In advance of you sitting down at a table; regardless if it is at a brick and mortar casino or in front of a computer, you always have to be in the correct frame of mind. Poker is a game of using logic to beat your competitor, much like chess. So your brain needs to always be focused and alert. Never play poker when you are exhausted, sad, or experience any number of difficulties. This is what makes even the strongest gamblers are beat.
Unless you are competing with your sibling’s offspring or for excitement on family fun evening, the point of the game is to earn $$$$. You really should see each person you bet with as just one more investment in your deposit account. If you play cards regularly every week, note your successes and losses. This could help you see where you might be in your game and how your poker game is really making you.
The challenge of poker is to gain money, but that is not what you might be thinking about while you play. You should commit to making the correct decision each time it is your time to call, check, or raise. Constantly focus attention on performing the best decision at the time while not worrying about the money. Eventually the more good choices you have in a round, the higher money you will amass.
It’s very possible to make the proper action and still give up the hand but you certainly won’t throw away your money in the long term. The one thing to always remember when you are competing in poker is that all profits comes from blunders. The better you are at decision making, the larger your amount of money will get.