Choose to be a winner and not a loser
The only purpose in playing poker is to win money. There's only one exception to that rule and that is when you are playing penny-ante poker at home for fun. I am sure that you understand that the winner walks away with more money than the loser but I want to clearly underline that this is important.
Now, this problem winner/loser as you can imagine, it has its own sharp sides and it is not only a simple task. Besides the obvious facts that you can't be a winner if you don't have a good knowledge on the game, don't consider poker to be a game for past time fun. This is a serious game that involves a lot of skill. If the first two problems are solved, meaning you know the game and you don't play it for simple fun, one of the most important things that you must do to be a winner is to don't think in terms of how much you're going to lose. Think of winning.
Be alert at all times
We all know that casinos do their best to distract players from their games with booze and attractive waitresses and so on we all know the environment. One of the best advices you can get as a serious poker player in you way to become a winner is to stay away from drinking while you play. Also, don't play if you are worn out or tired.
Alcohol impairs judgment, and even worse it suddenly transforms cowards into brave men, gets them up until reality hits them, and then the depression begins. I have seen situations when the drunken player was hit by a big pale of luck but that was only luck. Most of the times the drunk is the chump at the table and the rest of players take profit on this, as they sometimes go on the game with poor hands knowing that almost sure the chumps hand will be worst.
So, is better for you to be the one at the table who can take profit on the impaired judgment of the drunk opponent.
Play only in games you can afford, that are more proper for your capital
First of all, if you throw yourself in a game that you can't afford financially you must know that you are making a big mistake. It's true that is your business how you choose to loose your money, but here is the problem' you are most likely to lose and the purpose on poker is winning; remember the first things that you read on his page. Do not go in the game hoping for a run of good cards.
It's ok to play at risk sometimes in poker, but not in this situation. The only thing that you succeed to do is to play with scared money and therefore you will play too suspiciously and you wont make the good choices when you should, like raising at the opportune moment to drive other players out.
Besides this most of the time you will find at the table with you other players who can smell out scared money players, and they're hit with checks from all sides of the table so that the chump player will need to raise and re raise until he will get a wry face with his hands shaking and his heart pumping and pumping. Perceptive, intelligent and aggressive players will always beat this kind of chump players.
Also, this kind of sessions in a poker game can affect your health so better take my advice and play only in games suited for your capital. You have better chances in there so don't throw them away.
Know when to leave the table
This is extremely important. If you are going to play poker either professionally or as a way to make money, then you can't look at Poker as individual sessions of play, but as one long poker game that's going on indefinitely. You step into it and step out of it. It doesn't matter if you won 250 today, if you've lost 6,000 a week before. You're not a 250 winner; you're a 5,750 loser. You should keep a running count of your wins and losses. It doesn't matter if you win more than you lose in terms of poker sessions, or vice-versa.
What is important is how you stand at the end of your last play. Are your ahead or behind? If you're ahead, you're a winner; if you're behind, you're losing, and nothing you can think about or rationalize about is going to change this.
Bluff - But Within Reasons
Bluffing in poker games is usually an overestimated tactic. People are wrong to assume that it is a essential element in the game. Bluffing from time to time is good and healthy in poker, and a good poker player knows exactly when to bluff and when not to use this method. It would be unwise to try and bluff a heavy winner or a heavy loser. Bluffing a player who has little money is also not the way to go.
There are sophisticated ways to use bluffing, if you're into that sort of thing. One way is to make a bad bluff, which the other players will notice, and have them think that it was unintentionally discovered. Then, when you have a good hand and disguise it, they won't be able to tell. Make sure though that your bad bluff doesn't cost you much, it's not worth spending too much money on bluffs.
Remember to also expect some bluffing from the other poker players. However, don't expect bluffing to happen very often. Some people have the tendency to always call in a game, because they are sure that the other players are bluffing and don't really have a good hand. Call only when you think you have good chances of wining the pot.
