blonde poker forum

Seems to me that many gamblers have a huge ego.

The fallouts on TFT are usually caused when the biggest egos clash.

Is this a by-product of being successful, or is it a prerequisit to achieving success?

And why are the two linked? After all, compared to other, more noble ways of making a living, we haven't got a great deal to brag about.

All we do is exploit people who have less understanding of the true odds of participants in various sports.

It's hardly finding the cure for cancer.

On the poker side, I think the ego players tend to be those that haven't had any work experience outside poker.  They also tend to me middle ranked players, not the ones who have had huge scores.

I think it stems from the fact that if they aren't successful at poker then their lives (in their own eyes) amount to nothing.   The ego in these scenarios is simply insecurity for their lack of any other achievements in other areas of life.

Off the top of my head, deadman and jake don't have an ego and seem to be v successful.

Toby too.

Could prob think of others and some that do have an ego.

Don't think it is essential to have one tho to be successful.

Probably more important to have a competitive edge than an ego.

Chompy has a ridic competitive edge, oh, he has a massive ego too 😀😀

Success has to come first, without at least a modest amount of success an egotist is just delusional. That success only has to be perceived of course.

I wouldn't imagine that if you compared people with regular jobs and pro poker players/sports bettors with the same take home ££ that you'd see a much greater incidence of egotism from the gamblers, but thats just my perception, not really based on anything.

Thread really is whether successful people need huge egos to succeed.

Poker and gambling are fundamentally results driven. Walking the walk is what it's all about, when all is said and done.

The most important asset a poker player or gambler can have is confidence in their decision making. Without that, they can never be truly successful. That comes from talent, hard work and strong analysis but it's there in everyone from Johnny Moss to Douglas Polk.

Inevitably, that means many at the top have very high opinions of themselves and the ego mob are over-represented in the elite. I can't imagine there's a single area where people compete where this principle doesn't extend. It's true in business, sport, journalism, art, internet fora...

a fine line between self-confidence and egotism in any walk of life

in gambling you tend to hear from winners more than losers, and a fair share of winners confuse stochastics with their own skill, and that feeds the ego

lot of respect for the "get it quietly" people, who resist the natural urge in many characters to shout it from the rooftops...

Yes, I worded that way, but possibly more interest is WHY do so many successful gamblers have big egos?

I don't have much knowledge of any other industry, is it the same in all walks of life?

Are the best bus drivers cocky and arrogant? Do posties who finish their round an hour earlier than most belittle their dilligent but less speedy colleagues?

After timing is the most annoying outlet for people to show their ego.

What exactly does posting a winning bet on Facebook prove?

Unless you have plans to sell your tips in the future, why would you want to boast about winning a bet?

Anyone who followed you in is happy anyway, but if someone chose not to (or even worse backed something else in the same heat!) they are just going to be riled up by your boasting.

It's nothing to do with the bet, it's just something else to boast about generally. Same reason people post pictures of holidays, or some awesome event they're at. Our weird social "life" these days mainly seems to revolve around projecting an image of success greater than reality to a loosely connected circle of "friends".

I'm far too good to have to rely on ego.

Yep.  Seems to me these days someone would rather spend most of a concert filming it on their iPhone so they can put it on facebook and get some attention than actually spend time enjoying the concert with their own eyes.  People are weirdos.

It's definitely more obvious in competitive environments. That's just basic sociology.

When you're punting, you're essentially thinking my knowledge is better than that of the bookmakers, I know the true odds of an outcome, I can seek out value etc etc. So I think there has to be a certain amount of ego in there, if you're thinking the bookies have it sewn up and they've got no ricks in their books then you shouldn't be having a punt eh!

So I'd say as a starting point you need a bit of ego, and being a competitive person must surely help, but it can't just be all about that. If a punter is too ego-driven then they may struggle to have sound bankroll management for example.

As to why successful punters may have bigger ego's than in other walks of life, I would say it's down to the standard belief that the bookmaker always wins. If you grow up hearing that time and time again and then you find a method to beat the bookies then a by-product of that may well be the ego being swelled.

I would posit one reason being the loneliness of gambling and poker and the lack of praise or positive feedback from peers or authority figures.

Why post a winning bet? So somebody recognises you and validates you. That's a perfectly normal human need.

It's noticeable, although obviously lol sample size, that the newer generation of UK pros who have big circles of poker pro mates tend to be less ego-driven than most.

Would a reason for that be that, within their own peer group, they wouldn't stand out as exceptional, so wouldn't have their ego stoked up?

I'd imagine that someone who hung out with Deadman would probably not get quite as carried away with how good they were at tourneys than someone who hung out with chumps.

I didn't think about that aspect of it, but yes that would make a lot of sense.

