The 5 Secrets To Playing Your A-Game Consistently

Because “your best” is not a static goal, but rather a bar that is constantly rising higher, playing your ‘a game‘ consistently is impossible. It is especially true when you play sports and skill games like texas-holdem poker or chess, but the rule may also apply to all those activities requiring concentration and ability like sports betting. While the term ‘a game’ implies playing the game perfectly, it is necessary to mention that each time your game improves, you are also raising the peak and therefore, your current A game automatically becomes the B game. In order to test this hypothesis, you should compare your current A game with the one you had several years back. Even though playing at your best will inevitably set a new standard, there are ways to ensure you improve your game consistently. Let’s elaborate.

1. Make sure C games never show up

In general, when you are making an evident mistake regardless of the reason, you are reinforcing poor play. Not only are you failing at repairing the error, but because you are also getting accustomed to repeat the mistake, it will start showing up consistently in the gameplay. As poor playing reoccurs repeatedly, you are reducing the chances of the A game to show up. Consequentially, playing at your best implies immediately correcting the mistake as well as eliminating negative states of mind (boredom, anxiety, distractions) while you are at the table.

2. Assess your weaknesses

In order to eliminate C games from your play style, it is advisable to create a list of your weaknesses and skills for all your games. This includes all the errors you are making when playing at the absolute worst. The purpose of the list is to determine the mistakes you need to focus on and correct them progressively. Keep track of how often you make those errors and concentrate on eliminating them once and for all, until you can reach your current best performance.

3. Train yourself for quick recovery

The ability to recover quickly after you noticed your play style is slipping into B or C games is mandatory for anyone who wants to play A games consistently. If you compose the aforementioned list, then recognizing your mistakes and when you’re playing badly should be a lot easier.

4. Be certain you are prepared to play at your best

Even though everyone wants to play at maximum peak at the table, achieving consistent A games is easier said than done. The main reason is that most poker players are not mentally prepared to keep the game at high stakes. Being prepared for a reliable A game play style can be done via developing a warm-up routine consisting of reviewing all possible connections between your hands and your best and worst performances.

5. Always keep track of your progress

The only way you can know whether or not your play style has improved is to keep track of your progress in a journal. The journal can be used to write down and analyze your play style after each tournament or session. The main advantage of keeping track of your progress is that you will sharpen your ability to recognize slip-ups. In addition, the journal is an excellent way of setting priorities or what to focus in order to play a quality game. Lastly, in time it will help you achieve a less-result oriented play style.