Teaser-Part II will focus on the mental disciplines involved in yoga. It will explore how, through meditation, poker players can become more aware of the strengths and weaknesses of their game. Afterwards, it will look at how, through meditation, one’s intuition is trained and how this is important for any poker player.
This portion of “Yoga and Poker” will explore the nature of meditation, and how its benefits help improve one’s poker game by taking it to the next level. Yet, the question naturally arises, “What is meditation?” Volumes of books, pamphlets, magazines, scriptures, and everything in between have tried to answer this question. There are countless approaches to meditation, but the goal of the practice is surprisingly universal.
The basis of practically all meditation practices is simply observation; the ultimate goal of meditation is to become a constant observer. This state of constant observation of all things in the universe is what, in the Buddhist philosophy, is called enlightenment. For practicality’s sake, we cannot all become little Buddhas. What is fully possible is to begin a meditation practice that helps us not only feel better and understand ourselves better, but can also help us rake in those pots we foolishly miss out on.
Technique
Before understanding how meditating can benefit your game, the actual technique of meditation must be chosen by the participant. There are countless types of meditation - how to pick the one that is right for you? For absolute beginners, there is a simple meditation that the Dalai Lama discusses in his most recent book “The Art of Happiness”, that is easy to practice and highly effective.
What he recommends is to find a quiet, comfortable room away from as much loud noises as possible. Whether the new practitioner decides to meditate in a seated position or lying down is of no importance. What is important is to be in a place where you won’t be bothered, and to make sure that you have a straight back during your meditation.
Once you have found a comfortable position to begin your meditation, gently close your eyes and begin focusing on your breath. Try and notice the various sensations in your body. What thoughts arise immediately as you try to relax? Start to notice the pace of your breath, and slowly allow yourself to focus your energy inward. Whatever images, words, emotions, or anything else of the sort arise when trying to meditate, do not try and block them out of your consciousness. They arise for a reason, and it is best to simply relax, breath, observe them, and then continue to delve deeper into your meditation.
The Dalai Lama says that, as you drift deeper into your meditation, you will eventually notice a shimmering sensation that you will “see” in your practice. This is our soul and our consciousness that we are seeing, pure and unadulterated. One can only achieve such a state after the mind is cleared of all distractions. Reaching this state means that you have already begun to sort out your issues, and have truly begun to explore the core of your being. This is a goal of meditation, and one that can boost a poker player’s edge faster than you can say “Doyle Brunson” ten times.
The Benefits
Some of you reading this article may be asking yourself at this point, “How in the heck does sitting cross legged, pretending I’m the Buddha help me win more pots?” The question is legitimate, and some of the answers may greatly please you. In answer to this question, another one most be posed to the reader: how many times have you lost a big pot that you knew you should not have taken so far? All poker players have made this mistake countless times. Haven’t you ever told yourself after losing a big hand, “I knew she had me beat! Why did I go all in with a two-pair? If only I had listened to myself I wouldn’t have to explain to my wife why I can’t pay the rent this month.”
If you were to ask your poker buddies for some advice on this situation, they would most likely tell you it happened because you are either stupid, or you just got a bad beat. On the other hand, if you were to ask the Dalai Lama why you played such a bad hand, he would likely respond with something along the lines of, “You allowed your ego to overpower your intuition, resulting in a wrong move. She also had the nuts, what were you thinking?” OK, maybe not the last part, but the ego thing is a realistic conjecture.
While practicing meditation, some of our most undesirable personality traits inevitably arise. By learning about our own weaknesses, we can acknowledge and observe them more effectively thus creating an advantage where a shortcoming once existed. For instance, if you are typically an overly aggressive player this may have to do directly with a personality trait that carries over into your poker game. By learning to examine the aggressive style, one can more fully understand when to use this trait and when to control it. Conversely, if your style is more defensive you can learn to overcome those situations where conservative play can work to your disadvantage.
Oftentimes, the way we feel about ourselves creates blockages that keep us from accomplishing our goals. For instance, Cyndy Violette talks on her website about how she had felt blocked from winning any major tournaments. She had been close for years, often making it to the final table only to finally fall short of a bracelet. Then, in 2005 she found herself at the final table of the Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo. After playing heads-up for a full four hours, they were given the option of a break.
During her dinner break her thoughts kept regressing to her blockage of not letting herself have a win. She thought about blowing it off, and to just not get the victory she had had her eyes on for so long. Before returning to the table, she went to her hotel room and listened to a meditation/visualization tape called “Clearing Blocks”, ate a healthy meal, and returned to the table clearing her mind of everything negative.
Violette claims that the victory was a major breakthrough for her, and credits the shift of her energy for the victory. Shifting our energy towards more positive thoughts and actions serve only to benefit us, and make our lives richer. It also can make us a heck of a lot more formidable at the felt table arena.
Still skeptical? Try it out and see for yourself how far a little meditation will take you.
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