Pro Blogs: No Game For Robots by Alec Torelli
Owasis Ahmed, who, after a successful year, has lost all motivation for playing poker, wrote, “It's like I’ve hit the ceiling — all I can accomplish at a poker table is doing more of what I’ve already done. Looking forward to a future where I should grind cash daily or a few nights a week doesn’t seem that fun. When is enough enough?”
A Personal Story: A Grande Vanilla Latte
On a hot summer morning in Laguna Beach, California, I stopped to relax at Laguna Beach Coffee. I love the sensation of caffeine on an empty stomach and basking in the Orange County sun. There, I could get both for $2.
The cute Polish barista who knows my drink order of choice, a grande iced vanilla latte, wasn’t working that day. In her place was Bridget, another equally inviting woman with shoulder length blonde hair and bright green eyes. She chirped loudly enough that the shop could hear.
“How can I help you?” she rhymed, carrying on. Before I could answer she interrupted: “How about this: I’ll surprise you. If you don’t like it I’ll make you another one,” she reassured me.
When I took a sip of the concoction, a cold refreshing mixture of coffee, chocolate, and raspberry, it took me to heaven. “How did you make this?” I asked. “It’s my secret,” she whispered. “Sometimes, when I get bored at work, I just experiment, you know?
The Situation: Becoming Frustrated With Work
What troubles Owasis is that playing poker has shifted from being a passion to a full-time job. Once, the idea of sitting in a casino was a glamorized goal, an abstract dream. Now, a mundane reality.
In a recent conversation with Michael Kaplin, a friend and freelance journalist, we caught up about our past few months. I told him of my life post Black Friday and shift to live poker. “It’s different man. I’ve been on the road lately. Traveling around trying to find games.”
His turn: “It doesn’t sound so bad, I’d love to be able to see a few places and play more poker. I’m just working on a new restaurant review. They want me to fly to Vegas for the weekend to try it. “It sounds like a dream,” I told him, “I’d love nothing more than to be paid to travel and write.”
We both laughed and said simultaneously: “I guess the grass is always greener.”
The Problem: Routines Create Boredom
Owasis confesses, “I used to dream of playing a 15-hour session. Now the same thought feels like a prison sentence.”
The problem isn’t that poker became boring, but Owasis became bored of the game. If we do the same thing every day, we are going to get used to it. The challenge then, isn’t to avoid the inevitable, but how to spice things up.
We are beings of routines. They help us in almost every facet of our lives: they increase productivity, make us more responsible, and add structure to the day helping to get things done. The difficulty lies in not becoming slaves to them.
The Solution: Creativity
What sets Bridget apart in her job is that she enjoys her work. Her secret? She got creative. Instead of making a mundane black coffee, she sold customers on eclectic inventions.
When learning stops, boredom beings.
In poker this means our decisions become robotic.
Instead of thinking, ”I’m supposed to bet the flop, because betting the flop is standard," ask yourself “why?” By definition, doesn’t standard mean that your opponents are expecting it? And if so, could there be merit in doing the opposite?
It’s easy to get creative in a game where no two hands are the same.
Recently, I’ve experimented flat calling with big hands in multi-way pots. My thought is, “everyone else raises so I’m going to call.” I’ve found that people don’t give me credit and it throws them off guard.
I’m constantly challenging myself by being in new spots that force me to think about the game in ways I never thought possible.
Find the Model
Find someone in your line of work that just can’t get enough of it. Take them to dinner and get inspired. What is it about the way they approach the job that makes it so exciting?
I’ve spent as much time as possible over the last month with my good friend Michael “Play2Kill” Touritz, a witty, sharp poker player who has an unparalleled passion for the game. It’s no surprise that he’s always one of the most successful at the table. Undoubtedly, the reason is his ideal day consists of 10 hours playing poker.
I was fortunate to watch him play for several hours. It’s not just that he expanded my knowledge of the game, but he challenged what I thought to be true. “If people only call raises with hands that show a profit against you, then why raise in the first place?” Through these simple diversions, poker can become a new game.
Perspective
I was complaining to my friend about having to play poker when she stopped me, raising her finger. “You don’t have to play,” she corrected me. “You want to play.” Depending on how we approach them, the same two activities can be either painful or pleasurable. “I have to work out today to because I’m fat,” and “I’m going to enjoy a swim,” both lead to the same result, yet they reveal a very different attitude.
A quick fix: list 10 things about your job that you are grateful for, read it when you get up, and take them to work with you.
Here are my records: flexibility, entertainment, universality, lucrativeness, challenging, stimulation, ability to influence others, possibility to travel, socialize with interesting people, and it’s kinda badass. The list is growing and constantly changing.
Have a Focus
Another exercise I found helpful is called “The Week Leak.” Each week I pick one aspect of my job I want to improve. It can be anything. This week my poker goal is to “clear my mind before each decision.” For my practice, I’m going to make a deep breath and contract my stomach before every action.
Having a focus gives me a purpose for playing. My job has gone from arbitrary to centered because I have a direction and I keep in mind that making money isn’t my job, it’s merely the product of doing it well.
Those who climb the pyramid of success reach the top because of the second level — they are skilled. They are good because of the middle layer — hard work. They work hard because most importantly, they never forget the base, the structure and foundation of everything that rests above it. Passion.
The reason I enjoy what I do so much is because I love the game itself and I love playing. Keep that love alive and the rest will follow.
The grass is plenty green everywhere. It’s right there on our front lawn. Our job is not to step on it.
For all my blogs and content, visit www.alectorelli.com. Your feedback is important to me. Feel free to share your thoughts, ask me questions or leave a comment. Follow me on Twitter at @AlecTorelli. For other matters you can email me at [email protected].
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*Lead photo, "Rockem Sockem Poker Night" by Ron Magnes
