Jimmy nervously checked the 2 cards in his hand again. He had a pair of aces, and another ace just came up on the board. He was playing a game of Texas Hold 'Em and not doing so well. His chip stack was low and he decided this was as good a time as any to bet it all, or "go all in" as they call it. So he pushed all his chips into the middle and tried to sound confident as he said "I'm all in".

The only other player in the hand was Luke. Luke had a huge chip stack and seemed to win every hand he played. Jimmy was silently praying that Luke would fold his hand. But he didn't. Luke called the bet and Jimmy showed that he had 3 aces. Luke paused for a minute then smirked as he flipped over his cards. He had a straight. Jimmy lost everything to Luke again.

Well, that's what happens when you gamble, right? You win some and you lose some. But what Jimmy didn't know is that Luke was a cheat. He stacked the cards in his favor so there was know way Jimmy could win. And I see the same thing happening to new Internet marketers who come online hoping to make some money.

Now, I am not trying to say that all Internet marketers are cheaters who are trying to rip you off. On the contrary, most are knowledgeable, reputable people who have good products and good intentions. What I am concerned about is the Internet marketing mindset as a whole.

If you are in the Internet marketing field at all, no doubt you get emails every day promoting the next big product that will reveal the newest and latest secret to making big bucks online. You may have already bought 5 courses this month, but this new one is the real deal. This is the one that you've been waiting for. So you go "all in" on it and end up losing again.

Sometimes I think Internet marketing has turned into gambling. People put their money on the next big thing to come out and when it doesn't work they move on to the next one. In the game of poker, you very rarely want to go "all in" and put all your money on one hand. It's the same thing with Internet marketing. No one e-book, course, or program is going to make you rich overnight, no matter how good it is.

You need to learn the fundamentals of Internet marketing. Learn about product creation, search engine optimization, article writing, and other valuable skills. You can learn so much for free. I've learned a lot from reading free articles by Jim Edwards. Do a Google search for "jim edwards articles" and read some of his free stuff. I get nothing for plugging him. He is just someone I respect.

Then, sure, you can buy an ebook or course. Many of them do contain great information. But you need to read them and put into action the things you learn. No one is going to do the work for you. Above all, don't go "all in" on any one thing no matter how good it sounds. Continue to learn and grow your business little by little.