Ways to avoid becoming a losing poker player

Everyone who  plays poker with any sort of seriousness has dreams of becoming the next big name in the game, whether that be Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, or anyone else at the very top of the food chain. However, as we found out recently, even log-in names such as ** durrrr** and FlawlessVictory, which were synonymous with online poker success and millions of dollars in winnings, are not guaranteed immunity from having a down year or two. 

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While there are many things that go into being a successful high-stakes poker player (bankroll management, knowing how to bluff, understanding  —the list goes on), perhaps the most important element is simply avoiding becoming a losing poker player. In other words, if you never fall into the trap of being a mediocre (at best) fish in the small pond you play in, you give yourself a very real chance of one day making the leap to the next level. Here are a few ways you can avoid becoming a losing poker player.

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"If you never fall into the trap of being a mediocre (at best) fish in the small pond you play in, you give yourself a very real chance of one day making it to the next level.”

First off, let’s define “losing poker player.” This doesn’t necessarily mean someone who shows a career net loss at poker (though that certainly helps), but instead refers to someone who isn’t constantly trying to get better at the game. Maybe they had some success early on and didn’t realize just how ruthless the poker world can be, or maybe they thought the "easy" days would last forever. 

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Whatever the case, losing poker players are content with being bad, and that’s the first mentality all poker players must overcome. There are no shortcuts to success. That might sound trite, but it’s true. The people at the top of any field aren’t getting advantages others aren’t; rather, they’ve put in the time and effort to hone their craft to perfection. 

There are plenty of ways to try and improve your game. Perhaps the best place to start is by  (or live game if that’s where your roots are). Not only will you be forced to make moves and put yourself out of your comfort zone, but you’ll also quickly learn how poor your poker game really is. Try making a move you think is clever only to have your opponent ask, “You’re raising here? With that?” gets humbling quick. It’s far better to make that mistake in an online sit-and-go than it is at a high-stakes televised final table. 

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Online poker also allows you to take carefully documented  to see if the results you’re getting match up with the results you “should” be getting. If you find yourself winning at a lower percentage of hands than someone of your skill level should, that’s something you can actively work to change.

One of the biggest complaints you’ll hear from losing poker players is variance. Yes, poker can be a swingy game, but the simple truth is that if you are a bad poker player, it will eventually catch up to you. Playing bad poker with perfect money management will go broke over time, while a solid player might just need a little more time to dig themselves out of the hole variance has put them in. 

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Instead of bemoaning the fact that you lost three consecutive $200 tournaments, use it as motivation to become a better player. Look back at each tournament and see where you went wrong. What caused you to get knocked out early in the first one? Was it a lack of aggression preflop, or did you make a costly decision on the turn? Did you not pay close enough attention to your stack sizes in the second, leading to some poorly timed all-in attempts? Did you three-bet with the wrong hands at the wrong times in Tournament Number Three? 

“If you are a bad poker player, it will eventually catch up to you. A solid player might just need a little more time to dig themselves out of the hole variance has put them in.”

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Taking careful notes about what went right and wrong during each tournament can go a long way towards helping you become a better player. Just like how  isn't about memorizing answers, but instead learning the thought process behind why the correct answer is the correct answer, going over your past tourneys isn’t about patting yourself on the back for doubling up with pocket aces, it’s about figuring out why you made a certain move and whether or not it was the correct choice in hindsight. 

Another benefit to taking detailed notes is that you can look back at previous tournaments or sessions to see how far you’ve come. Let’s say you’re playing $10 sit-and-goes. If you regularly make it to the final three with a chance at first place, but continually fall short, there’s a good chance you’re passing on good spots to move all-in. Once you come to this realization (hopefully without us telling you), you can start to make a conscious effort to be more aggressive in those spots. A few months later, check back and see if that extra aggression has helped push you over the top in those sngs. 

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It’s also important to realize that becoming a winning poker player doesn’t mean you will magically start winning all your tournaments. Even the best players in the world can go through extended dry spells. What allowing yourself to improve will do is help you limiti the amount of money you lose over a given period of time. Instead of going broke in six months, it could take you a year. 

Once you’ve accepted that you probably aren’t as good as you think you are, it’s time to embrace humility at the poker table. While there is definitely value to be gained from  on other poker players, constantly singing your own praises is a good way to make enemies at the table. For one, no one likes an egomaniac. Secondly, talking about all the huge hands you’ve hit in the past few weeks/months/years tips your opponents off that you’re full of it. 

“Being a great poker player has very little to do with how well you play ace-king all-in preflop against Tiger 'calculatable' Grosskost and very much to do with whether or not you can bluff a single credit when you have eight high.”

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For example, let’s say you’ve won seven of your last ten $5 + .50 SNGs. You might think you’re being cute when you moving all-in preflop with nine-eight offsuit in the cutoff and giving a sly grin to the player in middle position. “I won the last seven of these doing exactly the same thing,” is what came out of your mouth. Too bad the 8-7o flopping an open-ended straight draw gives the player in the SB the winner and sends you to the cashier page. 

Thinking you’re too good to catch a one-iner is thinking that because you’ve hit one in the past seven attempts, you’re now immune to them. In reality, the eighth straight flush is right around the corner. It’s also important to note that just because you moved in with nine-eight and won the previous seven times, that doesn’t mean it was the best play. Without knowing the situations, it could have been the right move four of the times and pure brilliance to move in with that trash twice. Sometimes things just run hot. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re the second coming of  when in reality you’re just due to cool off. 

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This falls under the category of embracing humility, but is important enough to warrant its own section. One of the fastest ways to go broke in this poker game is to believe your own hype. Thinking you’re the next  because you’ve won five of six $20 SNGs means you’re going to have a rude awakening once you either buy an all-in with pocket jacks and get snap-called by pocket queens, or you lose a coin flip and it breaks your bankroll. 

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Being a great poker player has very little to do with how well you play ace-king all-in preflop against Tiger ‘calculatable’ Grosskost and very much to do with whether or not you can bluff a single credit when you have eight high. It’s those minor decisions that will determine your future in this game, not the times you get lucky by hitting a two-outer to knock out an opponent with top pair, top kicker. Get too attached to those feel-good moments and you’ll forget about the importance of playing the long game.