How to Play Your Best Poker All (Or Close To All) the Time

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Arved Klöhn Pokerlistings Author
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  • Last updated on: January 21, 2025

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One area where poker differs significantly from other sports is the degree to which the competitors are evenly matched, especially among professionals.

Soccer teams compete with similar level teams determined by leagues; sprinters only race against those with high enough qualifying times; boxers are matched against fighters in their weight class and of a similar level.

That’s generally not the case in poker where there is a heavy emphasis on seeking out competition that’s significantly weaker.

The Problem with Easy Money

Sport thrives on close competition to keep spectators watching. Poker players, however, make their money by finding huge edges.

The problem is that if you’re only looking for easy money, eventually that can harm your progress and the size of the edge you have in the game.  Being challenged is a necessary component for both learning and “playing in the zone.”

Example: You open-raise from the cutoff with A K against a weaker opponent who rarely 3-bets. You notice that you’re automatically c-betting on the flop without considering ranges deeply because you assume this opponent will fold too often. As a result, you lose a chance to refine your strategy and adapt to possible adjustments from your opponent. Although you might still profit, you miss out on the deeper challenge that leads to long-term improvement.

One of the most popular theories about the zone comes from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a Hungarian psychology professor and the author of the book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.

He defines being in the zone as a state of “flow” whereby a person is fully immersed in what they are doing.

In order to achieve this state of flow, a balance must be struck between the skill of the performer and the challenge of the task.

In other words, the performer needs to be sufficiently challenged and have enough skill in that task to meet the challenge.

The graphic below illustrates the relationship between skill and challenge:

Tendler flow chart

As you can see, the size of the challenge and the amount of skill you have aren’t important separately; it’s the relationship between the two that determines your ability to reach the zone.

When your skills are low and the challenge is low, or when the challenge is high and your skills are also high, you can perform in the zone.

However, if you’re a massive underdog, you’ll be overwhelmed by the challenge and according to Csikszentmihalyi, you’ll experience anxiety, not flow. Conversely, if you expect to easily crush a weak opponent, you’ll get bored by a challenge that’s too low and fall out of the zone.

Boredom Takes You Out of Poker Zone

Boredom typically sets in when you stop feeling challenged and there’s nothing new or interesting to learn. Like a computer that hasn’t been used recently, your mind is left idling just waiting to be activated.

Boredom is the result of a perceived lack of challenge. When just showing up is enough to have an edge, it’s easy to slip into your B- or C-game.

It makes sense that poker could start to feel like a monotonous grind—you’re dealt the same hands all the time. By now, you’ve been dealt AK suited enough to consider it standard and potentially boring.

However, the players who remain passionate and motivated about seeing the nuances and unique details of how to play each hand are never bored.

They see physical tells, timing tells, metagame, combinatorics, balancing ranges, G-bucks, prior action, table image, and many other small details that most players don’t consider.

The dynamics in poker are varied and constantly changing, so while the same hand can be dealt over and over each hand will play out in a unique way.

There are always new areas in which to develop an edge; the game is always evolving and there is always more to learn.

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How to Play Your Poker A-Game Most Often

One of the most common requests I get from new clients turns out to be impossible to achieve. Wanting to play your A-game all the time might sound like a simple request, but it’s not.

Trying to playing your A-game all the time seems simple in theory when you look only at your current A-game. You know what it’s like to play your best. You win more money, feel better about your game, leave the table happy, and a host of other great things attached to playing great poker.

It makes sense why you’d want that to happen it all the time. The only problem is that wanting or wishing it were true is the poker equivalent to believing in Santa Claus.

Your Poker “Best” is a Moving Target

The reason it’s impossible to always be at your best is because your best is a moving target, which is constantly rising higher. When your game improves it means that your peak has risen higher than before.

In other words your current A-game becomes your B-game and you’ve gained a newly minted A-game. It shouldn’t take much to realize this has already happened to your game. 

Think back to what your A-game was like a year ago and compare it to your A-game now. Heck, go back far enough, and your current C-game today is better than your A-game was back then. 

(By the way, if you’re a serious player and this isn’t happening, follow the steps in the next section.)  

Your poker game isn’t static. It’s constantly improving, although often in ways that are so subtle they’re hard to see. As soon as you’ve played at your best, a new standard has been set.

The first time you play well it’s often hard to describe why you played so well. If you can’t explain why you played so well, it’s going to be pretty hard to do it again.

Funny enough, once you can explain why you played so well you’re able to play even better and a new A-game is created.

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Playing Your A-Game Consistently

While it’s impossible to always play your A-game you can play that way consistently if you put the work in. Most poker players aren’t willing to take the extra steps and instead are happy to dream of what it would be like to consistently play that well.

