The Risks of Short Term Thinking in Poker

Everyone wants to win at Poker of course, but a lot of players just do not understand the concept of what winning in the game is all about. For most, it is about trying to win every hand they compete in. This is an example of short term thinking, and this is something you must avoid.

Short term thinking is a serious problem, and one that afflicts not just new players, but even those that have been around for a while. However, this is something that you must learn to overcome, because it will have a negative effect on you in the long term.

Every player has had the unpleasant experience of seeing their Poker strategy go up in smoke due to a luck draw made by the fish on the river. There will also be times when someone seems to get all the good cards the entire session.

This can lead to frustration, and once that sets in, the tendency is to just focus on winning the next couple of hands. Instead of playing according to the proper Poker strategy, the frustrated player will only look in the short term (i.e., win the next few hands). T

hey will play any hand that comes up, and be aggressive in the betting and raising. This of course, will only lead to more losses, and consequently, will lead to a tilt.

This is just one example of the perils of playing Poker with only the short term in mind. Thinking in short term also affects the way that you manage your bank roll, because those who win quickly forget their losses, and vice versa. They have no idea of where they actually stand, nor do they have a running total of their wins or loses.

To avoid these predicaments, always remember that when you suffer a bad beat, that it is only one loss, and it is only one game. If you lose the session, it is just one session. You will experience other Poker bad beats in the future. Trying to win it all back will just make things worse.

Plainly speaking, thinking in short term in Poker is a sure recipe for defeat, as you will lose the ability to focus and capability to strategize for the long run. If you want to have a long and successful playing career, you should learn to ignore the short term swings.

By learning to do so, you will be able to gather your thoughts and energies for Poker in the long term.