Most people think of poker players as gamblers in a game of chance. It this were totally true, however, there would not be professionals who make their living by earning more than they lose and amateurs who lose more than they win. The difference here is that the pros have acquired the discipline involved in all sports of learning, understanding, and most essentially, practicing endlessly in their chosen field. They may have card sense, but above all they have the discipline to find a method that works for them.

There is actually no real spontaneous talent. Think of Mozart, truly a talented child protage. One who practiced without end even as a small child, without which he would be just another composer/pianist of some merit. Mozart proves the old adage that talent is oft-practiced potential. No one learns discipline by someone else beating it into them. It must be self-imposed.

Amateurs play for the fun and excitement of risk against blind Chance. That is what keeps the business alive. Professional players leave Chance no chance: the pro knows what his basic chances are and takes advantage of every opponent’s slip, remembers repetitive patterns, and calculates the current odds. The serious player does not expect to have simpleminded fun: rather, his takes pleasure in efficiently emptying pockets as a profession. Chance only enters the professional’s world as one of the elements against which he matches his intelligence and skill. The idea is not to gamble half-blindly, but to pitch oneself against the strategies of another, and 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.

There is a big difference between limit and no-limit poker. A disciplined player will not yield to temptation and will prefer the game in which he feels in full, cucumber-cool control. In limit poker, disciplined players tend to play with caution, act cool, taking the time to covertly collect information about opponents, intending to milk them by small moves. They will play only the hands worth playing: the best ones play only about 20% of the hands dealt them.

A disciplined no-limit professional will evince the opposite of reserve, will be aggressive before the flop, and will play hands that to the limit expert would seem reckless stunts, always knowing, however, what precisely he is trying to achieve by every aggressive move.

Whether limit or no-limit, of at least the same importance as the right move, is to not get so carried away that you don’t refrain yourself from knowing when to fold. If the situation is hopeless, or you feel a lack of control, which is certainly not uncommon, as a disciplined player aware of your performance, you will not continue with a game bringing only 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.

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