Short Poker Essay: How to get broke, how to get rich NLTRN

[Indiana]

I don't want to get philosophical in here today or waste anybody's time. I just want to write a short paragraph or two about something very important to poker, especially in HUSNG. The most important thing that I've learned in this game has come through various downswings that I've had. I've always rebounded from these downswings, but through them I've learned one thing that is soooooo crucial to being a good poker player. Its so crucial, that if you cannot do it, you WILL NOT BE A WINNING PLAYER LONG-TERM.

So what is this secret? Its very simple. If you focus on results or worry about reaching some kind of $$ goal, you will not make it. To be successful in poker, you have to focus on making good decisions. Making good poker decisions has to be your goal, and believe me, its where the fun in this game really lies.

As a kid i was interested in getting big and tough to defend myself and be a good athlete so i started lifting weights. I remember getting frustrated because i wasn't really getting big fast enough. A wise man told me, if you focus on getting big, you'll never get there....you have to focus on getting "stronger" and feeling better, and enjoy that process of development. Then the side effect will be that you will be a bigger man. This is the same concept that I am trying to outline here today.

Making good poker decisions is what we all must focus on. Every match, every hand, every street...flop/turn/river. I can honestly say that I probably need to make more money than anybody in this forum (where i live i need to make 25K/month to do ok), and this often distracts me from focusing on what is really important: Making great decisions and not worrying about the outcomes.

Making good decisions is fun and profitable, worrying about results and making $ is not fun and not profitable.

Thanks to cwar for helping me see the light on this. I've no idea how a 20-yr old like him can see the light around this so quickly, and how a 31-yr old like me struggled so long to get it.

Indy