 :DCan camel define 'huge ego'? Maybe a list of ten things gamblers with huge egos possess or do whether they are successful of not. Personalised number plates don't count as one of the ten! :D :D

I really want Mike hills plate though. B7 FAV.  That is the best plate in the world for a layer IMO.

I don't think it's absolutely necessary but when you deal with a lot of variance then having a bit of an ego can help protect the persons confidence. Cricketers are a prime example imo. Especially ones in baggy green caps.

Investment bankers would be a none sporting example.

How would you rank these sports in terms of ego; cricket,  darts, tennis, football?

No

Darts has to be number one from those sports because the physical factor is nil compared to the others, players are beat on stage before they start in darts because their confidence or ego isn't at the level it needs to be.

A huge ego is usually a downside for a wannabe professional gambler of any sort.  If you want to succeed in any form of gambling long term you must be able to judge accurately when you have the edge or not.  A huge ego gets in the way of that big time.

That said there are some areas where it does help.  Characters with big egos make for good TV and it can lead to sponsorship deals etc which are very beneficial.  Also if a player truly does have a world class talent then having a personality bordering on arrogance can push them to the biggest games and challenges where they will flourish.  This is a major downfall eventually if you are Tom Dwan but for some like Ben Tollerone and Doug Polk it moves them up into the best in the world category.  Sadly I have met a few people in my 17 years as a professional gambler who genuinely had the talent (almost none really do) to play huge but did not have the other mental abilities required.

One thing I will say is that an unfortunate amount of young-middle aged male gamblers and poker players vastly over rate their intelligence.  This is not rocket science.  It's more a poker player thing doing that imo.

I think ego is massive in tennis among the players ranked 10-100 in the world, especially on the mens side.  A player is a set down and misses a bunch of break points and then is broken for 1-2 in the second set.  Often they are beaten at that point - their performance goes right off and I'm not sure it's due to being dispirited.  They often develop terrible body language and seem to apply themselves with less focus to shots.  I think it's a fear that if they absolutely go for it 100% in a losing position then there are no excuses for the loss.  If they chuck in the towel they can convince their inner ego that their head wasn't quite right, and on another day they might have won if they had applied themselves 100% to a losing position.  After all - there is always a tournament next week where my true talent will shine through.

Of course not all players are like this, and tennis is a brutal sport in the sense that it's just you alone playing every shot against someone who is all over you, but I think tennis players often have ego issues when facing adversity and they don't want to face up to the fact in their own mind that the other guy might be simply a class above.

Very good summary of the debate IMO.

I really agree with you though regarding really good players/gamblers with no ego missing out on opportunities to make more money by having a huge ego,  devilish is a classic example of using a huge ego to make money,  so many others prefer the quiet life and no status and just make the money without the profile.  Each to their own.

Agree.

It's as simple as this.

There are successful people with and without egos in everything.

If I was in troll mode I'd say silly thread :P

Huge amount of unsuccessful gamblers with a massive ego mind...

Agreed and there are also a huge amount of short term lolwinners who are really losers long term who enjoy their ten minutes of fame in the sun.  When someone has made a living purely from gambling after ten plus years with no other form of income I think they are allowed a certain level of respect which other people assume to be ego when they speak,

I'm guessing Keith would say why would they care what other people think?

Takes a very strong character to actually not care what people think though. It's very rare in my experience.

I can only speak as I find but I would agree by looking like you have a massive ego when you really don't gets you action sports betting wise.  I know that is the case with me.  Most people who don't know me really well (there is only one person who is a pro gambler who does) always say 'you can lay bets to casuals I dream about laying for real money'. They always fall for your image.  Image in sports betting is as important as poker but simiLar to poker it is usually fake to get action and make money.

Yes very true I had never considered that directly before.  The biggest (and most profitable) fake image with sports betting must be that you can win money long term with the bookies like coral stan james etc.  It's the misheld belief by a mug punter that they can make money gambling with them that keeps their profits rolling in.

You'll be sorry when Watford stay up ;)

The biggest key to keeping online account open and the ability to get on in shops is trying to sell an image you are a degen when you always have the best of it.  That is what separates the real pros from the wannabes, waiting for Mrs bandit to confirm.  Most online egos from pros are Usually nothing other than just a way to get their wages, I can only talk for myself.

If they do they do. I have already have topped up at coral since Saturday. They make Sunderland favs to go down now.  Maybe Nick goff ( head of football at coral ) is a fan of Fred!  Please sign in Nick and say hello. We all follow your Twitter page so know how much you love social media. Would hate to think you are using Fred's info without saying so. You were joint top Sunderland pre season to go down, what has changed in one game for you to be so anti Sunderland?

