Trusting My Gut in Poker

I had this deep feeling earlier that today was going to go badly at poker.

Normally, that kind of inner voice would send me spiraling into self-doubt or anxious over-compensation — registering every tournament I could just to push through the discomfort. But today… I did something different.

I paused.

I let the feeling be there and didn’t try to override it. I didn’t keep clicking buttons out of habit. I held the line, gave myself space, and used the time to work on my website — something grounded, something real.

And here I am now: at a final table. Third in chips out of 52, with 46 already paid in a $54 Bounty Hunter. I’m already up for the day.

More than the money, what feels validating is the decision to stop entering tournaments just because I could. I trusted myself. That space I gave myself likely helped me play better too — less scattered, more present, more connected to the rhythm of the game.

Maybe that’s the real win today.

Learning to play with myself, not against my instincts.