By now, we all know that poker is game of skill. It requires analytical skills along with thorough understanding of poker rules. But there is one more significant factor which one needs to know to ace this game which players often ignore. If you watch live poker videos and study poker players, you may have noticed that poker pros use psychological traps to defeat the opponents and win the game. Avoiding psychological traps in the poker game is key component of the winning strategy. The biggest mistake one can make on a poker table is ignoring the mental game.

We have listed few common mental game leaks which have ruined score of many poker players regardless of their skills. Some of these psychological traps are easier to fix and some are hard but of course, just being aware of these can at least lead you to the road of dealing with it.

If you want to save your game on the table and ace it, then do not fall for below mentioned Psychological factors-

Avoiding the tilt- Tilt is a term in offline poker. It is a state of mental, emotional confusion, or frustration in which a poker player adopts a less than optimal strategy and which generally proceeds for the player becoming over-aggressive. One possible origin of the word “tilt” is as a reference to tilting a pinball machine.

Tilt is something poker players think about when it comes to mental game. Tilt is anything which takes you off from your game. It could be anything a situation, a thought, or an emotional reaction. You need to avoid tilt and concentrate on you game to ace it.

Procrastinating – This is the part of human condition and every one does it at least some times, the main culprit: not studying and not getting enough volume.

Our advice is play as much games as you can and keep studying.

Fearing Failure- Fearing Failure is the biggest enemy of a poker player, Sometimes not the opponent but we self-sabotage our game because we are afraid to make mistakes and look silly on the poker table and lose money. Some players refuse to bet or raise move up and make mistake of playing tight at final table for this reason. So be conscious but don’t be over conscious, play your game without fear.

Fearing Success- Success is very tempting and it seems like a great thing, but this success can be very tricky. It can be a double edge sword. Some poker players are concerned that successes will breed more responsibility and they might question their ability to continue winning.

Lacking Focus- One of the biggest barriers to poker successes is lack of focus in your game. You being distracted while you are playing can cost you fortunes. Avoid any distraction and take breaks will help you win your game.

Getting Bullied- Sometime players might feel on the game table that they are being targeted or bullied especially if player is new to the game, Pros can bully to them, it’s very important to do not take it personally and concentrate on your game.

No Confidence – Lacking confidence can make you lose the winning game, if player is not confident in his game then it will reflect in his game and opponent will definitely take advantage of it, and one can lose his game. The best way to feel confident on the table is to have confidence in your play, which come from actively playing and learning about the game.

Take a note of above points and work on your game so when you play next time on the table, nothing can take away your win from you.