In one word ‘YES!’
Usually we are under the wary eye of someone, whether we are in school or in the office someone is generally watching us, making sure we are doing what we are supposed to be doing. This accountability to another person keeps most of us completing whatever task we were set or set ourselves, unfortunately this does not apply to playing poker, everything down is to self-discipline.
When you are your own boss, with only yourself to answer to it’s really simple to ignore that promise you made to yourself, after all you only have to answer to numero-uno, and any targets that you do not make can easily be excused, and we sure do make those excuses!
What needs to be remembered is that discipline and poker go hand-in-hand, for the targets we set ourselves can determine the success we have in the poker world. Discipline is required for most areas of poker and it is important to keep to your targets, so if you set out to play 2,000 hands each month, you need to do that, and if you find you don’t want to reach your target you should seriously consider whether you really want to be focusing your energy on the game at all.
You also need to stick to your limits and the conditions you have set yourself for when you move up or down in the ranks, sticking to these two things takes a lot of discipline as you will probably have that little voice in your head telling you that sticking to your limits hampers what you could win back what you have lost. It really is easier to cave in than stay resolute, just ask the smoker who makes that New Year no smoking resolution!
It takes time to build a decent bankroll, as profits are usually lower than the limits we play, also being a reckless player can cost a ton of cash, and can set you back weeks in terms of building that healthy bankroll. Many people are finding that playing at their mobile casino pay by phone bill option is good for managing a bankroll as the amount you deposit is directly put onto your devices bill and is simple to keep track of.
Remember too that there is a lot of studying to complete, and sometimes there is something far more interesting to do than study, but if you want to grow as a poker player, careful study of the poker hands is vital to your development, remember too not to go on the defensive, learn to recognise that we all make mistakes and this really does include poker players! Accepting criticism as well as giving it are tough lessons to learn.
In the end discipline is about being honest to yourself, especially when things are just not going your way even if you have studied like mad, or you losses have been worse than you anticipated and you are worried about checking your bankroll. Use that discipline, count the bankroll and make sure you stick to a disciplined plan.
PokerPlayer is the World’s most popular poker mag and it’s also free every month here
