone who can’t resist a flutter on a coin flip situation, you may be better off staking on other gambling games away from the felt. There are plenty of high roller bonus casinos online where players have the chance to bet big on the turn of the cards or the spin of the wheels. These sites are aimed at people in search of larger bonuses and higher cash-out amounts. They also have VIP schemes for players who want to benefit from playing regularly. Getting a buzz at one of these sites before hitting the poker tables refreshed could be a great strategy.
Being Miserly Helps in Some Situations
The best poker players in the world may be high rollers, but they also need to understand when they should be miserly. Once you’ve bought into a poker tournament, everyone at the tables has the same net worth as everyone else – the stack you start out with. How rich you are outside the realms of the competition doesn’t matter. In this situation, players need to develop a stingier mindset.
Of course, many tournaments allow for rebuys, but this shouldn’t be a part of your game plan. After you get your chips, remember that once you lose them, you’re out. So don’t go throwing everything in on suboptimal hands. Be patient, play your position, and look for weaknesses that you can pounce on. Don’t think like someone who has the cash to burn, as you’ll soon find that you’re the short stack and a few big blinds away from elimination.
Having the mindset of a high roller can help in some situations, as it enables players to forget about the prizes and concentrate on the game. However, it’s important to be miserly most of the time, and look after that chip stack as if your life depends on it.
