The Top Five Habits and Behaviours of Winning Poker Players

Winning Poker Players

There’s a reason why expert poker players win time after time - and no, it’s not because they get lucky. On the contrary, even with the worst of hands, they are somehow able to minimise their losses and even turn it into a winning streak. It’s all about attitude. Let’s go a little further: it’s about a frame of mind, about certain habits that they have cultivated, about a certain behaviour they have embraced. So how exactly do they do it? What’s their secret? Here are the top five habits and behaviours of winning poker players.

It’s all in the head – so prepare mentally

A large part – the predominant part of the game – is how you react to a given situation and how you make a decision. Playing when you’re tired, drunk, upset, stressed, or hungry is not ideal. Having a rested mind when playing will allow you to play a few bad hands without going tilt.

They try to improve

Great players know they are not the greatest in the world and understand they still have a lot to learn – they constantly try to improve themselves. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes - take note of them and learn from them.

It’s all about self-discipline

A wise general knows which battle to fight and which not to. He also waits patiently for the battle he is sure he can win. Have discipline – it’s possible you’ll have to sit through five mediocre games before you can make some real progress.

Focus is all - emotions are flaws

Focus on your game and don’t be emotionally swayed; the focused player sticks with their strategy and understands that their strategy will work in the long run – they don’t get swayed by emotions just because things don’t seem to work out as they should.
Steady as she goes

You need to be focused, but that’s only possible when you have a strategy. Make some rules that you yourself vow to stick to. Do the math. Once you’ve found a strategy that works for you, you can just enjoy the game and command the ship to go steady as she goes.

It’s not that the professional poker players aren’t overconfident sometimes, and neither are they immune to emotions or forget to learn their lessons – we are all human and even the best of poker players sometimes make mistakes. But it’s about the attitude, and the way they approach the game, that makes them winners. They’re prepared. They learn yet focus on a strategy. They are disciplined and keep their emotions in check. People who can do that are sure to be winners in any field – including online poker. So whether you host poker night events yourself or are playing in someone else’s poker party, keep this in mind and you’re sure to be a success.