Attitude and the right state of mind.

  Do you ever have a few drinks wile playing poker? If you have then you’ve probably noticed that you don’t play the same as you do sober. This is obvious, however you can take this theory one step further. What else affects your mental ability to play? I find that I can’t be tired, hungry, angry, or distracted in any way. Your good judgment is the most important tool you have at the table and anything you do to impair this will take away from your game. Especially while playing no limit Texas holdem were you can lose all your chips with one bad call.

   When playing online you can try to distract the other players. One way that I find works well is at a fast paced table play slow. This can frustrate the other players and make them lose their good judgment. Usually the affect is they start making bigger then normal bets to try to speed things up then I set a trap and take their chips. If you are comfortable relaxed and have a good attitude you will be able to stay focused so slow players or rude comments will not affect your decisions.

   Poker is a mental game you need to concentrate on the cards and the other players betting and game styles. Take care of yourself before you sit down at a table so you can be sharp and on the ball. Having a good attitude and being in the right state of mind will go a long way in poker.