Whether its job related or table related; each day the fires within propel us into a highly competitive mode. How we prepare, react, or accept the outcome, is in fact what will define each one of us.

Keeping your head just above water in the private sector may be alright for some, but the drive for excellence, accomplishment and ultimate reward (work promotion and salary increase), is the carrot that surely keeps competitive individuals in the game. Understanding that advantage you have in life as well as at the tables, and looking for even the slightest edge will allow you to succeed at a higher rate than your opponents or co-workers. This most assuredly can be the single difference in achieving personal goals.

Someone recently reminded me that in the book, “The Art of War,” there is a statement relating to this very subject: “To defeat your competition, you have to defeat their strategy.” The competitive nature in each of us searches for ways to combat the many styles, experience, and range of skills possessed by our opponents, all while not discounting the “gambler” in them. Certainly, we are all subject to the affects of “luck” and at times “stupidity,” or what approaches it, that may look foolish, but those conditions are out of our hands. It is imperative for us to be prepared to play “our” game and factor in every intangible that can be imagined.

Players possess all sorts of skill sets. Some are very aggressive and skillful in winning pots they shouldn’t: but through an ultra aggressive style they win these pots by taking charge of hands through unmerciful and unrelenting pressure inflicted on their opponents. We sometimes face players who can wait as long as it takes to find the perfect hand, (when perfect conditions exist) to maximize their profits.

Conversely, we are often faced by a growing number of impatient individuals who think any two cards can win (and they can; only not as often as two premium cards), so they enter many pots. They act as unwanted gnats, which on occasion we get to swat away (but not before we relieve them of their bankroll).

Both physical and emotional preparation, may allow you to succeed at a faster rate. Poker is not for the weak, sick, tired, or distracted. Maintaining a mental frame of mind that is conducive to accepting criticism and implementing new strategies (sometimes out of the box), will aid in your quest to become better qualified to compete. A number of players never reach their goals and one major reason is they can’t control their emotions. They have deep, indefensible feelings and they allow conditions and others to affect their play. When outplayed at the table or tilted by some well timed comments, emotional instability can wound even the most skillful of players. It can get the better of them in an instant and ultimately ruin an otherwise profitable session at the tables.

No matter how good we think we are or what status we may achieve, the majority of successful players still try to improve their game each and every day. Your goal may be to become “competitive” first, and then setting your sights on becoming “profitable.” Once these milestones are realized, many players focus their attention on becoming not just winning players, but ultimately poker champions. It’s not in your best interest to remain content with your game but to continue to seek more guidance and knowledge. Those who do not will most certainly be passed by those players coming up behind them. They certainly will not remain in striking distance of those ahead who are vigilant in acquiring new skills by adding more experience and emerging techniques as they continue their journey to the top.

Once you start playing poker, every day is Competition for Winning.