In this new video, Paul Phua gives tips on building the mental discipline that is key to a successful poker strategy.
It is not enough to understand the correct poker strategy. You also must have the mental discipline to apply that strategy calmly and rationally to every situation, hand after hand, through periods of good luck and bad.
How important is it to keep fit for poker?
Paul Phua: It’s very important to stay physically fit for poker because you perform better when you are fit - physically, or even mentally, you know. You can keep fit by swimming, by exercising, by even going on a holiday to relax - that will maybe give your mind… er, recharge your battery. It is an important part of the game to be physically fit, yes.
How do you maintain your concentration in long sessions?
Paul Phua: Nowadays we have our smartphone with us, you know, you can do some work on the smartphone: send emails, look at news, look at documents. l don’t like to put on earphones and listen to music because for me, you know, that way l don’t know what other players are talking about. I can’t hear them, and if people talk to me l can’t even hear them. So, you pick up tells by people talking. It is very important l think for cash games or even tournaments.
To avoid tilt, do you ever take a break from the table?
Paul Phua: Oh, l didn’t use to do that, but recently, because we play the short-deck game, you know, so much luck involved, you get suck-outs a lot of the time: four-outers, two-outers, six-outers. And after two bad beats, l don’t care who you are, you’ll be tilted! But for how long is the question. The more, the longer you are tilted, the chances of you losing more money are higher. So after two very bad beats l tend to go for a walk. Calm myself down, and come back and get another buy-in.
How do you avoid “happy tilt” when you are winning?
Paul Phua: See, l have that problem! Sometimes in a game, you know, especially soft games, my thinking sometimes is that ‘Oh, l won a big pot. I’ll just play loose a bit, and take more chances.’ Which is wrong! You always play according to your strategy, to your cards, and not let emotions carry you too far away. That might not be a good thing sometimes.
Doesn’t being calm make poker boring?
Paul Phua: No, you are calm within yourself, you know. You can still talk with people, make jokes, but at the same time staying calm. You make better decisions, you analyse hands better, every street, you know. And when you are calm, l tend to take longer for a decision. It is these situations where l play my best poker. Calm and collected, very analytic. Take longer time to make my decision, and usually you see better results that way. You know, in a game.
For more poker tips from Paul Phua watch these videos:
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8 сен 2024
