MENTAL ATTITUDE
There have been years of discussion in the poker world, about how much of the game is skill, and how much is luck.
While I don't claim to have a figure on that for you, I can tell you that at least 10% is mental attitude.
A positive mental attitude makes such a difference in most sports, and poker is no different. If you enter a game thinking you aren't going to win it, then your chances of winning it are going to go down.
I'm not subscribing to some crazy theory whereby you win more fifty-fifties if you believe in yourself, or that your aces will hold up more often. There's nothing you can do about the cards and the luck of the game, but your own mental attitude contributes hugely to how you play.
For starters poker is about confidence, and the better mental attitude you have, the more confidence you have, and the more likely you are to play you're ‘A' game uninhibited.
If you enter the game with a bad attitude, you'll have a tendency to think the worst throughout the tournament or session, putting your opponents on better holdings than you, rarely bluffing or trying moves.
When it gets really bad, a poor attitude can lead to tilt and angry plays, shoving with AJ just because the table bully has raised again, etc.
With a positive attitude you'll have more confidence to make moves and bluff, and confidence to rely on your gut instincts. You'll play more hands aggressively, and not tighten up worrying about losing chips.
When the luck doesn't go your way, PMA will also help you to comeback from a low stack, rather than just throw it away because you've lost a big pot.
In live play PMA is even more important, if you're the sour faced soul berating your luck, and looking like you're never going to win a pot, then people can see the lack of confidence in your body language sometimes, so even when you do try something tricky you get looked up.
If you don't feel in the mood, then don't play. If you're on a bad run and feeling like you'll never win, then you're so much less likely to win that it will only get worse. The games will almost always be there tomorrow, so do your bankroll a favour, and stay away from the tables. It's tough enough to beat luck sometimes, without having to beat yourself as well!
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