Poker gems, #294

Mike Caro, in Caro's Most Profitable Hold'em Advice, p. 217.


The best psychological way to handle losses is to begin every hand fresh. You're neither ahead or behind. You are where you are when the next deal begins. Your good decisions will give you the best chance of rising from that point. But if you lose that hand, forget it. It's on to the next one. Again, you're neither winning or losing. You're starting fresh. You're even when the hand begins. You are where you are. Remind yourself of that again and again.

Streaks, winning or losing, are always something seen in the rear-view mirror. There is never anything in the cards that will dictate that the streak either will or won't continue. So, you're always starting fresh. Just like every hand is a new start, every session is a new start. Never give a streak unwarranted importance that negatively influences your future.