Poker is quite an adventure. While there are great days, there are also days when you feel like you are living in your worst nightmare.
In this article I would like to share some of my favorite posts from 2019. Thanks for following me and reading my content! Here’s the 30 things every poker player needs to hear, enjoy!
- You have to know why you play poker. You are most motivated by knowing why you do things. Having a strong why is what gets you through the hard times. Clearly defining and identifying this why is crucial for long-term success.
- The more you play poker, the more you’ll realize that a big part of this game has to do with your attitude towards things you can’t control.
- Poker is an individual activity where no boss is there to tell you what to do or to take responsibility for your actions. Many try to blame luck or other players for their failures, but the sooner you take full responsibility for your outcomes the better.
- Being aware of what mood you’re in before you start the session is the first step towards developing a healthier approach to poker.
- Never let a winning poker session get to your head, and never let a losing one get to your heart.
- The greatest strength of a successful poker player is accepting bad beats, bad cards, downswings and not complaining about it.
- A big part of your poker success depends on your attitude towards things you can’t control. Great players cultivate peace by being indifferent to the things outside of their control.
- Losses are part of this journey. Do not allow yourself to become resentful. Maintain that spark in your eyes. Keep playing poker, keep learning, keep growing.
- Poker is not about those big fat winning sessions. It’s about the hundreds and thousands of inevitable losing ones that you have to deal with, at the same time keeping faith and confidence in your strategy.
- The greatest players dedicate their life and put in the hard work to master poker. Mediocre ones are always looking for a quick and easy way, which doesn’t exist, so they waste their time searching with false expectations.
- The wolf on the hill is never as hungry as the wolf climbing the hill. Work on your game every day! Study, review, watch videos.
- Great poker players prioritize their mood. This is the difference between your success and failure at the tables. How often do you make good decisions when you’re fearful? When you’ve lost and want to get even? Be aware of your mood and understand that you perform your best when you feel at your peak(Calm, relaxed and happy). If you’re not feeling this way, then getting there is the priority, not playing poker.
- Poker is a skill game pretending to be a chance game.
- If you look at poker success as a never-ending path of learning instead of a destination with a deadline, you will embrace the process and then the setbacks and downswings will become less scary and risky, because they are all just part of the journey.
- Having the strength and willingness to show up, take your chances, and expose yourself to the possibility of losing, that’s the essence of success in poker.
- Poker is all about staying level-headed, not taking things personally, being a good player, and thinking long-term.
- Poker is a rough game and there is little room for the undisciplined.
- If you’re not disciplined in your life, you won’t magically be disciplined in poker. If you are to become a consistently profitable poker player, discipline has to become a way of life.
- After losing a big pot, most people’s first instinct is to get back the money lost at all cost. Which often makes things worse. Shift your perspective from money-oriented to process-oriented!
- Mindset is the most crucial element of a successful poker career.
- People with very low risk tolerance, who cannot accept losing sessions, are not cut out to be great poker players, since losing is simply part of the game. Mentally tough poker players are able to emotionally accept the uncertainty that is inherent in poker.
- Time spent mastering the basics is time well spent.
- If you’re going through a downswing remember: the comeback is always stronger than the setback.
- Poker is a very competitive game and you have to be able to handle getting your butt kicked.
- Successful players know that the freedom poker grants them comes with a price: huge responsibility. Nobody else is going to set your goals, manage your time, and hold you accountable. Being self-disciplined is one of the most important traits of a great poker player. Understand that not putting in the work will make you fall behind!
- The difference between being a successful poker player and a failure is that successful players know how to deal with losses. They don’t get too emotional and think the world is coming to an end. They don’t freak out and start chasing losses. They accept that every now and then everyone makes mistakes and they are determined to learn from their mistakes, because this players understand that failures and losses make them wiser and better.
- Poker is a game of inches. Get better sleep; eat healthier; exercise more; worry less; Practice mindfulness… those little details count enormously.
- The edges in poker are getting smaller and smaller, but there’s still a big advantage for those players who know how to consistently reach their mental peak.
- There’s nothing that’s deserved in poker. Cards don’t care about your feelings.
- Life is too short for not doing what you love. I love Poker!
Note: Do you want improve your poker mindset and play your A-Game more often? Check out Elliot Roe’s course: A-Game Poker Masterclass. Click here to learn more!