Here are a few tips how to get your A-game show up more often:

  1. Eliminate Your C-game Your number one goal every single time you play is to make sure your C-game does not show up. Every time you make a really obvious mistake, no matter what the reason, you actually reinforce poor play. You simultaneously fail to correct the mistake and get better at making it. That means it’s more likely to show-up again and your A-game is now less likely to show-up. Instead, by consistently eliminating your C-game, you make it easier and easier to play your A-game.
  2. Eliminate Your Mental C-game. The mental side of the major poker mistakes you make have to be eliminated to correct your tactical C-game. Mental game issues like tilt, anxiety, boredom, being distracted, unmotivated, and losing confidence often lead to poor play. If you want to be at your peak consistently, these big issues have to be eliminated.
  3. Assess Your Range. Write out the full range in your game, from A-game to C-game. Start by listing out all the mistakes you make now, when playing at your absolute worst. Then, list the mistakes that are progressively less bad until you reach your current A-game.
  4. Quick Recovery. Playing your A-game consistently requires that you recover it quickly after slipping into your B or C-game. Having your range clearly listed out, makes it easier to recognize when your game has slipped and thus easier to recover your A-game quickly while playing.
  5. Be Prepared. Consistently playing at a high level doesn’t happen easily. All great poker players and great athletes show up prepared to play at a high level. If you don’t have a warm-up routine, a simple way to get started is to review hands connected with all parts of your game (A to C-game). That way, you know specifically how to play at a high level and improve your B or C-game when it shows-up.
  6. Track Your Progress. A good way of tracking your progress is by keeping a journal where you regularly assess the quality of your play after a session or tournament. This not only increases your skill of recognizing when you slip into B or C-game, it’s also a great way to focus you more and more on what’s necessary to play quality poker and you automatically become less results-oriented.

Example: After a tough session where you felt your focus slipping, review three specific hands: one you played at your top level, one where you made a moderate mistake, and one you completely misplayed. Write down what you were feeling, how you analyzed each spot, and note when you noticed your mind drifting. Over time, these notes become a roadmap for sustaining your A-game more consistently.

It may seem strange to focus mainly on eliminating B and C-game as a way to play your A-game more often. However, if you think about, you’ll automatically play your A-game more often if the rest of your game doesn’t show-up. The more consistently you play your A-game the easier it is to take your game to an even higher peak.

Maintaining Peak Performance

Consistently operating at or near your best requires a deeper understanding of how your mindset evolves during long sessions or tough competition. When you face players of a similar or higher skill level, you’re forced to adjust both tactically and mentally. This adjustment can be stressful if you lack proper preparation, but it’s also a prime opportunity for growth. Identifying why your focus wanes under stress and finding structured methods to address it can transform sudden slips in performance into manageable challenges.

Many advanced players now combine rigorous mental-game training with data-oriented evaluations of their play. By marking hands for post-session analysis and employing software to simulate optimal lines, they spot subtle leaks that often emerge in high-pressure spots. GTO principles can be applied in moderation to highlight potential strategic errors, but the key is internalizing relevant adjustments without allowing complex theory to overwhelm your natural intuitive play.

Using Targeted Self-Evaluation Techniques

One way to improve your self-awareness is by adopting a targeted checklist to review your decisions in real time. Ask yourself specific questions, such as whether your opponent’s preflop range has shifted based on recent action or whether you’ve accurately gauged your own table image. This directs your mind toward critical factors that prevent autopilot. Documenting each session in a focused manner also eliminates guesswork about the source of mistakes, allowing you to see patterns in your decision-making process.

Another method is to simulate tricky situations away from the table. Use software or hand-replayer tools to drill specific spots. For instance, practice responding to 3-bets with different stack sizes or run multiple turn scenarios for single-raised pots. By layering mental-game techniques—like visualization of past successes—over structured technical training, you reinforce both the confidence and knowledge needed to maintain your peak performance level throughout a challenging session.

FAQ

What does it mean to play your best poker?

Playing your best poker means operating at the highest level of your current skill range, often referred to as your A-game. It involves making optimal decisions consistently and staying mentally focused, even under pressure.

Why is it important to be challenged in poker?

Facing tougher opponents forces you to analyze deeper and improve faster. When you only compete against weaker players, you risk stagnation because you’re rarely compelled to refine your skills or adapt to changing dynamics.

How does boredom affect my mental game?

Boredom occurs when you perceive no challenge at the table. This mental state can lower your engagement and lead to sloppy decisions, pulling you away from your A-game and ultimately harming your profitability.

How can I recover my A-game if I find myself slipping into B or C-game?

You can track your performance range, identify the exact point where your focus or technique deteriorates, and use a prearranged plan to reset. This might include taking a short break, reviewing quick notes on your strategy, or recalibrating your mindset with a short mental exercise.

What role does mental game study play in improving my results?

The mental aspect complements your technical abilities. Issues like tilt, anxiety, and boredom can directly lead to tactical errors. Systematically addressing these mental leaks can help you maintain focus and execute your strategy more effectively.

Should I incorporate GTO concepts into my game to play my best?

GTO ideas can be useful for highlighting optimal lines in specific situations, but they should be blended with exploitative strategies based on your opponents’ tendencies. Overloading yourself with theoretical concepts can hinder natural decision-making if you aren’t comfortable applying them.

How does self-evaluation away from the table help sustain peak performance?

By breaking down key hands, noting emotional states, and using hand-replayer tools or solvers, you gain a clearer understanding of your decision-making patterns. This helps eliminate repeated mistakes and strengthens your mental resilience for future sessions.

Article by Jared Tendler.

Jared Tendler, MS, is a mental game coach for over 200 poker players and author of “The Mental Game of Poker.” A free audiobook version of his book is currently being offered by Amazon.

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