Holdem Basics – Your A Game

If you’re not new to online poker, you may already have heard about the concept of the A-game, B-game and C-game. Your A-game is obviously your best. When on your A-game, the cards fall your way, you make all the right reads and right moves and you win of course. For an online poker player, few things equate to the thrill of being on his/her A-game and dominating the green felt. It is quite understandable therefore that one would preferably always be on his/her A-game. Strategy experts recommend taking full advantage of A-game periods by staying in the game longer than usual. They also say that cutting down on B-game and C-game playing time is imperative as well.

This approach will maximize one’s A-game but it will do little towards making sure that one is always on his A-game. Is it possible at all though for a player to be constantly on his A-game? According to experts, it’s not.

One’s A-game is something that’s relatively easy to define, but much more difficult to actually pinpoint. Once a player’s reached the peak of his capabilities, and he is indeed an active player concerned with his own performance, he’s likely to improve further. The A-game is therefore a lot like the present: a non-existent entity, caught between infinite iterations of the past and the future.

While achieving poker catharsis and reaching a state of constant A-game is quite impossible indeed, what players can achieve is to lend their A-games more consistency. Here are a few pointers to help you achieve just that.

The first thing one should focus on is the elimination of his C-game. Getting rid of one’s C-game is a major mental exercise, as detrimental factors such as anxiety, tilt, distraction, boredom and lack of motivation all need to be addressed. This is obviously no small task for any beginner.

Listing out your C-game and A-game range will make it easier to identify mistakes and problems and to eventually weed them out. Once your C-game mistakes have been identified, you’ll be able to rebound quicker after you’ve slipped into your B or C-game. If you find it impossible to rebound for whatever reason, and you know you’ve slipped into your C-game, stop playing altogether. Whatever time you spend at the tables while in this state is a waste of money, energy and motivation.

For many it may seem counter-intuitive to focus on their B and C games as a way to better their A-games, but it makes perfect sense: whenever your C and B games fail to show up, you’ll automatically find yourself playing at a higher level.

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