Poker - Discipline, Discipline and Discipline

I use the term 3 times because it is so important in poker.

Over time, you will learn that your mindset is so important in poker.

Poker is ultimately a game of logic over emotions. A game of self discipline, if you like.

So how do you consistently apply logic and not your emotions?

First, you can decide what to do in the most common and basic situations. There are a lot of books out there that will tell you what to do with various starting hands - whether to fold or how much to bet etc.

But then in poker there are so many different situations, many of them unique and not occuring often. Experience will teach you how to detect these situations and how best to play them. But without discipline, you will ignore your experience and play with your emotions and inevitable lose money.

If you are not yet playing your best poker on a regular basis, then it’s best to start playing very cautiously at first. Let other people go gung ho and lose their money quickly.

Some of the best winners at poker are the more patient ones and if it takes you 20 minutes to find your game then so be it, at least you will not have thrown away your entire bankroll inside the first 5 minutes of playing.

But remember, the best poker players are not just tight, they are also aggressive. So when the time comes and you have found your natural disciplined rhythm, then start to get more aggressive in your play.