Positive thinking

Everyone seems to be banging on about this cosmic ordering codswallop.

From my editor to Phil Hellmuth, sending out a request into the ether seems to be the new ‘in’ thing. Even TV presenter Noel Edmonds has been at it. Edmonds, who has enjoyed a huge renaissance with hit TV show Deal or No Deal?, apparently owes his recent successes to the new-age phenomenon.

Edmonds’ cosmic ordering is a non-religious school of thought that claims you can request the universe uses its energy to make your dreams come true. As long as you remain positive and believe that it’s going to happen, it will.

Well, that’s sorted that out then. But how’s that going to help you at the poker table? Well, here at PokerPlayer we constantly remind you that chance is a major part of the game, but that playing with good judgement and skill will see you win in the long run. Never have we at any point offered strategy tips suggesting that you ask the great void to fill your flush. And never will we. But… there is definitely something to be said about the positive thinking that Edmonds and his fellow new-agers believe in.

Like any other game, when you play poker in a positive frame of mind, and that doesn’t necessarily mean aggressively, the results should follow. Just look at Hellmuth. He totally believes that he’s going to win every time he plays and this is why he gets so upset when he loses – it’s utter disbelief. You need confidence to lay down hands when you think you’re behind, even when you have a strong hand yourself, or to pick off bluffs with strong raises.

And it really doesn’t matter what it is that creates that outlook. It might be a photo, song or pep talk that you give yourself but you will feel a major difference when playing with supreme confidence. You’ll also enjoy the game more and will almost certainly play better.

If you need to rely on some pseudo-science such as cosmic ordering to create that positive approach then so be it. Just don’t bother putting in a request for the WSOP Europe Main Event – that’s already been reserved.