07- 7-04, LearnTexasHoldem:

Patience

Question: dear Sir,

I enjoy reading your articles very much and the q&a section as well, I've found it to be a very good source of information and I wish you well with it. My question to you would be this: Are there any tips you can give me for being patient during a tournament or even in reg ring play, because If Ive learned one thing patience is something you need a lot of, and sometimes I just dont have it. Looking forward to hearing any and all response you have to this question.

Sincerely,

Roderick.

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Answer: Thanks for the question Roderick. Being patient in poker is essential. It is very easy to play a few extra hands here and there because you are getting bored or you see other people playing so badly. You can throw some of that in and do ok but remember that whatever you give back is less money you'll win at the end of the day. I don't know if I have any secrets for patience necessarily; what keeps me out of trouble most of the time is maintaining the long term perspective.

I remind myself that I'm here to win money this week, not this hand. A lot will happen before the day is over so why give up some money now when I don't have to. I also do my best to pay attention to the games I'm in. I watch other people and how they are playing and try to guess what they have through out the hands even when I'm not in. All that info really helps out. It's not easy maintaining that level of concentration all day and at the end of a long session I see myself just playing my cards instead of taking into account what everyone else may have; that can be hard on your winnings.

If you are getting bored at a cash game table because you aren't getting any cards, you may just want to switch seats or tables. Obviously that doesn't change your chances of getting good hands but it can be a "fresh start". You put a break between a losing session or boredom session and your play now which has a positive psychological effect.

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