Buddhist detachment +EV ?

[laja]

"The most basic role of Buddha images is to convey the feeling of calm and detachment that reflects proper mental discipline with control over the negative emotions of fear and greed."

I seem to stay off tilt because of my trust in mathematics. But I was wondering if there are any players here who seem to take the exact opposite approach... a more spiritual based one. Does anyone meditate on a regular basis. If so how do you think it has affected your game?

[lostinthought]

Buddhism and taking sucker's money don't go hand in hand my friend.

Don't try.

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[partypokerer]

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Does anyone meditate on a regular basis.

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Phil Hellmuth

[gila]

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Buddhism and taking sucker's money don't go hand in hand my friend.

Don't try.

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Tell that to Howard Lederer.

[lostinthought]

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Buddhism and taking sucker's money don't go hand in hand my friend.

Don't try.

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Tell that to Howard Lederer.

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if I saw howard lederer in the street, i might kill him.

[gila]

Very Nice, kill the budha on your way! Actually, I heard he died along with God at the dawn of the technological age.

[AncientPC]

Man who's avatar was it that had Phil Hellmuth meditation? That avatar was hilarious..

[jon_keck]

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"The most basic role of Buddha images is to convey the feeling of calm and detachment that reflects proper mental discipline with control over the negative emotions of fear and greed."

I seem to stay off tilt because of my trust in mathematics. But I was wondering if there are any players here who seem to take the exact opposite approach... a more spiritual based one. Does anyone meditate on a regular basis. If so how do you think it has affected your game?

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Not really meditating, but I do make it a point to close my eyes and just chill out for a few minutes every session. It keeps me from chain smoking/pepsi drinking, and it helps me stay confident in my game.

[MicroBob]

not sure...but sossman's avatar is (or at least 'was') of Hellmuth brushing his teeth from that same ESPN segment.

[Lawrence Ng]

Mentor,

Back in my 4th year Asian Studies class, we dealth with Buddhist teachings and a lot of literature on the belief of Buddhism. Inner peace is sought through the release of the materials in this world which leads to suffering.

In a very ironic sense poker is about taking another person's money, yet the fundamental understanding driven behind Buddhism is what will make a long term player succeed.

For example, two very different situations came up today - one where I got incredibly lucky and one where I was very unlucky. In both situations, I managed to keep calm and rational enough on the turn thus releasing any emotional rises that can occur when I am facing heavy betting action multi-way. Both times I took a deep breath and stayed objective enough to make a rational, mathematical decision to which I would say that years of meditating and yoga contributed to.

So yes, studying Buddhism and preaching it definitely is +EV for the game.

Lawrence

[frank_iii]

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Man who's avatar was it that had Phil Hellmuth meditation? That avatar was hilarious..

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It was nagoo's, if I'm not mistaken.

[Rudbaeck]

Regular meditation has really helped me keep my temper. 'This too shall pass.'

There is some rather interesting neuropsychological research done on changes in the brain due to meditation. It seems it leaves a permanent mark on brain chemistry. Early findings show that activity in the amygdala is significantly lowered, and frontal lobe activity increased. Reducing activity in the center for fear and anxiety and increasing the areas that are most involved in rational thought is good for poker.

I don't believe in any of the precepts of buddhism, nor in any other religion. It's all hogwash. But meditation, devoid of religious symbolism, has certainly helped me.

[Aytumious]

Meditation has also been helpful for me in life and in poker. Another benifit I've noticed is that my sense of intuition seems to be better; I immediately know the correct choice and the underlying logic behind that choice, as opposed to wading through the logic before getting my answer. With that there is also much less second guessing of your decision making process because you truly feel you have made the correct "read" and you act without question. That ability, obviously, is hugely beneficial in life and in poker and the only way I've been able to maintain that mindset is through regular meditation.

[AngryCola]

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Man who's avatar was it that had Phil Hellmuth meditation? That avatar was hilarious..

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It was nagoo's, if I'm not mistaken.

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You are correct.