Renewal

Sometimes you have to get up away from the poker table and take a break.

Sometimes you have the insight to realize it is not just bad beats, not just unlucky draws, not just donkeys or noobs playing badly.

All these things may well be happening but after awhile they can take a definite effect on your play. You start making adjustments and changes to your game based on these outside influences.

We know we’re not supposed to do that. We know that aces and kings get cracked. We know that the flush draw only gets there slightly less than half the time. But it starts to seem like YOUR aces ALWAYS get cracked and YOUR opponent’s draws ALWAYS come in.

So, despite knowing what you’re supposed to not do, you do it anyway. You unconsciously start to play those aces soft and not pushing hard against that obvious draw. And now, instead of things improving like you might have hoped, they get worse!

Now, when you’re smart enough to recognize that you’ve made a bad situation worse, it’s time to push back and stand up and get off those tables for awhile. Think about poker. Think about things other than poker. Let your odds and karma and luck and inner turmoil settle back to a happy medium. Then, however long it takes, go back fresh and do things right. Starting from the basics and with a positive attitude – formulate a plan and set some modest goals.

And if things don’t go your way, stick with your plan, play the way you’re supposed to. Don’t give in to the urge to react to bad beats and freakish odds. Just play solid, aggressive, good poker based on your table. Make your opponents react to you. Take command!