Stay Focused

So what do you do at the poker table? Watch the sports ticker? How about the game on TV? Chat all night with your neighbor? Flirt with the cocktail waitress? I do all those things. I try to resist, but my attention just wanders. My focus was much better in the days when I played for a living. My focus is still better than most, though, and the more focused I am, the better it is for my game.

What should you be doing at the poker table? Paying attention! During hands! Between hands! At all times! You know what I do between hands when I am playing my best game? I think about the previous hand. What went down? Who made what kind of plays? How did the hand affect each participant's chip position, table image, and state of mind? Do the players indicate awareness of the game? Did someone go on tilt? What is your opponent's hand selection like?

In asking these questions, you have to consider what went through your opponent's mind to make the given play. Don't let irregular plays dictate your mindset about another player. Consider all prior plays and include the player's state of mind at the time of the play. Also consider the player's chip position, whether the player is on a rush, recent beats, ego involvement, lack of awareness, and so on.

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of questions that you ask yourself at the poker table. There are thousands more. But, if you don't pay attention at the table, you will keep on paying at the table.