There are many elements that go into winning a poker tournament. Hand ranges, opponent profiling, ICM, to name just a few. But one understated element, and one that is likely far more of a factor than it seems, is the ability to disconnect from the payouts.
Take poker professional Faraz Jaka’s recent deep run in the WSOP Super Main Event, which featured a $10 million prize for the winner. After spending an entire week grinding his way toward the final table, Jaka was eliminated in 13th place in seemingly brutal fashion. Not only was he coolered running 99 into 1010 in a 19bb standard reshove spot against a loose button raise, but after hitting a miraculous two-outer on the turn, he watched his opponent return the favor by hitting a soul-crushing two-outer on the river. Jaka mentioned that after the tournament a number of professional players, including the legendary Phil Hellmuth himself, stopped him to say what a brutal beat that was and how much it must have stung.
And while many players would indeed feel that sting for quite some time, Jaka’s response modeled the mindset that’s made him one of the most well-rounded players in the game today. And one that all poker players would be wise to internalize.
Here’s what he said:
“Honestly, once the chips are all in, I don’t even pay attention to how the board ran out. I just see these spots as coolers where both players had to get their chips in. I’m going to win 18% of the time. That means if I’m in this spot a hundred times in my career, I’m going to win 18 of them and I’m going to lose 82 of them. So, when those bad beats come, whether they’re in my favor or not, I just see it as one of those 82 times playing out. So there’s no reason to be surprised or emotional when something happens that’s supposed to happen.”
This is the difference between a professional and everyone else. Most players intellectually understand variance. But when it actually happens—especially when a significant sum of money is at stake—they feel it anyway. The logic doesn’t protect them from the emotional pain. But Jaka sees it differently. The result is just data confirming what he already knew: that coolers happen, and that 82% of the time, he was destined to walk out of that tournament in 13th place, regardless how the cards ran out.
The truth is, unless you can incorporate Jaka’s mindset into your own game, you’re unlikely to make the right decisions in moments when the money matters most. You’ll fold when you should call. You’ll check when you should bet. You’ll play scared money in spots that require the most conviction. And good opponents, like Jaka, will notice. And then you’re cooked anyway.
Yes, the strategic elements matter, but if you dream of one day playing for the big bucks, this psychological piece—the ability to genuinely not care about any individual outcome—matters just as much.
