3 Ways Anger Costs You Money, and 3 Ways to Profit from Other People's Anger

“People are completely pissed off, and they finally realize that they have the power to not go through this anymore. We see the far right with Donald Trump and the far left with Sanders.”

This was political columnist Ron Fournier, interviewed a few days ago by National Public Radio. I think he is right in saying that this year has been a bizarre presidential election in the United States. It is due to the anger of “regular politicians” and their desire to undo everything that has already been done and start over from scratch.

I'm sure there are legitimate reasons to support or oppose either candidate. I'm not using this space to attack or defend either of them, but I would really like to ask a question that came to mind after listening to the interview:

Do your best decisions come from anger?

When you look back on your life, are you more likely to be proud or regretful of the things you did while you were angry? When you act under the influence of your anger, are you more likely to be proud or ashamed of your choices later?

The same problem manifests itself at the poker table. We get angry for a variety of reasons—bad beats, dealer mistakes, slow or annoying players, a seemingly unfair decision by the game official, disrespect from other players, and so on. How does the resulting mental state serve as an incubator for calm, rational poker decisions?

Not very well, I would venture.

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Three ways anger costs you money.

I can think of three ways that playing while angry hurts your poker profits.

First, anger is fundamentally incompatible with patience—they cannot exist together in harmony. Anger makes you want to do something… anything… immediately. You’ll play hands that you should fold. You’ll make bad calls. You’ll bluff a lot. All of this comes from a generalized need to act, to take control, when good poker recommends waiting for better opportunities to come along.

Second, if the source of your anger is another player, you will be more likely to seek revenge. Did someone bluff you in a big pot? Did someone call the time too quickly? Did someone make comments about your clothes, your religion, or your mother? You are not allowed to punch them in the face, so you seek revenge with the only tool at your disposal – the game of poker.

Targeting another player for any reason other than some weakness in their game is a serious mistake. Targeting someone in an attempt to take that particular stack of chips, rather than whatever stack is more vulnerable, means (1) you are probably missing out on better opportunities to profit, and (2) you have to go after that player when he choose play, with whatever cards you have been dealt. That is, you are playing against him under his terms and conditions. This is not winning poker.

Third, your anger contaminates the atmosphere of the game. It is contagious and tends to affect the mood of everyone around you. The game ceases to be fun and the people who are there just to have fun, who are often the most profitable opponents to play against, will switch tables or stop playing altogether.

So today’s message is – don’t play games when you’re angry. Go for a walk and cool off. Count to 10. Focus on your breathing. Put on some relaxing music on your headphones. Do whatever it takes.

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Three ways to profit from other people's anger

But wait, there's more! If playing angry puts you at a disadvantage, that means you can play against an angry opponent at an advantage. Let's reconsider the three problems listed above from your perspective, the calm one, sitting at the table and watching an angry opponent.

First, he'll be playing more hands than he should, calling when he should fold, and bluffing more than he should. This makes him a prime candidate to play against – and that's targeting a player for legitimate strategic reasons, not emotions. Don't bother trying to bluff. Instead, bet often for value and expect to get called.

Second, if the anger is directed specifically at you, great! This situation has high profit potential.

I remember one very obvious situation where I became a target for an opponent. I had a straight flush draw and I hit one of my many outs after all the money was in the pot, beating his top pair. After that, he entered every hand I played – literally every hand – usually raising and calling whatever I bet. This made it extremely easy to beat him. If I missed the flop, I would fold, losing several small pots to him. However, when I had a strong hand, he would call me, allowing me to win big pots.

This went on for a few hours. This was extremely self-destructive on his part and extremely profitable for me.

Third, if there is a clearly irritable player at the table, be the opposite of him. Be the one making jokes, keeping the atmosphere light and fun. Be the player that others enjoy playing against the most. It is less upsetting to lose money to someone who is funny than to someone who is rude.

Anger at the poker table can be profitable – as long as you’re not the angry one.

Article translated and adapted from the original: Three Ways Anger Costs You Money, and Three Ways to Profit from Others' Anger