Character

Your ability to make good decisions does not define you but it is you ability to deal with the consequences of those decisions that is what matters. Most common to poker players is our inability to deal with tilt which is a consequence to our decision to play poker.

Tilt is a very bad thing. This may sound simplistic but until you have truely expierenced money tilt then you will never understand how extremely horrible tilt is. Tilt is not dropping a buy in or two in you usual game because someone sucked out on you, true tilt is dropping 3 or 4 buyins of limits 4 times as high as your normal game because you lost a coinflip. Tilt is the consequences of your decision to sit down and play today. So what are you saying? That we shouldnt play poker? No, we should play poker, but only if we are in the right frame of mind and body. Only if we are at peace with ourselves and anything that may or may not happen at the tables.

As airy fairy as it sounds it is true. If you are tired or drunk or anything else that hinders your focus, concentration and ability to make good decisions then you should not be sitting at the computer or poker table playing poker. You should be exercising the discipline required to stop playing today and wait until you are rested and comfortable and can make the best decisions possible.

That brings us to my seccond point. Discipline in poker is of the utmost importance. A persons ability to make/not make the correct rational decision at the appropriate time is what seperates winners form loser and big winners from winners. The discipline to step back and take a rational look at the situation is what defines your success. Without this ability we would all fail epicly.

end rant.