Are you tired of the disappointment of opening an issue of Card Player magazine and not being able to find my column? Well, help is on the way.

Beginning with the issue now on cardroom racks, my column will be in every issue. I want to thank the owners and editors at Card Player for their faith in me and my work, and the wonderful readers who have supported and commented favorably on my efforts.

Remember, you can always find my columns by clicking on the Card Player logo on the left. And by clicking on the News link, you can get the latest updates on my seminars coming up in Denver on October 19, and in Foxwoods (as part of the World Poker Players Conference) on November 12.

First, on this anniversary of 9/11/2001, I would like to thank all of the folks who worked and are working so hard to keep our country safe.

For those who were worried I would sulk or cry after last week’s Thought, the good news is I have won all of my sessions since then. Maybe it helps to let it all out.

I have constantly been amazed at how soft the $30-$60 games have been for the past few months. (Incidentally, I played a few hands for a friend in the $400-$800, and that was soft too. Remarkable!) Middle limit games featuring frequent five to seven way action were unheard of a few years ago, except perhaps for a few spots in California. Now they are common everywhere. Luckily for me, I learned to play and beat loose games long before I learned to beat tight ones.

The idea that you cannot beat loose low-limit (or high limit) games because of the frequent suck-outs is nonsense. You will certainly have greater fluctuations (variance is your friend), and your hand selection criteria will have to change significantly, and maybe you will have to adjust your playing style, but these games can surely be beat for good money in the long run.

Which brings me to today’s Thought. Some players, because they have money, like to start playing at fairly high limits. The problem is they will sometimes be unable to adapt when conditions change and the game becomes different from what it used to be. Starting lower, and experiencing all types of games and players on your way up, not only helps your confidence when you get into different situations, but also helps your ego because you will have a history of winning. (Certainly there are successful players who have never played lower limits, just as there are successful players who have never read books. I just think it is a surer way tro success.)

I have been losing money recently, not for the first time by any means. Like all professional gamblers, I seem to go through times when the cards and gods turn against me. My draws do not get there; theirs do. During such times, people find it difficult to remain positive and aggressive. The tendency is to slow down and call or check more to lose less when the (seemingly) inevitable beat comes. Of course, this is a recipe for even more losses, but it still is tough to overcome. I have to keep reminding myself to stay aggressive, as that is what got me the success I have had for 20 years.

Also, at time like this, it helps to have records. You can look back at years of success, including this year, and remember that you really do know how to play. And that sometimes you do hit flops, and have your hands stand up.

While I am not close to that, sometimes people ask me what my worst losing streak was. It was almost exactly 200 big bets.

Anyway, my thought today is to stay positive and aggressive, but to examine your game and look for areas of improvement, something we rarely do when we are winning. I have always come out of a bad streak a better player. I expect this time will one of those as well.

Radio host Brady Goodman interviews poker celebrities and others for his weekly live show. then posts the interviews on his website. Recently, I was privileged to be interviewed by Brady. You can listen here to my interview and all of the others.