(Cross post from my blog)

I stumbled across this video on YouTube and it definitely got me pumped up. I have nothing but mad respect for The Governator.

Trust Yourself - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Rule 1: Trust yourself
As a poker player you can't always win. Downswings are inevitable and sometimes the break-even, or worse, losing stretches, can last for weeks or even months. During a downswing, it's easy to doubt yourself and wonder if you were ever really a winning player. But like Arnold said, you have to trust yourself. All we can do is keep a level head and make the most +EV decision at every point in a hand. And if we can continue to do this on a daily basis, then the money will flow.

Rule 2: Break the rules
There's no such thing as a "standard" way to play a hand in poker. I hate it when I post a hand on forums and someone says something like "betting the flop here is standard". Every hand of poker is a unique situation and there can be always be arguments for taking a different line. In fact, sticking to "standard" poker, is the quickest way to let your game stagnate. Only you have all the pieces to the puzzle: previous history with villain, timing tells, your own perceived table image, and of course HUD stats. So once in a while, we should look to break the rules and play in our own unique style.

Rule 3: Don't be afraid to fail
The best way to test a new strategy is to try it out in practice. After all, what good is a bunch of math that looks good on paper if it never works in reality? That being said, there will be many times where we choose the wrong spot to implement a new strategy, or it was a good spot, but it still didn't work out. The key is to just keep trying and to keep what works and discard the rest.

Rule 4: Don't listen to the naysayers
Many people don't understand that poker can be a viable source of income. It can be tough when family and friends don't understand how you can take a game of chance so seriously. Words like "problem gambler", "degenerate", "throwing your life away", etc. can hurt. But going back to #1, you have to trust yourself and not let anyone get in the way of your success.

Rule 5: Work your butt off
This is a problem that many poker players face. I'm very guilty of not putting in the hands when I should be. Instead opting to lazily watch some coaching videos and shrugging it off as "educational value". Or worse, browsing Facebook, YouTube, and Reddit. But when push comes to shove, your earnings are a direct result of putting the hours in. This is why monthly volume goals are good to have. I really need to hit Platinum Star this month!

Rule 6: Give something back
This is something I want to do more of with poker. I would like to start contributing more in the forums and making more/better poker videos. I've always enjoyed mentoring and if I can help lower stakes players plug some leaks then that would be great. Who knows maybe I'll learn a thing or two about myself along the way. I'd also like to start updating my blog more, but finding the time can be difficult!