One of the hardest things you will deal with in the world of online poker is losing. It might not seem that way, but it’s true. A lot of new players feel like they should be winning more often, and even some veterans realize that they take the game of poker too seriously when every loss feels like it’s affecting them. It goes without saying that poker isn’t just about the luck of the cards. It’s a strategy game, and where there’s strategy there’s also psychological warfare. Basically speaking, your opponents are trying to get into your head. They know that if they get into your head, you will end up messing up sooner or later. The mistakes that you make in poker can be costly – do you really want to burn through your bankroll just because you’re getting emotional and living in the moment? That’s something that nobody should have to go through if they can help it. It would be a lot smarter to make sure that you are looking through all of your options rather than getting bogged down by psychological torment.
But that’s what losing really does to us. It makes us feel like we’re not doing something properly. It makes us feel like we should just give up poker and find something else to do. However, if you always take that mindset with everything, you’re never going to get ahead. You have to make sure that you focus on the bigger picture and not get sidetracked. As long as you try to figure that out, there’s nothing and no one that will be able to scare you out of playing.
Don’t feel like you’re doomed to lose forever. A losing streak can be broken by going back to the fundamentals. You need to basically be more selective in terms of what hand you’re going to play and what hand you’re going to fold. There’s nothing shameful about folding a lot. In fact, many professional players fold their hands quite often in order to make sure that they definitely have enough power to play longer than everyone else. Once you get down to the head’s up level on the table, you want to really make sure that you can outlast the other party by folding when you need to fold. Of course, some people will feel that they should always shove in and scare players. The trouble with that perspective is that you will eventually build a pattern of doing this. Other players will spot it and shut you down fast, challenging you hard by raising over and over again.
Overall, you really have no reason to let a losing streak in poker define you as a player. Go back to the fundamentals, study what you’re doing in each and every game, and keep practicing. You’ll eventually get where you wish to go! Good luck out there!