Every action you take in a hand should have a clear intent and purpose. Before folding, checking, calling, betting, or raising you should ask yourself, "why?". Why am I taking this action? What is my intent? Furthermore, you should consider each possible result that does not end the hand and have a planned reaction for it. If my opponent calls, what do I do on the next street? What if my opponent bets or raises? You need to think this way right from the beginning of the hand and you MUST follow through.

I think this is a key weakness in a lot of people's game. They make moves whithout a clear intent and/or they do not follow through on their original intent. This can become very dangerous.

Some examples are:

• Calling a raise or re-raise with your small pocket pair to try and hit a set. Missing your set and trying to take the pot down anyway when the flop comes ragged. Your intent was to make a set, you missed, follow through and fold.



• Limping with a mediocre hand hoping to see a cheap flop (especially with a medium Ace like A-10 or A-J). Getting raised and calling convincing yourself that you might have two overs. Flopping your ace and going broke. You wanted a cheap flop, your opponent is not letting have a cheap flop, so follow through and fold.



• Calling a large bet on a draw hoping to get paid off. Hitting your draw on the river and checking or betting a tiny amount. You called the draw to make maximum, follow through and bet the hell out of it when you hit.



• Calling a flop bet with a hand your unsure of and whithout any read on your opponents hand and whithout any draw, with no reason other than you liked the hand pre-flop and don't feel like letting go. And with no plan of attach for later streets.



• Betting whithout knowing whether your intent is to make your opponent fold, call, or raise.



• Making a probing bet, looking for information on where you stand, getting a raise that tellls you you are behind and calling anyway.

From now on, no moves will be made at the table whithout a clear inmtent and every intention will be followed through to the end.