The end of each year is such an emotional time of the year for me. I get to spend a lot of time with friends and family, to feel grateful for the lessons of this year and to let my mind relax.
Whether you like to make New Year’s resolutions or not, this time of the year is perfect for reflection, planning ahead and visualizing where you want to be in 2021.
Each end of a year is a new beginning! No matter how you feel about 2020 put it behind you and move forward with a renewed sense of purpose and excitement. Get ready and be motivated to do your best in 2021.
Here are this year’s 40 most inspiring poker mindset quotes from my Instagram account (@thepokermindset). Enjoy!
Quotes from the legends of poker
“After I had the cancer operation where I wasn’t expected to live. When I came out of the hospital, I decided I was going to play poker, do what I wanted to do the rest of my life. That’s when I made the turning point to be a professional player. I was 28. I had just got married. I was considering going back into “the real world” and getting “the real job.” After that (surviving cancer) happened, I just decided that life’s too short. I was going to do what I wanted to do.” – Doyle Brunson
“The minute you take anything personally at the poker table, you’re done.” – Phil Ivey
“The object of poker is to keep your money away from Phil Ivey for as long as possible.” – Gus Hansen
“Only losers and amateurs blame the cards. After all, cards don’t care; they don’t take sides, and they have no memory. They are blind justice holding her scales, and in the long run they’ll tip evenly for the novice and the skilled alike.” – Lou Krieger
“We’ve all heard stories about poker players grinding it out for two days straight. Believe me; I’ve got stories like that of my own. But the bottom line is that these stories usually don’t have great endings. That’s because the mind starts playing tricks after a marathon poker session, especially after a losing session.” – Daniel Negreanu
“We don’t have the colourful characters wearing cowboy hats and screaming across the table. but we have these incredible talents who are all about life balance and making rational decisions, managing their money well – it really isn’t a gamblers world anymore – it’s a smart competitor’s world.” – Jason Koon
“I have typically succeeded at the things I really put my mind to. I truly do believe we are capable of anything when we give it our all.” – Antonio Esfandiari
“You will be much happier when you realize you are going to lose hands, even when you have a lot of equity. Once losing no longer causes pain, you will have no reason to get upset, which will allow you to consistently play at a high level!” – Jonathan Little
“The casino does not care if the gambler wins or loses on any single day. They look at their quarterly and yearly results, knowing they are winning over time because they have an edge in the games. What happens in an individual spin of the roulette wheel has no impact on their business. Treat your poker game as if you are the casino.” – Elliot Roe
“Please don’t be an asshole to obvious new players at the poker table. If you can tell someone is new to live poker, try giving them a bit of help and make their experience more comfortable instead of treating them like they are some type of idiot.” – Joe Ingram
“I started playing home games and I loved playing poker. I’d played poker and bridge almost every day in college. I look back on it and tell people I majored in cards. I did better in the poker games than I did in the job.” – Mike Sexton
“Don’t obsess over stack size. Focus not on how much you’ve had, but how much playability you have with what is in front of you.” – Maria Ho
“When I run bad, I simply imagine some pokergods sitting somewhere in the universe, drunk or stoned, randomly distributing stupid coolers and laughing about me. And the more serious I take it the more they are laughing about me. Always makes me smile a little bit and stay cool.” – Bencb
“Anyway, the truth is that we are ALWAYS gambling. We are gambling in the people we associate with, in how we allocate our time, in what we watch and listen to, what we give focus on, in what we eat, what we say, in all the risks that we take and even all the opportunities that we turn down. Indeed, there are times when the riskiest thing can be doing nothing at all…” – Daniel Cates
“We live in an age where the smartest people in the world are literally hacking your reward circuitry in your brain through applications of technology. If you don’t silence notifications, meditate, and stick to flight mode during sessions, how can you hope to win the war on your attention?” – James Whittet
“If I would have listened to all those people tell me how I should be, I would probably be working for some boss earning my 50K a year patting myself on the back for how much money I made by not pursuing my passion. Bullshit. You have to do you. Live your poker dream.” – Jaime Staples
“You can be so good at poker, but if you’re not disciplined at the table and off the table, you’ll never make it.” – Fedor Holz
“In 1987, I wrote a goal sheet. I didn’t want to waste my life. I’d dropped out of college, and there was a lot of pressure from my parents. I decided, ‘If you’re going to do this, you’re going to become the best in the world at this.’” – Phil Hellmuth
“Every single morning I wake up with an urge to play. Some periods that’s less than others, but it’s always there. Even when I know that I should take time off, it really is a battle to take some time off.” – Lex Veldhuis
“Some people may hate you for being different and not living by society’s standards, but deep down they wish they had the courage to do the same.” – Kevin Hart
@thepokermindset Quotes
Poker: We think we signed up for easy money, but then realize we actually signed up for a constant battle with ourselves, a lifelong journey of self-discovery.
When you lose a big pot, it is human nature to want to make it all back as fast as possible. Slow down, stay focused, and stick to your strategy. This is how you win in the long run.
Poker is the most fascinating game in the world. But it is not a game for the stupid, the mentally lazy, the person of inferior emotional balance, or the get-rich-quick adventurer. They will die poor.
Don’t focus on making back your losses. Focus on playing well. If you let your emotions get the best of you and can’t remain consistent, you’re just an opportunity for the more disciplined poker players.
In poker, it’s typically not the smartest player that wins in the long run. It’s the most disciplined one.
A poker player who gets upset at losses is like a surgeon who faints at the sight of blood.
Poker is a game of inches. Get better sleep; eat healthier; exercise more; worry less; Practice mindfulness… those little details count enormously.
The difference between a great player and a mediocre one is how they deal with bad runs.
If you can play poker, not out of a need to make money but out of an undying quest for mastery, you’ll be amazed by the results.
If winning sessions give you a buzz and losing ones make you depressed, you are pursuing poker with a gambler’s mentality.
Making money playing poker looks deceptively easy. The reality is that poker is one of the toughest mental games in the world.
If you’re going through a downswing, keep calm and take solace in the fact that as long as you respect your bankroll management rules and remain disciplined, in time, the poker gods will give you back far more than they’ve ever taken from you.
One of the biggest obstacles to poker success is lack of sustained focus. Avoid playing distracted at all costs. Remove any tempting distractions and take regular breaks.
You can be free. You can live and work almost anywhere in the world. You can be independent from routine and not answer to anybody. This is the life of a successful poker player.
Why I love Poker? Because it’s the perfect combination of everything that I love: math, psychology, competition and money.
Poker doesn’t care what you think is fair.
Never let a winning poker session get to your head, and never let a losing one get to your heart.
Scared money doesn’t make money.
Poker gives you an incredibly intense feeling of what life is about.
Focus on making the best plays. Focus on bankroll management. Focus on mindset work. Focus on the best execution of your process. This will help you to become a great poker player. Be process-driven, not money-driven! Money is only an outcome.
2021 can’t be the year of talking, wishing or wanting. It has to be the year you get it done! It is entirely up to you. The results depend on the attitude you bring, the commitment you have and the hard work you put in. So let your attitude be positive and your commitment strong!
Note: Do you need a quick poker mindset boost? Click here to get my eBook called 25 Poker Mindset Tips Every Player Should Know!
