If you’re thinking about getting into poker but you’ve already heard so many horror stories of big time losses, chances are good that you’re questioning your sanity right now. You might think that there’s no way for a total beginner to break into the game at all. You’re just going to get eaten by sharks anyway.
You’re going to have your bankroll taken away from you, and your bankroll is hard earned cash. These are all classic worries and fears. I have to admit that when I first got into poker, I had all of these classic problems. I worried about my bankroll a lot, even though I saved up quite a bit to do it.
I had big dreams of being a professional poker player right out of the gate. I’d show ’em that I could take on the big guys and win. However, it doesn’t really work like that. Unless you’ve been really studying the game, practicing the game and basically breathing the game, you are not ready for the professional stages of poker. That means that you don’t work anywhere and you pretty much grind it out all day at the casino. That can work for some but that’s not a lifestyle that I would just push on people without telling them what it’s like. The truth is that from everything I’ve read, you can indeed support yourself with poker if you play it enough. But your skills have to be pretty sharp. That means that you can’t just skip practicing and sharpening those skills.
But if you just want to have a good time, you can do that in the world of poker. There’s nothing that says that you can’t have the time of your life. But you do need to be watching out for everything else going on. You need to still think about the type of life that you want, and that’s not a joke. You can’t just think about the present. Anyone can win here and there and get lucky.
Getting into poker is a process. I hate to be cliché, but the ladder theory comes into play. Now, if you try to jump over rungs in the ladder, you’re going to be higher off the ground than you expected. Is that something that you’re super comfortable with? If so, then you’re already in the game. But if you’re like many people and this isn’t quite your speed, you’re going to be in for a bad time.
I can’t stress the bankroll management thing about. You need to play at a level that you’re comfortable with. Don’t get sucked into TV poker. Those guys have money. You probably don’t have the type of big time bankroll that can take a ten thousand dollar loss and keep on going. They do. Keep in mind that since they are entertaining you, they have appearance contracts where they’re getting paid to be who they are. If you’re not at that point yet, don’t sweat it. A lot of people start small and scale out over time.
Playing microstakes is a good way to cut your teeth without losing your bankroll. Yes, it can be monotonous because you really inch forward very slowly. But the reality is that this is still a good thing. The reality is that you can definitely get all of the fun out of the way and enjoy a wild poker outing without even leaving your home.
It’s true — online poker is where it’s at. You can even get good enough to play multiple tables at the same time, which would really improve your game. It’s completely up to you, though. No matter what anyone in the greater casino community tells you, every step has to be your idea. If you try to play when you don’t feel like it, you’re going to be playing on tilt. Managing your emotions is really the name of the game here, and it just cannot be stressed harder than this. If you give into your emotions, you’re going to get taken advantage of. New players have to work on their mindset and how they see poker. You might want to make good money in poker, and that’s wonderful. But there’s a dark side of poker that you need to be aware of, and it’s topics like this that remind me to talk about it more.
The glitter, glam, and glitz of online poker sucks a lot of people in. I admit it that I love this game, and I want you to love it too. Over the next few posts I’ll be talking about how to really take your poker game to the next level. But I won’t be stopping there — I’ll cover other casino games too.
Why? Because you need a break. The rest of your life is always in your face, crying out to you. Take a break, relax, and play poker. Get away from your stress for a while. Trust me, the rest of life will definitely be waiting for you!