Even SPIN have gone anti Sunderland - they are now jollies on their relegation Index.

I don't like Sunderland this year, but in my book there has been too big an over-reaction to Leicester's first half against them.  Sunderland now nailed on to go down, and Leicester safe?  I'm not so sure.

I think it is really hard to get rid of a drinking culture in 2015. I really didn't think many existed in football. There clearly is one T Sunderland and I don't think losing wick ham or having a gaffer who doesn't really want to be there and is about to retire will solve it.  I might be wrong.

Yeah - I agree.  Just not sure why it took a shambolic half at Leicester for the bookies to respond so markedly.  I do like this stage of the season - spreads rocket around all over the place as expectations change.   MK Dons opened at 58.5 to buy, now 65(!),  Not sure I've ever seen as big a move as that after match day 1. 

It suits you though if Sunderland as weighed in to go down. Watford on have two spots to fall in.  ;D

I thinks goff is a massive spin follower but he wouldn't admit it on Twitter because his bosses could put a robot in to follow spin rather than pay him six figures a year.

Please sign up here goff we know you follow us. It is obvious. You love poker but can't beat it anymore. Joint the club,  you don't have to be proud, you sell your soul on Twitter anyway, it is much more friendly here than Twitter, you might actually learn something,

I kinda of phrased my question poorly. Which sport generates or lends itself to having an ego.

I think I'd have gone Cricket > Football > Darts > Tennis but perhaps I'm really off the mark here. Dung makes a very good point about people wanting to tell themselves something wasn't quite right so perhaps football as a sport itself generates the least ego, but the sheer ridiculousness of the wages and celebrity changes this. I guess people in team sports need less of an ego as they need someone else to blame. Perhaps I'm just barking up the wrong tree and its much more of a cultural thing that specific to each sport but its a fun topic to think about.

It is ten times easier to hide in a team sport than a sport like darts, you can earn fortunes in football being relatively shit, the greatest darts player ever to live after twenty five years of domination is worth less than Jermaine pennant,   That kind of says the reality of the situation.

Just to clarify pennant is in his early 30s very fit and played in a champions league final Nd got released by a bottom 6 championship club,  as far as I am aware he is a free agent. Football is seriously fucked up.

I am sure Jermaine couldn't give a fuck every night he climbs into bed with Alice but it shows how stupid football is and over under paid certain proper Heroes are IMO.

Is that the gem and rhinestones blog guy? yeah this one https://twitter.com/nickgoff79

I don't know these guys even claim to be "traders".  Let's face it, online bookmakers offering sports betting is just a front for trying to attract customers to play roulette or whatever.  Just as it's a front in B&M shops to get people in on the FOBT's.

They don't really have a job of any note as trader at a place like corals.  They deserve to be derided and told the truth if they try and claim otherwise. However somewhere like pinnacle is different.  That site was the single biggest loss to the UK gambling market as a result of the new regulations now enforced.  I heard they got sold after they closed to the UK, I hope they still operate in the same manner.

To my mind, it's not so much annoying, as a little odd.

Someone tips up a winner anywhere on blonde, & it's extremely rare that several others don't follow up with "tyvm" or whatever.

Very simply, it's the difference between patting ourselves on the back, "I'm great", or someone else saying as much. The latter, of course, has so much more value.  

It's possible, of course, that it's an insecurity thing, a desire to be liked or respected. Insecurity really is an awkward trait to possess.

Poker players don't need a huge ego to succeed, no.

In tournament poker, off the top off my head, I don't think Deadman, Goulder, Brammer, Perrins, Cody, Toby, Negreanu etc have inflated egos.

I'd guess the proportion of inflated egos in poker is much the same as most other (competitive) walks of life.

:)

Agreed. You have to have no ego at all because you have to make the shop managers think that you are a degen, a loser and an idiot.
The manager at my local Corals always has a little snigger with the assistant manager when I bet odds on or short prices each way. I say I just like to get something back.

Troll level: expert

Negreanu hasn't got an inflated ego and I like salads.

That's not the only name in that list that would wind Camel up ;whistle;

Yeah, that Goulder's a right tos.... oh...  ;hide;

Sorry, have I been whooshed?

I have no negative opinions of anyone in that list apart from the Romanian.

Who wrote this and when:

*9 Try to keep some form of emotional stability. You are certainly not as good as your best result suggests you are. There is always someone significantly better than you. Ego is the most expensive failing in poker… try not to have one. On the other hand, you are almost certainly not as bad as you worst run tells you. Avoiding doing serious amounts of cash when you are suffering a run of bad results is an important factor in becoming a successful pro.

Very good. That was 12 years ago. Amazing find.