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Fearless Poker

In a comment on one of the websites that my articles are features on, I made a comment about how the great poker players ?go beyond math and beyond fear?. I?ve written about being calm in the past, and the wonderful Ashley Adams recently penned an article on the corrosive nature of fear in poker, so I?m not going to re-hash that theme too much. Yes you need to keep your bankroll separate from your living money, and yes if you play scared you?ll slowly bleed your bankroll away. Those are givens.

Instead I want to talk to you about getting beyond fear, and making a breakthrough that will allow you to grow as a poker player. Rather than cover the ?do not? aspect, I?m going to talk to you about positive steps that you can take to help move you into the realm of a fearless poker player.

Firstly, understand that if you play your best game, you will naturally lose all timidity. Confidence is a precursor to fearlessness. If that means doing some research on how to be more aggressive and make better reads, so be it. Players who are known as 'rocks' are actually highly disciplined in their own way, but they need a positive channel for that patience. Controlled aggression is a great outlet.

Confidence springs from the way you present yourself, the carefree attitude that you project, and your relaxed manner. There's a great saying that applies here: Fake it 'til you make it. In this case, you may need to pretend to be carefree before you lose your fears.

For example, if you show up to a tournament in a nice sweater and casual slacks, and you maintain a positive attitude towards the dealers and your fellow players, you're much more likely to actually be relaxed when you get into the heart of your poker session. Imagine if you're brusque and confrontational, how much effort that really takes, and what a huge distraction it can be? Imagine if you're constantly trying to be witty in a two piece suit, how much other players and even casino staff are going to be irritated, and consider the confrontational attitudes that can generate?

Now that you're relaxed and playing your best game, there are going to be situations where you might normally react with fear and think of all of the consequences of losing the hand... but instead of your mind shutting down, it will open to embrace the possibilities. You'll start picking up more tells. Your confidence will feed itself, because you're looking the part, you're acting the part, and you've created an environment where all of your skills can come into play. Bankroll impact will never even enter into the picture, because you'll know that all you can do is play your best game and hope that you get your fair share of breaks.

In brief, fearless poker means that you've done all of your homework, you look relaxed, you act relaxed, and you calm your mind until you can realistically play your best possible game. This sets up an environment for positive poker growth, and the shedding of all fears.

Bill Ricardi ? Internet Gaming Guru