Trying to raise your poker game is always a challenge, but it’s a battle worth fighting very single time. Do you really think the pros don’t raise their poker game every now and then? They don’t rest on their former glories all that much, because there’s always somebody bigger and badder coming down the pipe, ready to knock you out of the game. The very nature of poker is very dog eat dog. Even though a lot of people within the community strive to be friendly and helpful, when it’s time for a game they definitely put on their gear and come at you in full force. So you need to ensure that you are always looking at your poker game from every angle.
Take a step back and be honest with yourself — how is your poker game right now? Are you really winning, or are you just breaking even? Doing a little quick math can really make all of the difference. You have to always look at what you’re doing, how it’s being done, and what you plan to do after everything has been dealt with. If you ignore the need to grow in the world of poker, you will only make yourself more and more miserable. There’s no need to feel like it’s impossible to have a great poker game — you just need to get a little more strategic.
Many people play poker by the seat of their pants. If you’re not trying to win money from poker, then that’s not bad. Kill a day and just play if that’s what you ultimately wish to do — but don’t waste your time trying to play that way for real money.
Another point that needs to be said — know when to back out. A lot of newbies think that they should always be roaring into the hands, but that’s not the case. You want to know when the roar and when to, quite frankly, just shut up and hold your peace. Even when you think you have a monster and you’re going to win the big pot, you never know when your three Queens is really going to be stomped by somebody that lucks into getting a full house or worse — a four of a kind!
Strategy isn’t something that’s static at all — it’s always changing, getting stronger and turning you into the great poker player that you were meant to be. However, what you have to remember is that strategy needs to be fed. Don’t sit there thinking that it’s the end of the world if you lose a few games. It’s also not bad if you lose a few games and you have to adjust your strategy. Some players get so hardheaded that they often forget this — there’s no shame in changing things up when it’s not to your liking.
Overall, it is possible to grow your poker game. We’ll write more on this in the future, so make sure that you stay tuned. If you liked this article, don’t worry — we’ve really only touched the very tip of the iceberg. There’s a lot more waiting for you on the site in the weeks to come!