If you are at a table that seems to be passive, or not alot of action – be the action man (or woman)!  Either players are going to fold and you will make money off the blinds – OR – you will get some action on the table and you will be seen as being too aggressive/unpredictable.  Then you will get paid off when you need to be!

You will probably see me bring this up over and over and over……….. and if it makes one player realize the importance of Bankroll Management in poker, then I will be a happy girl!

DO NOT PLAY OUTSIDE OF YOUR BANKROLL!  You have an easier way of winning at blackjack if you only have 100 dollars in your pocket, as your return could be much quicker! 

Poker is not a game of big wins every day.  The swings exist, and you cannot predict when they will come – so always make sure that your bankroll is atleast 100xBB or 10x the max buy-in at the table you are sitting at (for cash games).  If you are focussing on tournaments, make sure you have atleast 25x the buy-ins you are playing.

I think a lot of new players in poker make the mistake of using aggression when it’s just not necessary.  Its easy to fall into this trap when watching players like Brian Townsend 3 bet with 6 high, but the reality is:

1.  He is playing 100/200 NL Plus!
2. He is a master of online poker
3. He knows how to fold when his instincts tell him to

Dont try to be Brian!  Learn your own game, get yourself comfortable.  Play ABC poker and then make your moves when you feel they are right.  Get paid on your hands by using aggression and be passive when you need to!  Poker is a multi-faceted game – aggression only is not going to make you a winning player.

We have all heard this one before, but that doesnt mean we all listen.  Its amazing that the smallest peices of advice in Poker are actually the most important to listen to.  Patience is key when playing poker, ESPECIALLY online!  You are seeing so many hands/hour, and its so easy to play hands just because they are there.  Whether you are playing tournament poker or cash games, patience can be key to your success – as all it takes is 1 bad move and your game could be thrown.

We all will get steamed at some point or another when playing online poker.  But learn to control how often you get upset.  When you are getting frustrated every time that someone sucks out or you lose your set to a straight etc. – you may not realize it, but it is affecting your game.

I constantly hear poker players saying “It doesnt affect my game” yet the next 3 hands they are pushing preflop with rubbish, trying to say they are just continuing their aggression, lol. 

Train yourself not to get upset over the small things that are always going to continue to happen in poker.  Find what makes you calm, be it music, tv, meditation, smoking, drinking, getting away from the computer – whatever it is – find it and stick to it.  There is nothing possitive that will come out of your constant outbursts regarding the idiocies of every day poker!