683Patience Pays off
posted on December 16th, 2009
Poker players often hear that their game is one of skill and luck, and that one of the most important skills to cultivate is patience. Usually referred to as a virtue, patience does not at first glance seem to be a skill, but for poker players, it is an essential tool for maximizing profit while minimizing losses.
When you are playing poker, you have to wait for good hands before entering a pot. Of course, all poker players must bluff sometimes, and even that takes patience, since one must learn to recognize and wait for bluffing opportunities. In tournament poker you must balance patience with aggression to keep pace with the blinds.
In cash poker games, patience can elevate your game to a very profitable proposition. There is no pressure to keep up with increasing blinds, so waiting for a big hand is patience in action. When you have a long run of dead cards, it becomes more tempting to play speculative and medium strength cards. This is where patience pays off. Even if you enter a pot with some small suited connectors, it is patience that lets you fold when the flop misses you rather than chasing the action, which most often simply decimates your chip stack.
Self-control and discipline are the earmarks of successful poker players who consistently make a profit. They know how to wait for the right hand and to look for opportunities to scare other casino players based on their observations of previous play and the current board’s texture.
