If you flip a coin 20 times and it comes up ‘heads’ each time, the odds of getting another ‘heads’ on the 21st flip is still 50-50. In a pure game of chance, past results have no effect on future outcomes. There is simply no way to change that.

But when a game includes strategy and you’re competing against others – as in poker – that’s an entirely different story. Chance or luck still plays a role, but better players who consistently make the right bets on the right cards do win over the long haul.

It’s the same in business… and in Steemit. Success and wealth are both about making the right moves, making the right decisions, over and over again. That’s all there is to it, like it or not.

We all need a little inspiration sometimes, thus this post. I know how easy it is to get caught in all the potential earnings. You see a lot of members making thousands of dollars on there posts and you want the piece of that cake, I get it. But hold on, don't post like crazy in hopes that something sticks!

Over the long haul, winning in business – and in Steeemit – is exactly the same as winning in poker. There are no differences. The rules of the game may be simple, but winning is by no means a slam-dunk. This is how you do it.

You can’t win if you don’t play the game. And by “play,” I don’t mean a post or two, here or there. You have to be in the game consistently for a long, long time to win. There’s no quick fix and no shortcuts. You CANT clickbait yourself to success here. If you try to win big with a few quick high-risk bets, there’s a very good chance you’ll get flagged, lose your shit and everything else. Don't get frustrated of your post make only 0.02$, remember you are here for the long run.

It’s a game of attrition and you have to persevere. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and that’s how you have to play it if you want to win.

Learn how the game is played. In poker as in business, there are rules, strategies, nuances and lessons to learn. The thing is, everyone knows the rules. Posting content on the regular basis will only get you so far. The only way to outperform your competitors is from experience and research. Pay attention, browse trough the platform, chat with people, follow minnows as well as whales. That’s how you figure out what works and what doesn’t. Analyze your market - who is selling and who is buying, who is posting and who is reading. That’s how you develop your own skills, strategies and tactics. Get the feel for it. And remember, the number one rule is - ADD VALUE! Always.

It is a zero-sum game. Every poker match has winners and losers, but the game always nets out to zero because you’re playing against others. Granted, markets are elastic. They can grow over time. But every sale, every transaction has one winner and a bunch of losers. Competitive markets are essentially zero-sum games, just like Steemit is - if your voters give there votes to better content then your's, your potential payout is decreasing. Its one cake every 7 days, if you want a bigger piece outsmart your competition, and you will be doing that by ADDING MORE VALUE!

If you have to win at business and be successful, and the only way to do that is to be consistently better – to make better decisions and have a better product or service – than your competitors. That applies to Steemit as well.

Blow your reputation and you’re out of the game. Get caught cheating in poker and you’re done. Word gets around and you’re out of the game. That goes for anything. Your reputation is the key, so I advice you not to cash out our earnings, but invest them into Steem Power.

Your work ethic is your reputation. If you’re known for playing clean, for being a good sport, for showing up and meeting your commitments, you get asked to play again and again. Opportunity comes your way, your post get upvoted from somebody influential. If you show of as great guy, providing valuable content on a regular basis, people will start noticing that, and will start following you. That's how you earn respect.

Never bluff yourself. Short-term success can be a dangerous thing. When you start to think the deck is stacked in your favor, that you’re lucky, that you can’t lose, that’s when you make risky bets you shouldn’t make. That’s when your ego writes checks that the laws of probability can’t cash. You can sometimes bluff others, but never bluff yourself. I get it, you would like to see a couple of hundred dollars for your post, and maybe in your mind you think: hmmm can I find something on the internet that was viral and repost it here, maybe it will rub it off. And maybe it will, but don't bullshit yourself. You know whats good content, and try to follow that inner compass. Keep your feet planted firmly on the ground. Keep it real. The more real, sincere and genuine you are, the more people will want to follow you. Someone once said all other rolls in life are already taken, so why not play yours.

The most important thing to remember is this: To win at poker, make the right bets on the right cards over and over. Winning in Steemit is exactly the same: consistently make good posts. Simple as that.

An on the end note, this shit is still in BETA, and you joined early enough, so you already won :)