Happy New Year everyone.  Phew I hope your year got off to a better start than mine.  No matter what I do I just don’t seem to be getting the cards and when I do someone else at the table has better cards.

My “poker confidence” is starting to go and thats not good.  It started after Christmas and its funny because I was watching “Casino Royale” with my nephews and nieces, we had all got together and pulled out a few old DVDs over Christmas.  Bond thinks he has his opponent sized up, makes his move and is out-maneuvered.  It turns out that his opponent has been given information by a third party that Bond trusted as a confidant – but Bond doesn’t know that yet.

Its a key point in the movie, Bond is so sure that his opponent is bluffing, because of his tell, that he goes all-in and loses everything.  He of course pulls some strings and is soon back in the game.  But this time he is not so confident, well thats if Bond is ever not confident – what I mean is that you can pick up on the element of doubt.

Now I seem to have a big element of doubt in my poker game and my “poker confidence” is low.  Everyone says, “Be patient and wait it out”.  But no matter how much poker theory and poker strategy you read it is so difficult to put this advice into practice.  Its hard to stand by and watch other people winning and raking in the profits.  I am not naturally a patient person.

Others say be aggressive and bluff your way through it.  And that’s ok when your playing at the lesser tables but you’ll get caught out sooner or later.  Its one thing to mix-up your game when you are getting the cards, that’s because you are always keeping your opponents on the back foot, by semi-bluffing and bluffing, knowing you’ll get something on the flop, turn or river.

So I will just have to be patient – easier said than done.  I know my turn will come, everything turns around in the big cycle of life.