In chapter 22 of The Mental Game of Poker, Jared Tendler breaks down the most common motivation problems poker players face and shows how each one usually comes from fixable issues in goals, habits, and other mental-game leaks.
Laziness
Tendler argues that “I’m lazy” is often an excuse that makes change feel impossible. Laziness isn’t permanent—it’s a learned pattern where you’ve gotten very good at choosing easier, more immediately rewarding activities instead of poker work.
A common cause is losing external structure (school, parents, a boss). Once you’re on your own, you must both decide what to do and do it, and that extra load can trigger avoidance that looks like laziness.
He recommends treating poker like running a small business and building structure by:
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Noticing small things you already do well
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Listing what needs to be done
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Prioritizing and planning realistically
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Writing down your usual excuses and why they’re flawed
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Committing to action and building momentum with one productive step
Procrastination
Procrastination is the habit of delaying important work because it feels like there’s “always later.” Tendler frames “tomorrow” as a mental trap: the work keeps getting pushed forward until a crisis forces panic-learning.
This leads to problems like inconsistent performance, burnout, confusion from cramming too much strategy at once, and unrealistic beliefs about how fast skill can be mastered.
The fix is replacing fantasy-time with today-based consistency, often starting small (even short daily study blocks) and gradually building a steady routine that supports long-term learning.
Motivation Swings From Running Good or Bad
Variance doesn’t create motivation issues—it reveals them.
When running bad, low motivation can be tied to things like:
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Feeling the game is unfair
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Hopelessness
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Confidence collapse
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Fear of failure
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Avoiding tilt
When running good, motivation can drop or distort because of:
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Feeling “done” after winning enough
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Overconfidence
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Wanting to lock up a win
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Fear of giving money back
Tendler’s point: these patterns are diagnostic. The real test of improvement is how you respond the next time variance spikes.
Burnout
Burnout looks like laziness, but it’s often the opposite: too much drive for too long without recovery. Players underestimate how stressful poker is (money, identity, freedom, family, future), then blame themselves when their brain is simply exhausted.
Key prevention ideas include:
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Ease off slightly during high-intensity grind phases
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Learn your early burnout signs and rest sooner
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Schedule real breaks (weekly and monthly)
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Have a non-poker hobby
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Reduce constant screen exposure (especially online)
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Do an end-of-day review to “put poker down” mentally
Goal Problems That Kill Motivation
Tendler lists several goal issues that drain motivation:
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Results-only goals: If money is the only scoreboard, motivation collapses during downswings. Add process goals (decision quality, tilt control, study consistency).
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High expectations: Expecting rapid leaps creates repeated disappointment. Convert expectations into goals with a plan.
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Far-away dreams only: Big goals need smaller milestones to survive setbacks.
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No next target: After achieving something big, motivation drops if there’s no new direction.
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Indecision: Not lazy—uncertain. Treat it like exploration, then choose deliberately.
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Hidden “avoidance” goals: Avoiding embarrassment, mistakes, or criticism quietly becomes the real driver and steals energy from true goals.
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Personal goals: If poker goals don’t motivate you, connect poker to life goals (security, freedom, education, family, etc.).
“Freerolling” Talent and the Adversity Gap
Some players rise quickly on talent and early success, then crash when they hit real adversity. Tendler says the missing piece is often work ethic, planning, discipline, and resilience—skills that only develop when success stops being automatic.
He suggests rebuilding motivation by clarifying goals, defining why they matter, making a realistic plan, prioritizing time, getting guidance from disciplined people, identifying likely obstacles, and preparing responses to them.
When Dreams Replace Plans
Dreaming can feel emotionally real, so setbacks feel like the dream is being destroyed. The solution is turning dreams into goals with steps, including a plan for adversity—because adversity is guaranteed.
Absence of Learning and Boredom
Boredom often means your brain isn’t being challenged. When learning stops, autopilot increases and motivation fades. Tendler suggests treating boredom as a cue to:
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Find something new to learn (even small edges)
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Go deeper into details where margins are thin
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Use coaches/sweats for fresh feedback
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Change games or play tougher lineups to expose weaknesses
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Or take a break if the real issue is burnout
Being “Numb” to Emotion
Some players try to eliminate emotion entirely to avoid tilt, but that can also remove the emotional fuel for motivation—making poker feel like a flat grind. Reconnecting with emotion may temporarily reawaken tilt/fear/confidence issues, so you handle those directly while using healthy inspiration as a short-term spark.
Hopelessness
At the bottom end is hopelessness: believing there’s nothing you can do to change outcomes, so effort feels pointless. Tendler links this to deeper confidence distortions—often believing you control things you actually can’t (or blaming yourself for variance). Restoring stable confidence is the long-term fix.