Recently, I played poker at a home game and lost badly. I made bad decisions and went in with second best hands much too often.

Driving home, I thought about how the night went, and I was OK with losing. I accepted that I should lose because I haven’t studied or practiced in a long time.

Like jiu-jitsu, poker’s a skill game where the more you know and the more you play, the better you get. And it’s perishable. You shouldn’t expect to be good when you come back. That’s why people who take layoffs from training typically don’t ever make it back. It’s hard when you see your peers, or even worse (in your head), the beginners, have surpassed you.

If you don’t practice, be prepared to suck. It’s part of the game. It’s not a reason to quit.