Avoid Emotional Swings

Texas Holdem poker is the ultimate thinking man’s game. Anyone who plays Texas Holdem poker without thinking will soon be without chips. Just think about the many different decisions you have to make in poker. It is exciting, but it can be dangerous if you let your emotional swings get the best of you. You begin with reading your pocket poker hand, analyzing your poker position, your opponent’s position and playing styles, the chips stacks (if in a tournament), the flop read, the bets and acts, possible tells, etc.

You have to do all of this and more quickly and without making any errors. You then have to also consider how your opponents will react to what you do. All of this requires a level head and the last thing in the world that you need to calculate everything properly is an emotional state of mind.Factors such as a bad beat on the last poker hand, a bad run of draws and pocket hands, opponents who played a hand with ignorance and stupidity but won anyway, etc. are things that you simply must get over and past if you are going to succeed at having a clear and level head to make decisions with.

To put it another way, how can you successfully drive a car forward on the road ahead if you are fixated on the rear view mirror?  Much like the advice given to football defensive backs that get beat for a touchdown pass, Texas Holdem poker players need to have very short memories and focus on the now and the future.

One of the dangers of online poker that the best players have had to overcome is the shear simplicity of how it is played. A couple of impulsive clicks can get you into serious trouble and, by its very nature, online Texas Holdem poker can invite more irrational play than the cardroom version. That is something the best online players simply turn into their advantage as they let their opponents go on tilt and click those raise buttons with lousy hands and irrational minds. You will find that tight play often works even better online that it does in person. The best online poker players realize that it is not a video game but, indeed, it is an actual Holdem Poker game played with and for money.

To be one of the best when playing poker either online or in a local cardroom simply focus on your reads, your knowledge of your opponent’s playing styles, the draws and the proper bets and odds. As you do this remember that it requires a clear head and short memory of bad beats. Take pride in your self-control and discipline every time you play, make it a point of emphasis for your game. By doing so you will rack up more chips than you give up when playing poker.