Winning Poker Sessions - Not Pots

When it comes to augmenting your bankroll and earnings in Poker, the essential point to remember is that you need to come out of the session a winner. In some cases, this means giving up on some pots. This is a concept that so few players understand.

Becoming a winning player does not entail going after every pot; having that winning Poker strategy does not suggest you go after every bet being made. On the contrary, chasing after a pot can lead to disastrous consequences. This can be seen, all too often, in the case of players who are desperately bluffing, trying to steal when they have a very weak hand.

In other instances, you will see a lot of players playing with second best hands. They know that they are behind, but are still hoping for a miracle on the river, hoping that they will be paid off somehow. This kind of Poker strategy is what causes a lot of players to bust out.

This is not to say you should not be tenacious. Of course you must try to go out and play every Poker hand as best as you can. But that is precisely the point; playing the best that is possible sometimes means having to drop the pot. If you are holding J8 and the flop is AQ6, there is very little point in going on, especially if your opponents are raising.

It is often said that in order to win the war you will have to lose a few battles; the same can be said of Poker. There will be times when it will be advantageous to just drop a hand and strike again later. For instance, if you are in a tourney and you fold your hand, you save some chips.

At a later stage, you may be able to use those chips you saved to go all in against another player. Or in a cash game, the money can be used in a hand where you have a more realistic chance of winning.

A winning Poker strategy consists in not just going after the big money, but also in using your sense of timing and reason. If you have little or no chance of winning that pot, then do not go after it. Another one will come up, and you should focus on that. This approach will then help you emerge from the session the ultimate winner.