In my eyes poker should be treated in the same respect you would treat a business. If you travel to pick up supplies, arrange a new deal, or do an installation you log mileage, and you put receipts through your books. So why should poker be any different?
If your playing professionally, or at least trying to profit from poker rather than just play for fun you need to log all your receipts and offset them against your winnings, to gain a true picture of whether you are in profit overall. Remember that the key to any business is cash flow, and that will be no different to your poker business.
Remember not to take your whole bankroll into a poker game, just like you wouldn’t stock up a store with the same products. By using a poker strategy, limiting yourself to say 5% of your bankroll every time you play, you’re more likely to profit overall from your poker game.
Business is frustrating and so is poker, so remember not to get emotional when you’re on a streak of losses, or not getting good hands don’t worry, it will come over time. Plan your game before hand, know hands your going in on and how much, know hands you’ll raise on and know hands that you will fold on. Stick to your plan, this is the key, as if you decide to drift away from your plan you may win a few hands, but you’ll end up confused and broke.
