SOME DOS AND DONT’S IN PLAYING POKER
So, you want to do well when you play poker? Well, poker masters can come from anywhere and can be anyone. It’s not like basketball where you need to be humongous to play professionally. In poker, there are certain skill sets that anyone can develop to become a real pro. If you do these successfully, then after some time you can start dealing with high-stakes bets.
Unfortunately, some people get cocky after a few wins and start to make some mistakes. They think that just because they’ve won a couple of games here and there they’re suddenly immune to committing any type of error. To avoid becoming one of these people, there are few things you need to take note of when you play poker.
Manage Your Emotions
Probably the most important thing to keep mind of, even before you start playing, is your emotions. Playing poker requires one to keep a cool head. You don’t want to go into a game when you’re feeling too upset or too cocky. These could all contribute to you losing the hands of cards they have over and over. Poker players know that when they’re in the game, nothing else can affect their decision. So, always keep those feelings in check before you begin.
Use a Bluff Wisely
Beginners often make the mistake of bluffing too much. Yes, it can be fun to successfully call out someone who’s not being honest about their cards. But, they don’t know that bluffing doesn’t work all the time. Most poker players are actually willing to stay until the end at a showdown, so bluffing is rendered useless. Don’t feel like you need to call a bluff cause a game feels incomplete without it. Most games can actually run pretty well without it.
Know When to Bow Down
What separates the experts from the beginner is knowledge when to quit. There’s a lot left up to chance when it comes to poker, like what cards you work with. If it’s a good hand then, by all means, play till the end. But, if you know you can never win with yours then it’s best to fold. Just because you play till showdown doesn’t give you better chances. You might even lose more money if you’re tempted to do more betting.
Read the Cards and the Players
Paying attention to your cards is important, but it’s not the only thing that needs your focus. Watch what the other players do too. After a while, you might start to notice a pattern in behavior that the others are following. You can use this to your advantage. Poker is a game that’s as much about your own cards as it is about the other cards too.
Knowing how to play poker well doesn’t come easy. A good suggestion is to practice online with websites like poker 99. It’s a good training ground for beginners. Once you’ve played enough hands, you might be ready for the actual expert poker player competitions.
