There is a particular type of mistake that is extremely common in the poker world. It’s been around since the first time the game was played, and it’s increasingly prevalent today. It’s a mistake you’ve probably made yourself, and it’s a mistake you’ll see made on TV by professional players with amazing regularity. I’m talking about ‘results-oriented thinking’. To illustrate what it is, let’s take a silly example.

I’m not much of a gambler when it comes to non-poker activities, but one weekend I decide to go crazy, forget everything I’ve learned over the past eight years, and buy a lottery ticket.