Poker Veteran of 50 Years: Expanding Your Comfort Zone

“If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done.”

Your “Comfort Zone” is exactly what it sounds like. 

A state of consciousness where you feel at ease and in control, thereby minimizing risk and stress. It is a zone where routines and habits thrive, with limited room for growth or change.

In poker, some players are comfortable when playing only premium hands, avoid taking risks, and don’t like being pressured by raises— they are called tight players. Others play a broader range of cards and bet and raise more aggressively— they are considered looser players. In either case, both are playing within a limited spectrum, which provides them with a sense of security, their “comfort zone.”

Comfort zones exist at almost every level and facet of the game, from hand selection, betting options, playing draws, small pairs, big pairs, the list goes on. 

Rising to a new level means refining your game to the point where you are challenged to incorporate new styles, techniques, and strategies to add to your poker arsenal. This can not only yield real-time results but also improve your winning percentage.

To become a better player, you have to try and practice an array of tactics to not only broaden your poker horizons but also maintain a path that liberates you from any and all comfort zone limitations.

This can mean relearning playing styles and strategies you have been doing over and over, at times for years.  Repeating tendencies and continually playing hands in a similar fashion can become a tell that you might not even know you have.

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Like physicist Albert Einstein said: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Your ability to start doing what you have never done before, in an effort to raise the level of your game and add to your needed mental muscle memory is key to your long-term growth. This may open up your game in areas you previously were not able to navigate comfortably, due in part to your resistance to trying something new.

This development can be as easy as expanding the range of cards you play, adding more aggressive betting strategies, adjusting your table image, and even being less predictable.

Including the element of surprise to your bag of tricks can be helpful in keeping your opponents guessing and off guard. To be effective, this move needs to dramatically go against what is expected and add a sense of shock and awe  All-in bets for example, usually have that effect, as does check-raising, three bets, and even four bets. Other subtle actions, like just calling with a big hand, instead of re-raising and letting your opponent keep betting, only to be surprised by the strength of your hand at showdown can also have that desired impact. The element of surprise puts your opponents on notice that you are not predictable and that you cannot be taken for granted.

Moving beyond your comfort zone is not a natural progression for most players.

Moving past your comfort zone is a process that needs to be explored, flushed out, and practiced over and over again.

When you can play poker free of limitations, to the point of having no restrictions or encumbrances, you become a very dangerous opponent. The by-product is a player who plays outside of any recognizable constraints— one who will take their opponents out of THEIR comfort zone and off their game by continually putting pressure on them to make decisions that challenge every action they make.

In addition to becoming a more formidable opponent, stepping outside of your comfort zone can also increase your confidence level. 

So isn’t it time you liberate yourself and take your game out of your comfort zone and on to the next level? 

Winning is well worth the effort.