Is your poker game losing steam? Are you trying to figure out what's wrong and how to break the cycle? These are the top five reasons you might be losing at poker.

#5: Bad Luck

Many of you will believe it's just poor luck. And that's the only reason since you're “flawless” and never make mistakes. That isn't the case at all. Number five on the list is bad luck. It does occur, and you could be acting in situations, or you could be doing the correct things. Even the world's finest players go through losing streaks that can last months.

If you're losing after 1000 to 2000 hours of play, it's probably not just bad luck. It's most likely related to the other four. So, over a small sample size, you might be able to chalk it up to poor luck, but if you're seeing effects for yourself after six months, let's start looking at other reasons why you might just be losing.

#4: Being Too Predictable

The fourth reason you could be losing a poker game is that you've gotten too predictable. This is especially for scenarios when you were playing against the same players, winning and performing fairly well. If you've noticed that you've been playing against the same people and losing, it's likely that they've figured out what you're up to.

Either you're not bluffing enough against them, or perhaps you're bluffing too much and they've caught on. If that's the case, and you've gone from being a winning player to a losing player, it's possible that they've altered their style of play as well.

#3: The Games are Too Difficult

The third reason you could be losing in poker is that the games are too difficult. Assume you're the world's fifth best Omaha HiLo player. But every day, you sit down with the other four people who happen to be better than you. Congratulations on reaching the fifth, but in this game, you're the loser.

It would be smart to become self-aware enough to glance around the table and ask the actual question: "I enjoy my poker abilities, but am I better than these?" And if you're not sure, you might want to look for better spots.

#2: The Fundamentals

Your fundamentals are the number two reason you may be losing a poker game. That is the nitty gritty of learning how to play poker. The good news is that this can be learnt, and you're already taking a significant step in the right direction by reading these strategy articles and watching the videos we offered.

Without the fundamentals, you will not be able to be a winning player. As a result, it's a crucial component, and this is a learnable feature. As you advance, search for sources of influence. There are outstanding players who have done it before and know what they're talking about.

#1 Tilt

Tilt is the number one reason you're most likely losing in poker. Tile is a bad state of mind that causes a player to make costly mistakes, which are frequently the result of frustration. Tilt has destroyed more poker players than any other factor in history.

Tilt seems differently to various individuals. One way people tilt is to play for three days in a row when they're losing, and three days in a row when they're winning. They come back home with a tidy profit. That's tilt-related since you should be leaving that game because your heads aren't in the appropriate place. You're only playing to achieve emotional stability. Being self-aware enough to realize when you're not feeling well or are angry.

The first step towards removing tilt is to quit sooner than you believe you should and say, "You know what, today is not my day." Daniel Negreanu, the poker master, has a trick to eliminate tilt: "Part of it appears to be that I basically simply think about my thoughts and what's going through my head." Then I examine how I'm feeling my physical feelings and bring myself back to the present moment. I'm irritated because this person just called a raise when he was five off-suit and took me on a turn. He should never have been in the hand in the first place. I'm screwed now. What is my level of rage? When we're bodily sensations, my blood is heating, and my mind is racing? Choose now as the next step. I'm going to decide how relaxed, peaceful, joyful, and engaged I want to be. And this is a trick I employ sometimes when you see me at the table close my eyes. I go into my little Zen, I could be smiling, but I'm going to name it with silly exhaustion."