"Poker is a game to be enjoyed, no matter what level you play at. Bad Beats
are, in truth, part of the game, but remember, we all inflict them as well,
in equal number over a period of time, so don't let a bad night at the table
spoil your fun. The chances are, tomorrow will go the other way."

2. Keep a score

"Did you make a profit playing poker this week? Well, few of us admit to
making a loss, but even the world's best players have bad runs. So keep a
log of what you win and lose each day, or week. And be honest with yourself.
It does not matter what you tell your friends, but you MUST keep an accurate
running total of your poker profit and loss account. You'd be surprised just
how much a losing week focuses your mind!"

3. Play a natural game

"Do you restrict your play to a level you can afford? No? Well you ought to!
If you play at levels beyond your pocket, fear is behind every decision you
make at the table. Fear is the players biggest enemy, because it inhibits
you from playing your natural game. So if it hurts your pocket too much,
step down a level for a few weeks, and rebuild your bankroll. It's
surprising how much better you will play after a confidence boosting week at
lower levels. You know it makes sense!"

4. Play in tournaments

"Most of us want the chance to play in the really big tournies, or appear on
one of those televised comps. Well YOU can play these. Sporting Odds.com runs
poker tournament satellites every day, and someone has to win them. It could be, as the
saying goes, YOU - but only if you enter them. You can't win one if you
don't enter for them, so why not give one a whirl today? Come on, let's play
poker!..."

5. Cool is cool

"Hands up if you have ever "tlted up" after a bad outdraw, or lost your rag
after some muppet has made a bad play against you and got lucky. Yup, I
thought so - most of us have lost our cool at the table now and then. But we
make BAD decisions when we are disturbed or upset by a setback. So if you
think you are likely to tilt up, sit out for a while, until you have calmed
down, you know it makes sense. Cool is cool!"

This article is sponsored by Sporting Odds online Poker tournaments

About the Author

Tony Kendall is a professional poker player who will be writing monthly reports about the poker scene, explaining how to make poker pay for you, in addition to numerous nuggets to improve your play. His articles will be published first at Sporting Odds Poker