Betfair.net

The simple expectation of winning a hand has led to more bad calls than any other in poker. When we look down at aces or kings, or when we flop a set, our brain immediately starts behaving as if we have already won a big pot. This misjudgment of our minds is very damaging, as it clouds our judgment later on in the hand, as our brain struggles to reconcile this expectation of winning with the reality of the hand.

Imagine you look down at black aces and a raise in front of you. You re-raise, and your brain is already starting to believe that it is going to win. The opponent calls and the flop comes down Ad 5c 4h. You have top set! Now your brain really starts to think that you can't lose. You bet and your opponent calls. The turn comes the 6h. A scare card for sure, but your mind is still convinced you will win. You bet out again and get called. The river comes the 7h. Your opponent goes all in.

Your brain is now really struggling to reconcile its previous state (that of you winning the hand) with the actual reality of the situation, where you should certainly be strongly considering folding. In this situation, most players tend to end up calling big bets, simply because their mind refuses to reconsider its position and leads to an immense clouding of judgment, which ultimately leads to the player making a wrong decision.

Poker is a game where you frequently have to re-evaluate situations drastically, no matter how strong your hand appeared at one point. The expectation of winning is a huge force in poker and one that can lose you a fortune if not understood and adapted to adequately. No matter how good the situation was before, if your hand is probably no good at this point, you have to be able to lay it down and move on.

Just like life, poker is frequently unfair and unreliable. Building expectations of winning are extremely dangerous in poker, as they are frequently dashed by the variance of the game. Being able to cope with these events without going on tilt and losing more than you should is what separates good players from bad, and coping with the expectation of winning aids this greatly.