Emotions at the dinner table and their ability to distract
Recent research by Jared Tendler has shown that emotional factors are essential for optimal focus.
Emotions, according to some psychologists, are the driving force behind human behavior, and this notion becomes crucial at poker tables, where emotions may influence wins and loses.
On the other hand, some emotional states result in actions, and they might lead to distractions while making judgments in a critical situation, which could lose the player a tournament or a large prize pot.
Recently, one of the most known mental trainers in the field, Jared Tendler, tackled this issue and said that you may train your focus to be less susceptible to being dragged in by emotions.
“Before beginning focus training, you must ensure that your emotions are not the primary source of distraction. Fear, rage, overconfidence, or a lack of confidence might interfere with focus. If you are easily distracted, you should first assess the severity of your emotions.”
The so-called Yerkes-Dodson Law, which outlines the link between emotion and performance, may be applied to poker, according to him. When emotions are too high or low, it is impossible to reach peak performance.
“If your emotions are excessively severe, you must discover and correct the underlying problem that is causing them. Fear might lead to compulsive Twitter checking or lobby searching for a better game. Overconfidence may lead to boredom and lack of concentration. To be able to concentrate better in that situation, you must first minimize that feeling. Sometimes this is sufficient, but other times you must also retrain your mind.”
Tendler reminds us that the ability to detect and manage emotions is simply the first stage; after you’ve worked on them and seen improvement, it’s time to focus on concentration.
“Strengthening your focus might be compared to exercising your muscles. Initially, you must evaluate your present skills. Examine how you keep attention, how often distractions occur, how fast you recover after a distraction, and how many, when, and for how long you take breaks. After you have determined where you are, you may begin training.”
