Anyone can win pots, but winning money is the aim of the game. Pots are only incidental. If your goal is to win the most pots, that’s easy. Just play every hand and call every bet until the bitter end, and you’ll win every pot you possibly can. But you’ll lose a ton of money in the process. The very best players engage in few hands, but when they get involved they’re usually aggressive — they maximize the amount they win when the odds favor them.

If your goal is winning money, don’t look for reasons to play hands or you’ll talk yourself into playing too many. Money saved is just as valuable as money won, so knowing when to release a hand that appears to be beaten is just as important as knowing when to bet. Remind yourself of this every time you sit down to play poker!

Remember: When it comes to poker, only losing players hang in there hoping. Hope springs eternal, and the hope of poor players is the meat and potatoes of every poker pro's livelihood. While it's wonderful for many of life's endeavors, hope is the kiss of death in poker. Play a solid game and hope for hopeful opponents.