Poker is a Long Term Proposition

In poker, it is vitally important that you understand the value of every move you make. One of the most damaging mindsets you can adopt is to assume that whatever move succeeds at the time is the correct one. 

While it may seem that you made the right call with a flush draw because you won the hand, it could be that, in the end, the same move would cost you money. For example, you make a bet with a flush draw on the flop, and your opponent goes all-in, giving you less than even odds to call.

In some scenarios, you might feel like gambling and call, but in the grand scheme of things, your move is mathematically wrong. This is true because the odds of you hitting a flush with two cards to come is around 36%, which means you need pot odds of greater than 2/1 to make a profitable call. 

In every poker scenario, you need to assess the strength of your move based on an infinite number of trials. This is because poker is a never-ending game. While you may stop and start a session, the money you play with, and the decisions you make, are part of one long poker game.

When you consider poker in this context, you begin to realise that a wrong call in the present can turn into a habit of wrong calls in the future. Once you fall into this trap, you will quickly see your profits decrease and your bankroll dwindle. 

Thus, the next time you are at the poker table, and you are tempted to make a bad call, remember that whatever you decide now may have a lasting impact on your bankroll, a few months down the line. 

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