Most people think of poker players as gamblers in a game of chance. It this were totally true, however, there would not be professionals who make their living by earning more than they lose and amateurs who lose more than they win. The difference here is that the pros have acquired the discipline involved in all sports of learning, understanding, and most essentially, practicing endlessly in their chosen field. They may have card sense, but above all they have the discipline to find a method that works for them.
In fact, there is no such thing as spontaneous talent: music did not “just made sense” to Mozart – where would he be if he hadn’t spent his childhood practicing? One could say that talent is well-practiced potential. But don’t wait for a freaky father to hit you with a rod over your fingers every time you play the wrong card; impose your own discipline.
Amateurs play for the fun and excitement of risk against blind Chance. That is what keeps the business alive. Professional players leave Chance no chance: the pro knows what his basic chances are and takes advantage of every opponent’s slip, remembers repetitive patterns, and calculates the current odds. The serious player does not expect to have simpleminded fun: rather, his takes pleasure in efficiently emptying pockets as a profession. Chance only enters the professional’s world as one of the elements against which he matches his intelligence and skill. The idea is not to gamble half-blindly, but to pitch oneself against the strategies of another, and win.
Because of the many varieties of poker out there that are regularly played, you must learn them all. You must find the one that is best suited to your intuitions, likes and aptitudes. The one that engages you most fully and keeps you focused is the one to choose. Not having this self-imposed introspection, players find themselves plodding soddenly along in a game which is not turning on their best instincts. A professional will tell them to try another form of the game. They are probably amazed at what a talented performer they have become should they take the pros advice.
Make no mistake, there is a vast difference between limit and no-limit poker. The disciplined player will keep temptation in check and will prefer the game at which he feels fully in control and can go about it calmly and cautiously, all the while gathering data on his opponents to use against them relentlessly in small moves. They will only play the hands that seem to be the best, disregarding about 80% of the hands that are dealt.
A no-limit professional player also has discipline. He will, however, not appear cool and collected but will play aggressively before the flop, and will play hands that the limit player would consider as one of those 80% he wouldn’t touch. The no-limit pro while seeming to be reckless, is acutely aware of exactly what he is attempting to accomplish by every aggressive move he makes.
Whether limit or no-limit, of at least the same importance as the right move, is to not get so carried away that you don’t refrain yourself from knowing when to fold. If the situation is hopeless, or you feel a lack of control, which is certainly not uncommon, as a disciplined player aware of your performance, you will not continue with a game bringing only frustration.
You must never believe that your good fortune, on better days, will go on for eternity. Learn to leave while you are still hot, not when you cool off. During each session, you must not only have a cap on your losses, but also on your gains.
The author is a full time online poker player and makes the majority of his income from his online play and rakeback at Players Only. To sign up for a Rakeback account of your own visit Rakeback Solution.
categories: poker discipline,poker,online poker,gambling,games,card games,recreation