Poker Discipline: How to Stop Losing and Come Out Ahead

Discipline is the key to success in any endeavour. Thousands of hours of training on the field and in the gym have made Cristiano Ronaldo one of the best footballers in history. The “10 pages a day” rule secured Stephen King’s title as the most prolific writer of our time, with a circulation of 350 million books. Self-control is also indispensable for professional poker players. Let's discuss poker discipline. 

How discipline helps win in poker

Players invest different meanings in the concept of “poker discipline.” 

To succeed in poker, you must continually work on yourself

The narrowest meaning implies division into: tournaments, cash games, spin-and-go, and sit-and-go. Each variant offers its own conditions for participation and determining the winner. A broader approach includes strict adherence to rules during sessions. It's about playing according to bankroll or taking notes on opponents. Sometimes “poker discipline” also includes preparatory actions before the game. Let's examine these last two options in more detail. 

The focus of the material is on the correct approach and organisation. Recommendations on strategy like “don't enter the game by limping” or “don't slow play aces on the preflop” will not be provided. Look for them in other FunFarm articles.

Outside the tables

Stu Ungar is considered the most talented poker player in history. He won the WSOP main event three times. Colossal successes did not help the player: Ungar ended his life in poverty disgracefully. His example highlights the significance of poker discipline outside the tables. To systematically win, you must work on yourself. We assign a key role to a strict schedule.

Set a firm daily routine. A sensible schedule will provide the foundation for future successes. Sleep for 8-9 hours a day, wake up at the same time, and allocate fixed slots for hand analysis and other learning options. Regular sports will be very beneficial. Swimming, yoga, or dancing will distract you from poker and enhance your overall tone. You will be able to play longer, make better decisions, and experience less negative emotions.

If your current daily routine is far from ideal, introduce changes gradually. You can’t switch from chaos to a strict schedule with the snap of a finger. Start with less radical solutions. For example, allocate 1 hour a day for theory practice. Dedicate half of the time to hand analysis, and the other half to watching training courses. When strategy work becomes an integral part of the schedule, move on to other aspects. Do not take on everything at once, otherwise, you will quickly become exhausted and revert to the usual state.

It's harder for tournament players to set up a clear schedule: you can’t predict the end of a session in advance

Eliminate bad habits. Alcohol, cigarettes, and fatty foods reduce a player's thinking potential. A hangover is a poor background for success in life and poker. Giving up bad habits will free up additional resources. Money can be spent on poker software or coach sessions.

Work on psychological balance. Many novice players ignore the mental aspects of poker. As a result, they reinforce harmful psychological habits and lose money. Solving the problem at an early stage is easier than fighting severe consequences. We recommend starting with Jared Tendler’s works. He released 2 books: “The Mental Game of Poker” and “The Mental Game of Poker 2.” In the first part, the author introduces the reader to types of tilt and provides instructions for dealing with them. The second book teaches players to consistently show the highest level.

FunFarm students are assisted in working through psychological issues by the mental care department. The project psychologists conduct group sessions, develop courses, regularly check players' conditions with tests and check-ups. There are individual sessions with a mental coach as well. The school's psychologists understand poker, so they speak the same language as the students.

At the tables

In professional football, players undergo a weekly preparation cycle before a match. The culmination of seven days of recovery procedures, tactical sessions, and daily training is met in a contest. Poker players are not restricted by a weekly cycle. The insights can be implemented every day. Clear scheduling, a healthy lifestyle, and psychological balance are excellent starting conditions before the game. However, it’s important to show maximum potential during sessions. To realise the advantage over opponents, follow a few rules.

Don't spread your attention. Multitasking is highly valued in corporate culture. The idea of executing several tasks simultaneously seems attractive. Multitasking is suitable for simple situations. However, poker often requires making complex decisions. Tournament fate relies on concentration. Abstain from: watching films, social media chatting, reading news, and other distractions. Focus on the game.

Maintaining concentration is facilitated by poker software. The program will free players from selecting bet sizes, block pop-up windows, and remove other routines

Learn in the process. Transitioning to professional paths poses challenges. Many players lose interest in the process — the result takes the forefront. It's wiser to perceive poker as a training ground. Choose a specific topic to work on and hone the skill during gameplay. A simple example — preflop charts. Set a goal to adhere to ranges throughout the session. If you manage without errors, consider the day successful. Theory is solidified by practice.

Study your opponents. To win in live poker, you must observe your opponents. In online play, you can’t evaluate gestures, facial expressions, or voice tone. However, you can record an opponent’s strange decisions. In the future, notes will help choose the best play line. Use specialised software as well. A poker tracker will gather and summarise information about opponents. SharkScope will provide useful data on an opponent’s tournament results.

Play by the bankroll. A good poker player knows how to manage capital. Otherwise, bankruptcy is inevitable. Poker history knows hundreds of instances when talented professionals were left without money because of poor management. If you play tournaments, approach matters conservatively. To feel comfortable, accumulate 100 buy-ins of your working limit. For example, play $10 tournaments after collecting $1,000. In poker discipline, where you can lose for months, caution is not excessive.

In recent years, rooms have popularised the Re-entries format. Tournaments give players a second chance. To return after busting out, you need to pay another buy-in. For example, a player lost his stack in a $5 tournament but bought a second chance for the same $5. We don't recommend investing in fast-structured tournaments. You should not spend more than one buy-in on them.

Late registration is another source of problems. Rooms provide the opportunity to “jump” into a tournament 2-3 hours after start. Trading a full buy-in for a short stack and the prospect of an early exit is a bad deal. FunFarm trainers have researched huge amounts of data and derived recommendations for late registration. Enter already ongoing knockout tournaments at the early blind levels when the player's starting stack will be no less than 70 BB. In tournaments of other formats, at least 40 BB is needed.

Bankroll management is influenced by the player's skill level. A strong professional can use a less conservative approach

Play multiple tables simultaneously. Victory in a particular tournament relies on luck. Success over the distance is determined by skill. Sometimes, reward catches up to a poker player after several hundred tournaments. If you play one table, the losing streak can stretch over a year. Hence, it’s crucial to increase game volumes. Professionals play hundreds of tournaments each month. In the pursuit of quantity, maintaining high game quality is vital. Gradually increase the number of tables. An additional plus — the approach reduces chances of doing something silly out of boredom.

Monitor room promotions. It's tough for tournament players to earn from rakeback or first deposit bonuses. Promotions are more suitable for cash game regulars. Occasionally, rooms offer additional rewards to tournament players. In most cases, it involves leaderboards. For instance, in August 2025, PokerStars held a rake race in honour of WCOOP and gave away $100,000. There are also platforms with regular leaderboards. Pokerdom hands out $21,000 each month. Large sums may not be earned from promotions, but they will help you endure difficult periods.