It is true for every sport that discipline is a key factor in consistent success. Despite the common understanding that poker is a gambling game of chance, you have to realize that if one day you are to become a profitable pro, you will have to establish sportsmanlike discipline of learning, understanding, and incessant practice. “Talent” is certainly essential, but even the greatest talent needs a method, and method is acquired from careful study.

Mozart was certainly a child protg of great talent, but even Mozart practiced his music relentlessly even as a child. Mozart knew that talent is well-practiced potential. But don’t depend on anyone else to impose discipline. You must impose it on yourself.

The amateur plays for the thrill of risk and the adrenaline rush that comes from fighting against blind chance. Poker is kept alive by this rush. The pros leave nothing to chance, the pro knows what his basic odds are and takes full advantage of his opponents’ errors, notes if there are familiar patterns, and calculates the risk. The serious professional player will not expect to enjoy himself at a friendly game of cards, this is his job. And his job is to take every cent he can from the other players gathered around the table having a casual game of poker to pass the time. The professional’s strategy is to match his wits against chance and his opponent’s methods and come out with a win.

There are many varieties of poker and it is vital to know which of the varieties is most suited to your intuition, skill and behavior patterns. If you do not have this habit of self-introspection, chances are you will keep playing a plodding game which never fully engages your faculties. Try other varieties of poker to see which one(s) excites you. You just might be surprised at what a skillful player you really are.

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.

In both cases, no less important than the right move is the ability to restrain oneself and quit when the situation is hopeless or when you feel you are loosing control: it happens to everyone, but the disciplined player dedicated to consistent performance will not pursue the phantom of mounting 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 successful limit cash game player. He plays poker and receives Rakeback at Fat Bet Poker from Rakeback Solution.

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