We all make mistakes. Both in life and in poker, decisions must be made with incomplete information, so mistakes and missteps are inevitable. The key is not to let one mistake lead to a string of increasingly compounding mistakes.

In poker, the first small mistake leading to disaster is a common theme. Great players know to look for this and take advantage of it. Many talented but undisciplined players can let a small mistake snowball until it becomes a huge issue.

There is a whole group of players who when things are going well are extremely talented and can hold their own at the table. But, the slightest bump in the road can send them off-kilter. Weeks or months of good play can be erased in no time by a series of compounded mistakes.

Learning to control your emotions and not let one mistake multiply is a life lesson that has an easy correlation to poker and, for many players, could be the most important thing they learn from their time at the tables. How many times in politics and sports have we seen situations where the cover-up is worse than the crime itself?

Being able to identify a mistake, admit you made it, and then let it go is an extremely hard thing to do. It is not part of human nature to admit we messed up, but being able to do so will allow you to prevent yourself from piling on and turning an anthill into a mountain.

One of the best ways to pick up on your mistakes at the poker table is to reduce the focus you put on any bad beats or unlucky hands. Instead of talking about how a guy made a bad call and got lucky against you, make sure you are looking at it from his perspective and what he would have thought was going on or the odds he may have been getting. Factor in overcards and gutshots and other backdoor ways to win that are often left out in the telling of bad beat stories.

Doing this will accomplish a couple things. First, it gets you thinking in a strategy-oriented mindset instead of a “poor, pitiful me” mindset. Second, you will often find that spots that felt like bad beats from bad players were hands that more so played themselves on both sides. As such, you should be able to accept them more easily.

Third, it can help you identify spots where you thought you were making the right play at first, but you were actually the one making a mistake. You can then analyze what was going on that made you view the situation incorrectly and adapt for future play, both generally and against a specific opponent.

The process of knowing you made a mistake generally isn’t that hard. Having the willingness to be open to the idea that you made a mistake and to take ownership of it is another issue all together. It sounds simple, but is not. If you can get to a place mentally and emotionally of accepting and owning your mistakes, you can greatly limit the compounding of mistakes that is so common in life and poker.

Court Harrington has worked on the business side of the poker industry in roles including tournament reporting for PocketFives, radio hosting for PokerRoad Radio, coaching for the WSOP Academy and privately, and a variety of behind-the-scenes responsibilities for poker media businesses. He also plays in cash games and tournaments. Harrington is currently doing consulting work and exploring business opportunities outside of the poker industry. You can contact him at Court@CourtHarrington.com.