The Psychology of Poker: Part 1

Question: Dependence on playing poker, is that the same as a gambling addiction? Do the majority of dependent players have multiple problems?

 

 

 

In many cases the answer is yes, but you can consider the question in different ways, is alcohol addiction the same as bulimia for example?

 

 

 

When psychiatrists treat addictions they find it preferable to discern the subtleties that surround the individual addiction; in terms of a dependence on poker they will ask such questions as, what are the similarities and differences between an addiction to poker and other addictions, specifically other gambling addictions?

 

 

 

A key difference between poker addiction and other forms of addiction is that the game is not played against the ‘house’ or the ‘bank’, i.e. the casino, but against other players. Indeed, the competition is always between the different players.

 

 

 

In gambling addictions the problems will permeate into all areas of existence; psychological, physical, social and professional. These problems are not limited to the compulsion or pathology to gamble; it is a progressive dependence characterised by a preoccupation with the game, an urge to wager more money more often, an agitation or an irritability on stopping play, the tenacious desire to erase losses and a control of losses that leads to the manifestation of a ‘chasing losses’ attitude which culminates in negative, and serious, consequences.

 

 Click here for a pschological definition of a gambling addiction  - ref to DSM classification)

 

 

 

A real life setting for playing poker is different to a virtual setting. Other players witness your losses, there is thus more to lose than a simple wager. Because poker is a tactical game, to lose heavily and often at the poker table implies bad decision making skills, and this is on show for everyone to see, which can lead to players dipping into their pockets over and over again in order to save face. Through poker play we are exhibiting our capacities, skills, abilities and intelligence, this is how many poker addictions come to manifest.

 

 

 

In terms of online poker, many experts believe that the propensity to addiction arises from the adrenalin rush that accompanies the game. But behind the rush of the wins and losses there is an added dependence, celebrity. Renown, celebrity and fortunes appears to be accessible to everyone simply by playing poker, additionally, even if you do not make it big, there is still the possibility of playing against the worlds most famous players, such as Johnny Chan, Chris Moneymaker or Greg Ramer (albeit with the odds stacked against you).

 

 

 

Psychology of Poker: Threshold Differential:

 

In psychology there is a concept called ‘Threshold Differential’ which is “the smallest change in stimulation that a person can detect”. Technically, it is defined by psychologists as being a change in any sensory capacity that will be noticed at least 50% of the time by the individual.

 

 

 

For example, in some psychological experiments, you may be asked to hold a glass which is half filled with water, and then water is added to the glass (without any noise) and you have to say at the moment that you sense an increase in weight. Obviously the addition of a drop of water will not be as remarkable as if the glass is quickly filled to the top, there is a moment at which you will notice, and this is the ‘threshold differential’.

 

 

 

This type of experiment can be employed for testing the ‘threshold differential’ in terms of any stimulus: light, sound, weight, heat, cold…and even poker.

 

 

 

Threshold Differential Applied to Poker:

 

Imagine that you have noticed a ‘tell’ that another player has been, a nervous tic by example, the more obvious or frequent the tell, the more chance that the other players will equally perceive it. By contrast, the more subtle the tell, the more chance that you will have been the only one to notice and thus profit.

 

 

 

The following is a tell that a professional poker player showed me; he told me to study attentively a certain player at the table. Each time that this player placed a large bet, he forced himself into his chair. The more he forced himself back, the more confident he had in his cards. If his body stayed leaning towards the table, then he was bluffing. If he stopped mid-way it was because he had some outs. It took several hours by the professional player to obtain the information and deduce the appropriate meaning, but in the end he managed to put his finder on the micro differential in his senses in order to understand the player’s posture.

 

Later another player allowed me to discover another facet to the concept of the differential threshold. He told me that at the moment when he was the last player to speak at the river, he always profited from the situation by sending a message to his fellow players. First he took his decision, then once he determined how he was going to play his hand, he profited from being the only one in the spotlight in order to send a message to the players. For example, imagine that he was preparing himself to fold what he believed to be the second best hand, before folding he would launch into a little monologue in order to give the impression to his opponents that he was having a very hard time deciding to fold his hand. In this fashion he would succeed in discouraging the other players from attempting to bluff.

