I've been penning the column Improving Performance for Poker Player Newspaper for six years and sometimes I wonder if I will run out of ideas for the next installment. To prevent that, I developed a habit of scribbling down stray ideas whenever they hit me and developing them into a column when I sit down at the word processor. Recently I was rummaging through several scraps of paper with ideas that never developed into columns. At least not until now ... today's effort will be a potpourri of quick tips that I hope you will find to be thought provoking. OK ... here we go.

• Make it a habit to ask yourself, "Should I be involved in this hand?" Challenging yourself at the beginning of each deal with this question can help your hand/position selectivity if you tend to drift towards auto pilot. Your answer needs to be honest and you should have a rationale. It will help curb your enthusiasm if you play too many hands.

• If the pot has been raised before the action gets to you, tighten up significantly. Consider the position of the raiser to help determine its credibility.

• Assess the table image you're projecting as to better anticipate your opponents' actions and reactions. Capitalize on situations that allow you to exploit your image.

• Anticipate the fact that loose games will tend to tighten and tight games will become looser. Try and stay ahead of that curve so as to be in the most profitable speed at all times.

• Poker rewards initiative and this becomes truer as stakes become higher.

• Make it a habit to glance to your left in order to gain information from opponents who have yet to act.

• Attack new players at your table before they can get comfortable.

• Don't watch the flop being dealt... watch the other players to gain their reaction to it.

• Winning is not proof of superior play just as losing isn't proof of poor play. Always perform post session analysis of key hands to keep your game sharp.

• If you're losing, tighten up. Don't make your situation worse by chasing and playing poorly in an attempt to get even quickly. The game was there yesterday, you're in it today, and it will still be there tomorrow.

• Always consider bluffing into a four-suited board. The odds are better than you might think that no one has a card of that's worth calling with.

• Always analyze the texture of the board and its impact on your hand.

• Remember, in the long run, the profit you derive comes from weaker players. Continue to work on your game through reading, studying and playing in order to exploit your competition.

This baker's dozen of random thoughts versus my normal column is like having a snack instead of a meal. Sometimes that can be just as nourishing. Hopefully a couple of these ideas will prove helpful to you on your poker journey. Today's goal is to embrace one or more of the above tips that may not be part of your current regimen and add them to your poker arsenal. Continuous improvement is the hallmark of real champions.

See you next "TIME"

Tom "Time" Leonard has played poker in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and California for more than 30 years and written about the game since 1994. Contact Tom at thleonard@msn.com.