Most amateurs spend months playing and then wonder why they are not moving up the ladder. Poker play depends on several factors like inherent talent, amount of study, practice, number of tournaments and games etc. But, one basic thing you can do as a beginner is to organize yourself better. This will surely help you improve in the long run.
Get realistic – You must maintain a Poker diary to keep record of how much you win and how much you lose on a daily basis. This should include both the games played at regular casinos and those played online. This is also the only way you can actually make a realistic decision about whether Poker is for you or not. Once you have your Poker play charted out for some months you can decide for sure whether you can risk playing Poker or not. It is a good idea to write your emotional state of mind and the atmosphere you played in on a particular day for each entry. Over some time you will be able to figure out much more accurately whether you lose because of lack of skill or because of your own mood or playing conditions.
Cash section – Your Poker diary should also include a separate ‘finance section’. This will help you budget properly. Instead of using up your earnings or money for your daily living as part of Poker it is best to keep aside a sum for Poker only every week. Once you write this down in your Poker diary you are much more likely to understand your financial limits. This can make the difference between being a mature player or a reckless gambler. You can also use a sub-section to chart your daily losses and wins so that you can have an average over a period of time.