I disagree. Kobe once said he plays games with a sense of emotional detachment, & he's as cutthroat as they come. Tilt depends on the player, not just the approach.

That "rip your heart out" mentality is a source of motivation more than anything. In any sport, you don't get to the top 1% of your field without thinking this way.

If a player wants to win so badly that he'd (figuratively) rip your heart out to win, he's going to out-train you, out-work you & eventually out-perform you

As I said again, not true. I was top 1% (probably still am, actually) in a combat sport, and I've never had a "rip your heart out" motivation. That is a source of motivation, but it is a poor one, because people who use anger/hate/do anything to win as a focus generally become (or start as) unstable and eventually become self-destructive.

Your motivation should be inside you, not coming from your opponents, and you should enter a contest with a calm center. As Master Splinter says "only by focusing on our inner strength can we overcome our enemy."

I challenge Garick to a fight. Street rules.

No hits to the balls.

Home for supper.

lol old men itt.

Man, the bolded is so, so wrong. There are these types of people, but they are rare. The hilarious thing about your assertion for Kobe is that the top, elite NBA athletes today aren't like this. LBJ was derided for years for not being like this. Same with Durant etc.

Watch Marshawn Lynch for a little bit and you can see the guy is always cool with opponents that he literally just ran over.

You would think a guy who runs over people on a regular basis has some sort of anger issue or instinct to kill, but the man is literally the coolest player on the field.

Marshawn lynch is a great example, he's a cool guy. But during a play he's a beast..... If I was to name my poker game after a player it would be him. I'm cool, converse with ppl at the table. Until I'm in a hand, that's where I become zoned in. You take notes on ppl when you talking to them, use it against them when you zone in.... That's my one Gem for today lol

It's rare for players to have this mentality AND be blessed with insane athleticism, but the mentality itself is not rare. A benchwarmer could think like this.

But in poker, the mental aspect is far far more significant. Just look at Ivey, easily the greatest player of this generation. If you sat down at his table, of course he'd be out to destroy you

To be fair, there's a lot of players in this thread who don't need this mentality. It's not like everyone here is trying to surpass Hellmuth's bracelet record. But I don't see how a poker player could become elite, and stay there, without at least being this competitive

I agree with this. I was chatting up with a couple dudes at my table that were drinking and just looking for a good time. We got into a hand and he very honestly says you don't want to continue and when I fold shows KK. He doesn't do that if I wasn't being friendly. I almost got invited to their home game as well. If I pushed a bit I might have gotten it.

Alright, quoting Master Splinter is a win.

But do you have any links that can verify you being 4th best in the world at one point? That's a bold & impressive claim, especially when you're using it to give your opinion this much weight

Also we're in an era where everything is on the internet.. & what I did find doesn't match up with what you said

Now who's the troll?

...Are you implying that I'm trolling somehow?

That claim (admittedly likely to be somewhat exaggerated due to those who didn't take the invitation and variance within the tournament) is based on my finishing in the semi-finals (so tied for third, actually, no third-place match) in an invitational "tournament of champions" in 1997.

I don't think the results are posted anywhere, as the internet wasn't such a big thing back then, and even then they usually only post the finals. BTW, this is not in MMA, as some people might get the impression based on the follow up post someone else made. I compete in a single style.



/derail

The point is that you don't have to be a "rip your heart out" guy to be a great competitor. I want to win, but I want to win with class and still be friends afterword. That doesn't make me less of a competitor, imo. The guys who do use rage as a motivator usually have a hard time reacting in the flow of the moment, because the only direction they know how to go is forward, so I can sidestep them like a bullfighter and win with elegance.

This thread... lulz beyond belief.

1) folks ITT comparing themselves to the GOATs of professional sports who make $$$ x 10e6. LMFAO. Hello... 1/2NL. $200 buy in.

2) folks ITT saying you need to be a tool to be the best at something. Can't wait till you're old and gray and look back with regret on your life as a tool.

3) folks ITT forgetting that most players at LLSNL are there for entertainment. Sure, they want to believe they'll win a bit of money. But ultimately they want to have a good time and enjoy themselves for a few hours. Remember that the next time you sit down at a table with your Tools-by-Dre headset and your toollie sweatshirt and your "I'm-the-scariest-tool-in-this-swamp" attitude. Good luck with that target on your back.

You would've taken first if you had a "rip your heart out" mentality.



Jk. I agree w/everything you've said. I don't think we're that far apart on our beliefs.


The "rip your head" off approach isn't meant to be a rage, nor directed at a single opponent. I mean it as a mindset against the field, and any opponent that you may face in the future. It's having the conviction that you'll do whatever it takes to out-work them in the present, but still remaining clear & calm in battle

I'm speaking on the intense determination you need to prepare for a match & continue to improve when not in a game. To desire winning so much that you will study, practice, & train as long as necessary to put yourself in the best position to succeed

I generally chat to all the regs on table, asking them about life outside of poker most of the time, as I become less and less incline to talk poker on table.

A talkative image can certainly be +EV, e.g. Today on 1/2 I was dealt QQ, a fishy UTG opened to £8, I 3! to £22, BTN called, UTG called. Flop Q86 with two spade, UTG donks £25, and I started saying "Why are you doing this to me? What have you got?". He replied "I have two spades", I then said "Okay, eat some of this" and raised to £70, BTN folded and he jammed whilst mumbling "If you have it, you have it".

Had I been sitting there with a serious grinder look, he might have folded pre! But I made a terrible mistake by instantly flipping the cards and said "Yeah I fxxking have it".

What I should have said was "Sorry bro, this time I do have it", another reg saw the situation and offered "Unlucky" to UTG fish, I hope that my action did not put him off to the poker room in future.

Grunch; read 1st and last

I'm mid 20's and play in a smallish card room too.
Most tables I don't say anything and have the same persona that you described because it doesn't matter. If you think you're getting "bad vibes" you're probably outleveling yourself. With that said you need to make an effort to keep the fish happy. Just as you'd classify someone when you're trying to narrow their hand range (OMC, lagtard, TAG, etc) you need to classify what kind of players you're playing with and table talk accordingly.
That's not too clear so I'll use some examples:
The "I want to win really bad players" these are the guys I always talk to in hands to get them flustered and needle them (all in good fun- "guess I had it that time" something to that effect when they call and you show the nuts. I also like "Maybe you'll get me next time"). Enjoy getting all the monies because now they want to beat you even more.
The OMC's: They love talking, and telling you stories of the past, suck it up and listen to them. Say things like "you always crush me! go easy on me!" Enjoy getting infinite odds (because they like you) drawing against their AA that they will never fold . "Only way I can beat you is when I suck out and hit my flush, haha sorry"

You get the idea.

I really want to see the giraffes of the non talkers ITT compared to the friendlies.

BTW I tried being friendly briefly today due to this thread. Was stuck a fkton and not playing well at all. Then I played like my normal self and got unstuck. Small sample but I don't like the way it feels being ''nice'' to the other people at the table. I'm not rude, and I'll respond if someone talks to me, but I don't engage in conversation.

I did however take the poster's advice earlier about conversing with the dealer. This advice is so sick and is very profitable because I can come off as nice while still maintaining my intensity edge.

I'd say I talk a lot at maybe 25% of my tables. 80% of that talk is needling people so they'll try to play against me "harder".
Not really being "nice"