Do you consider yourself a winning poker player? If so, you should be on the plus side of the ledger after 10 sessions of play. Basically, this means you should win six sessions out of 10, assuming your sessions last about eight hours apiece. Professionals should win seven eight-hour sessions out of 10. If you're not doing this, it's time for you to wake up and smell the coffee.
If you don't seem to be winning as much as you think you should (and don't make excuses about being unlucky), you could be playing in games that are too tough. Put your ego aside and step back down a limit. Ego can be the worst enemy of a poker player. There is one axiom that is generally true in poker: The lower the limits, the easier the games are to beat.
A common mistake made by many "wannabe" players is to move up too fast. Most players who think they are good want to play higher. Invariably, they "take a shot" at the bigger game, many times without the proper bankroll. There is nothing wrong with taking a shot at the right time, but just remember why you're taking a shot. It should be because the game is good. Don't get hooked if you beat that game, and don't hesitate to go back down if you lose in it.
Another mistake I see some players make is piecing themselves out (selling shares of themselves) to play in a higher game. On occasion, this might be the correct thing to do, as the game could be a "live" one, but for the most part, this is not a good idea. For example, if you do well at $10-$20 or $15-$30, why piece yourself out to play $30-$60 or $50-$100? Your equity most likely will be much better by playing the lower limits on your own.
Do you play tournaments? If so, you know that on most days, you are not going to make any money. I believe you need the right mindset to play tournaments on a regular basis. Defeat is far more common than victory. Tournament poker is generally feast or famine. Frustration and depression can set in. You can play lots of hours and feel like a rat on a treadmill. If you go on a losing streak for any period of time, you may tend to lose confidence in your ability, another setback on the road to success.
Tournaments are challenging, exciting, and, in most cases, affordable. Tournament poker is attractive to many recreational players. Tournaments are different from "real" poker, and, frankly, are the reason many people play poker. They are the lottery of the poker world. The public loves lotteries, and poker players love tournaments. As Amarillo Slim says, "Tournaments are a way to take a toothpick and turn it into a lumberyard."
There is one advantage that successful live-game players have over tournament players: They are happy more days out of 10 because they book more wins. Like golf, though, in which one good shot brings you back the next day, one good result in a tournament brings you back again and again.
If you aren't winning your share in tournaments, however, something is amiss. Perhaps you are playing too tight. Perhaps you are gambling at the wrong times. Perhaps you don't have the patience to play the long sessions it takes to win a tournament. Perhaps you are desperate for a score and are under too much pressure. Perhaps you should take a whiff of the coffee.
When it comes to being a winning poker player, discipline and money management are the first things you hear. There is a reason for that. Without discipline and money management, you could end up sitting on empty before too long. You may be the best player in the world, but if you can't ante up, you can't win.
Learning your craft, paying your dues, and learning from your mistakes are essential to becoming a successful poker player. The philosopher Santayana once said, "Those who have not learned from the mistakes of the past are destined to commit them again in the future." This is especially true in poker.
If you are serious about a potential poker career or just becoming a consistent winner, there is only one way to succeed: Put in your hours and work your way up in limits over time as your skills improve and you can afford to play at the next level. Then and only then will you be successful over the long haul.
Are you awake? Can you smell the coffee?
Take care.