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Ace Speaks:
About discipline
By Rolf Slotboom

One of the most important characteristics of a professional poker player is the ability to stay disciplined at all times and under all circumstances. A poker pro doesn't use drugs, doesn't drink a lot (certainly not at the table) and makes sure he's always well-rested and in the right frame of mind when he gets to the table. Although it's hard to stay disciplined in life when things have been going well in the game, when things aren't going well staying disciplined in life may be even more difficult, and keeping your composure at the table a struggle.

There are quite a few talented players who can't handle a couple of losses, or even losing just a single pot. For some reason (maybe they think they're "entitled" to winning, because they think they're the best player, maybe they can't handle it when a "sucker" draws out on them to win a big pot) the quality of their play deteriorates, they start making bad decisions, become aggressive when it's not the right time and find it increasingly difficult to lay down a hand (before and/or after the flop). They have a "sizz factor", the potential to go on tilt when things aren't going their way. One of the main strengths of a poker pro is to stay disciplined at all times. A pro should know the way things work in poker: the swings can be huge, the luck factor can cause some incredible things to happen, but in the long run things should work out exactly as expected. Therefore, a professional should play his best game ALL of the time, not MOST of the time.

I've always considered my discipline to be the major strength I had. Contrary to most players, I play better when I'm down than whenever I'm up. I guess there are many players who, whenever in front, play as well or even better than me, however, no one plays as well when losing and that's when the money's made. It's the old saying about a chip saved being the same as a chip gained. Maintaining discipline is not an easy thing, however. The natural reaction when things aren't going well, is trying to get even. When your big hands get cracked, the natural reaction is to say: good hands don't win, maybe bad hands will. Professionals look at the long term rather than the present situation, they have the "it's all one session" perspective, and "a single win or loss is irrelevant in the long run" attitude. In limit poker, this attitude will get the money (that is, if your basic game is good enough) and should come as second nature to you.

However, potlimit poker is a lot different. When you lose a big pot, you might have lost your entire stack instead of just a few bets. This is why otherwise good potlimit players often have a tendency to go on tilt (especially the aggressive tournament stars, who have become accustomed to successes there, they expect good results in cash games also; however things are not always that easy). These players may decide to start raising preflop just about every hand and then bet the flop regardless in an attempt to get even. In potlimit Omaha, playing like this can cost a lot of money, however when these players get lucky they may very well book a big win. There are a few talented potlimit players who, whenever they're down, buy in for a huge amount extra and become aggressive just about every hand, reasoning that whenever they lose two or three pots against someone but win the fourth, all the money is theirs anyway. However, when that fourth pot is also lost, a huge loss may be inevitable. It is for this reason a lot of high-quality players have a very high win rate (maybe even up to 70 or 75 %), but still lose.

Lots of poker authors have emphasized that it's very difficult to get even in limit poker when things start out bad. Some have advocated some kind of "stop loss", others say that because your opponents are winning and you are losing, your table image may suffer, they may respect you less and therefore play better against you. In my opinion it's a good thing when the money's owned by the bad players, and it should be a matter of time to get it back if you keep playing well. Just play a little bit tighter than you normally do, checkraise a little more often, fold marginal hands a bit sooner and don't bluff unless against the right opponent. The main thing is to stay calm and enjoy the game even though you may have had some hands cracked. When people come to me because they can tell I'm down, I always say: "Guys, I've got all the time in the world. I don't have to win the next pot, I don't have to win today or even this week. I will be here tomorrow, next week, next month. And besides, the rent has been paid for already." I suggest you try the same.

This being said, in potlimit poker just trying to play your best game might not be good enough when the bad players have huge stacks. It is important here to have as much or more money on the table as the weak players, so pull out some more money whenever your stack has been severely damaged (always make sure you sit on the left of these opponents, of course). Whenever you have a hand that has potential and one of the weakies is in, build the pot before the flop (that is, raise just enough to keep them in) so that when you flop something good, you might be able to break them. Consider the money they've won from you to be just a loan, which, if you keep yourself together, will be yours in the long run anyway. And if you encounter some losing sessions or are on a bad streak, don't let it affect your mood or your love for the game. Just keep playing your A-game all of the time. Your bankroll will certainly appreciate it.