 

This is what he told me: “This little routine is not really aimed at the players who are in the round with you and who have been watching attentively, the aim is actually to draw the attention of the other players, and deliver the tell that you want them to interpret. You need to speak enough to gain their interest, but not too much in case they perceive that you have made the move consciously”.

 

In other words, you try to do just enough for them to notice your hesitation, so that they receive your message without realising that they are being played. These ‘threshold differentials’ function in different fashions, but the more subtle they are then the more you will be able to draw benefit from them in order to garner the information you need.

 

Psychology of Poker: Interferences:

In psychology, ‘Interferences’ are events (be they internal or external, i.e. thoughts or noise for example) which stop a person from remembering information that was previously known, what you would commonly call a ‘mind blank’.

 

In poker it is often a problem to which players should address themselves and try to conquer, so that they can remember such things as how different players have played their hands up to that point in the game.

 

Pro-active interference:

There are two types of interference: Pro-active interference refers to the times when a person has difficulty memorising new information because of contradictions already present in their memory.

 

One of the commonest examples of pro-active interference occurs when people are learning to drive on the other side of the road to which they are use. If you have ever tried this then you will know that it takes a lot of concentration to stay focused on correctly driving on the side that you are supposed to be driving on, it feels like you require a different set of skills, all the ones you already know but in their mirror form, eventually, through practice, it becomes natural again, but then you have the same problem when you return to driving on the original side.

 

Retro-active Interference:

The second type of interference, retro-active, is the exact opposite of pro-active, they are new memories that crush existing memories. A good example in poker happens when a player which you have studied and learnt to read as a tight player wins a couple of hands in a row with hands that are relatively weak (the game of a loose player).

 

Is the player in the process of modifying their game play? Or is it the way you have read that situation that is the problem? These are two good questions that you should ask, but what you need to consider more is the interference. Because if you let this new behaviour erases everything that you have already learned concerning the tactics of your opponents, you could lose precious information because of interference. The last hand played does not have more value than the hand played an hour ago. If your memory serves you correctly then do not forget them too fast just because a player has done something that contradicts the information you already have.

 

Pro-active or re-active?

Something to bear in mind when playing poker is to remember that as a person you will lean towards a preference towards one or the other, pro-active or re-active. The majority of players will have a tendency to prioritise information that they have stored from earlier, when they are faced with a particular player- often blocking out new information, so they do not update their reading ability.

 

In fact, to some degree we are all the victims of pro-active interference, it takes a lot to change our minds, so you must always bear in mind that neither new nor old information should take precedence, they are equally important.

 

Now, if you belong to the category of people with retroactive interference, I have some bad news for you. It is very difficult to correct retroactive type schemas. Remember that with retroactive memory we have a tendency to remember the most recent information and to forget the old. If it is like this in your brain, you need to work very hard to conquer you schema (or way of thinking).

 

Changing Rhythm:

By now you should know that you should always vary your game in order to avoid falling into a set mind pattern of either pro-active or retro-active styles. What would happen if you discover that each player at the table is a 100% assigned to retro-active interference? All you would need to do is to remember never to play in the same way twice. If you play a strong hand in an aggressive manner they will remember, then if you change to slow play they will forget. By changing the rhythm of your game you through them off the scent.

 

In reality there is no perfect method for determining how to vary your game, the only advice we have is to ensure you change the speed of play.

 

New Vs Old Information:

 

-Try to determine if you are more pro-active or retroactive, and think about your tactics consciously in reference to your natural style. Remember that a reading of a person is a reading of a person, there is no expiry date on their behaviour.

The Psychology of Poker: Part 1 The Psychology of Poker: Part 2 The Psychology of Poker: Part 3 The Psychology of Poker: Part 4

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