How Can Poker Players Develop Their Mental Flexibility

Why the Right Mentality Is Crucial for Poker Players

“Poker isn’t just about strategy — it’s about mental clarity” — this statement is a great summary of the two vital elements needed for poker success. However, the right mentality is the more important of the two since it impacts not only your poker performance but other areas of life as well.

How does it work?

• When you train to deal with overwhelming, unproductive thoughts and tilt — you can manage negative emotions in any stressful situations by using the “pressure release valve” (“Don’t know” or “Not right now”).
• When you develop an ability to observe your thoughts and sensations under pressure, you have the power to bring attention back to the present moment avoiding distractions from past mistakes and future worries.
• When you learn to recognize different emotions, you can learn how to create space between you and your emotion. This prevents impulsive decisions that are based on heightened emotional states.

To boost all listed attainments, Francois recommends to regularly use “There is” noting:

“Say “there is…” and name what you notice: a thought, emotion, sound, or sensation.

“There is tension.”

“There is hearing.”

Don’t judge — just observe.

If unsure? Just use the pressure release: “Don’t know.”

What is the Hexaflex Model of Psychological Flexibility

In his practice with poker players, Hamel uses the Hexaflex Model of Psychological Flexibility — a model containing six distinct aspects of flexibility with a visual representation of the connection between some of them.

While each aspect has its own meaning, only balanced together can they achieve psychological flexibility:

1. Contact with the present is the process of focusing on the here and now through becoming acquainted with sensory experiences in the present moment.
2. Discover values is the process of exploring your personal sense of the what is most important in life and making connections with these aspects.
3. Committed action is a behavior based on doing what is personally important to you to live according to your personal values.
4. Self as context is a reaching the state of mindfulness through developing a flexible and continuous sense of self.
5. Cognitive defusion is a process of observing thoughts, emotions and urges for what they actually are rather than what the mind says they are. This process helps give weight to language for external and internal communication but also — to better understand your personal comprehension of intangible things.
6. Acceptance is a willingness to experience different thoughts, emotions and urges even if they are difficult, unpleasant or triggering.

People are not born with highly developed aspects of psychological flexibility — a lot of children become adults without even knowing the importance of psychological flexibility. Of course, becoming psychologically flexible is not easy but it is possible if you know the right questions to ask. 

Questions To Develop Psychological Flexibility 

To develop psychological flexibility, Hamel suggests using self-questioning during different periods of a poker session. There are two questions for each aspect. They aren’t set in stone but are work as examples for players to make their own questions as a mindfulness exercise.

Being Present

• Are you fully focused on this hand, or is your mind stuck on past mistakes?
• How often do you pause to reset and recalibrate mid-game?

Values

• Why do you play poker? What’s your deeper purpose?
• How can you connect to what truly matters, beyond winning or losing?

Committed Action

• Do you stick to your strategy under pressure, or adjust impulsively?
• What actions align with your long-term goals in poker?

Self-as-Context

• Do you see yourself as more than a single session or result?
• How can you cultivate a flexible, growth-oriented mindset for the long haul?

Defusion

• When tilt arises, can you notice it as a thought or feeling instead of acting on it?
• What strategies help you create space between emotions and decisions?

Acceptance

• Can you allow tough losses to happen without resistance?
• How do you handle bad beats without letting them derail your focus?

Bonus: Mindfulness Exercises for Poker Players

The most simple yet effective way to practice mindfulness is a deep breathing exercise.

For example, Daniel Negreanu practices it even during the game: when he faces a stressful situation, KidPoker takes three to five deep breaths to calm down and focus on the present moment by being attentive to emotions and sensations in his body.

More difficult but equally helpful exercise is practicing gratitude. You can do it in two ways. The first way is using self-talk to acknowledge all your doings and achievements and appreciate them, even the small ones. The second way is genuinely thanking other people for their good deeds of any scale.

Another great exercise to understand yourself better is playing with metaphors. It can be difficult if you aren’t a literalist but it is extremely helpful in better describing your emotions and feelings but also — in the separation of sensations and thoughts.

Finally, one of the best ways to broaden your mental horizons is perspective-talking. This exercise is simple and difficult at the same time: you need to try viewing your experiences from different perspectives, including those unpleasant and opposite to your own perception.

Remember: no one can become mindful by doing nothing but even a small step towards developing cognitive awearness can increase the quality of your life tremendously.