High On Poker

When I was playing in New Orleans, I brought my green traveling Buddha and golden sitting Buddha card caps with me. Usually, I’ll start a session with the green Buddha, since it has been around for a lot of big wins. But if things are not going so well, either I’m card dead or playing poorly or even bored, I’ll switch the card caps.

And yet, if you asked me if I were superstitious, I would’ve said no.

I don’t really have an answer for it. In my head, I know that changing my card cap won’t actually change my luck and should not have any effect on my play, but I do it anyway.

On some level, I do feel that there is a benefit. It may simply be that the change in card caps is a visual cue to change my play. It could wipe clear that part of the brain that says, “Why am I so unlucky today?” It could signal to the other players that my play is changing, which isn’t always the best thing, but could be used to my advantage, depending on the situation.

This topic came into my head thanks to Columbo. Columbo recently posted about a special he saw on the BBC about how people’s minds in certain situations actually seek out bad decisions. That makes sense to me, because I have definitely been in situations where I knew what the wrong play was, but did it anyway. It’s so prevalent that the concept inspired HighonPoker’s number one rule: “If you are behind, fold.” It’s so painfully obvious and simple and yet time and time again, people say, “I think I’m behind…but, I call.”

Maybe some of these rituals, like bringing multiple card caps, or switching to classical music when I’m antsy, or wearing a poker uniform, really do influence the decision making process. I don’t know the answer, but it surely feels that way at times.

Until next time, make mine poker!