Pressure and the Goldfish Technique

In the movie The Devil's Advocate with Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves, there is a scene early in the movie where the two of them are negotiating a contract and some business on a roof top. Pacino plays the roll of Satan who is personified on earth as a successful lawyer named John Milton. Reeves is a hotshot undefeated defense attorney from Florida. He doesn't know it, but he is the Devil's son. No wonder he never lost a case. Yikes.

But I digress, the point of this post is to discuss pressure. Near the end of this scene Pacino describes pressure as something that makes some people focus and makes others fold. You'll see what I'm talking about in this clip:


"Pressure. Changes everything, pressure. Some people, you squeeze 'em, they focus. Others fold. Can you summon your talent at will? Can you deliver on a deadline? Can you sleep at night?"

Now I'm not here to 'advocate' that poker is the Devil's game, but let's be honest, the game, at it's core, is built on human manipulation and cognitive dissection. A successful bluff is not unlike convincing a jury of your client's guilt or innocence. You are pitching a story and they either believe it or they don't. The key element is being able to hide the fact that you are lying.

Can you control your heart rate? Does your breathing go from calm to feeling like you've just escaped a rabid pit bull? Can you prevent the instinctual reaction to swallow when your throat feels like the Sahara desert but you know your opponent will see if you do? Some people can control these responses better than others but they effect everyone.

Although we'd all be better poker players if we didn't react this way to stress situations, this just simply isn't the case. In cases like these the cerebral cortex sizzles like water on dry-sauna rocks. These automated responses are natural. In fact they are evolutionary necessities that helped get our species to where we are today. The chances that cavemen could have gotten through the Paleolithic era without these instinctive responses is about 427:1. I read that somewhere. Maybe it was David Suzuki. Maybe it was someone else. Maybe I made it up? I Raise. I'm all in.

In live poker, when we bluff, we know it. Our body reacts because suddenly the attention is squarely on us. If you have trouble in these spots don't worry, you are not alone and there are solutions. One that I have developed and crafted in recent years is something I have dubbed "the Goldfish Technique". And no, this is not a method that summons Jamie Gold and forces you to hit top two on every board. This is different.

The Goldfish technique is not easy to master but once you put forth the effort and practice, it pays huge dividends and never again will you feel overwhelmed when attempting a successful bluff. The methodology of the Goldfish technique is to tune into a Zen like meditative tunnel of thought akin to that of a household goldfish. Remember nothing. Understand nothing. Be nothing.

Essential you are turning off your brain and becoming an automaton. Where you are, where you live, even what your name is, all become questions you cannot answer. You put yourself into a trance of complete and utter dull nothingness. Like a fish in a bowl, each time you see that castle you swam past 8,922 times before seems brand new and fascinating.

By truly tapping into this mind state you will be impossible to read. Your opponent will not be able to read your mind because there is nothing there. You are turned off. It's like falling asleep but with your eyes open. It is like you are going to your happy place. The same way this guy does:

This becomes quite fun and in fact is surprisingly applicable in other facets of life - just don't do it when operating a motor vehicle.

Ok, that is all for now. Now go practice the Goldfish Technique and watch as your opponents fold their stronger hands.