Those Chips Are Gone, Forget About Them

You’re stuck. You’ve already invested too much, right? You think folding now would be a waste. Welcome to the trap of sunk cost fears.

In poker, past losses weigh heavy. But clinging to them costs even more. Let’s break those chains.

Chasing Lost Dollars

Imagine a $2/$5 game. You’ve sunk $150 into the pot. The turn is a complete disaster: you don’t improve, a flush and a straight complete and you have a marginal hand. Your gut screams to fold. But fear says, “You’ve already invested too much!  And we have a re-draw.” So you call, hoping the river bails you out. It doesn’t.

• You’ve spent more fearing loss.
• The pot now entraps irrational hopes.
• You’re driven by regret, not logic.

Face reality. Your money is gone. Fold now to save the chips for a better spot.

Ego Intensifies the Trap

You’ve got a reputation, only you don’t realize it yet. You’re the unyielding player at this $1/$2 table. Your opponents know it. You bet another $50 in a losing hand. Why? You’re entangled in ego’s web. Can’t let them see you fold easily. Your identity depends on aggressive stands. Little do you know, the reputation you think you have as aggressive and unyielding is being used against you.

• Ego doesn’t pay the bills.
• Pride compounds your losses.
• Confidence becomes your worst enemy.

Let go of bravado. Fold fast, live to fight smarter.

When you try to be the guy who always calls, you will see that most of those calls turn out to be losers because the table adapts, and you don’t.

Fear of Missing Out

The river’s coming. Your already in the pot for $200. Your hand’s mediocre. Still, the potential jackpot lures you. Fear whispers, “This could be it!” That fear’s irrational. Most times it’s unfounded. Yet it grips tight, forcing you to call.

• FOMO makes you bleed chips.
• Statistically, the odds are rarely in your favor when you feel this way.
• Good players around you bank on this very fear, they know you can’t fold.

Trust math, not emotions. Save your bankroll for better spots.

Sunk Cost, Rising Wisdom

Sunk cost fears cloud judgment. Past losses distort future choices. In a $1/$2 game, often a $100 wrong call stems more from the past than the present.

• Past errors are irrecoverable.
• The future holds real promise only with clarity.
• You confuse errors with opportunities.

It’s not about salvage at this point. It’s about strategic retreat for success. Resetting the mindset to realize you can’t change the past, but you can influence the future.

Change Your Mindset and Improve Your Game

Sunk costs are your past. Wise folds forge your future. Conquer the fear. Embrace past losses as gone for good, but look to future wins to right the ship.