How to Be a Better Poker Player

I have been a poker dealer at a major casino in a large poker room for three years now. I spend forty hours a week watching all types of players, from low limit players to high limit players, Seven Card Stud players, Texas Hold'em players, both limit and no limit, and the ever tenacious Omaha Hi-Low players. I deal both live play and tournament, including WPT events. I do not claim to be a poker player, but I have gathered quite a bit of information from watching both winning and losing players. In this article, I will share with you some of my observations.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Some basic knowledge of the game of poker
• A venue to play at

1. Have the right attitude. The number one concept that must be realized is that there are no guarantees. You can play the perfect game of poker from your standpoint, making all the right moves, and still lose some hands. Remember that this is a game of chance. Nobody knows the order of the cards in the deck. Often players get it into their mind that they somehow deserve to win, but the sooner you lose that mentality the better off you will be. You need to keep your wits about you. Don't allow a string of bad luck to put you on tilt, where you will play anything and everything just for spite. Stay in control!!

2. Along the same lines, remember that there are some aspects of poker that can never be controlled by you. Concentrate instead on those aspects that you CAN control. You cannot choose which cards are dealt to you, but you can decide which ones to play. For the most part, play only good cards such as pairs and suited connectors. If your hand does not improve as the next cards fall, then consider folding.

3. You can control your attitude and outer demeanor. Playing with good players means that you are being watched carefully. The necessity of a good poker face is not a myth. I can't tell you how many times I know what a player has or close to it by the way they act. Letting out an impatient sigh, slamming their hand or their cards on the table, trembling hands, frowning, shaking their head: all of these are clear signals. Be aware of your own reactions and control them. Being angry and throwing the cards may make you feel better, but it will take away from your profits in the end.

4. Once you are in command of your own reactions, make sure that you pay close attention to the other players. They may not be able to control themselves as well as you can. They also sometimes make mistakes that you may miss if you are not watching. Of course, sometimes these movements and signals are feigned. You can learn to distinguish between real and fake by taking note of the hands they play.

5. Sometimes it is easy to know when a player has a good hand. There are some players who fold every hand except top ones such as high pairs or high suited connectors. This means they are not often in the hand. If you are playing with someone who is never in the hand and then suddenly they decide to call, you need to be aware that they most likely have a serious hand. If you don't have an equally strong hand, be very careful. It will depend on the cards to follow whether you should continue to call or not.

6. It is also important to be aware of the people who call everything. These are the players who are in every hand, seemingly irregardless of what they have. In general, you should NOT be this type of player. These are the people who are constantly re-buying as they lose everything they have. The thing that keeps these people playing is that they do occasionally win a pot, and sometimes it is a big pot. But this is pure luck, and the losses always outweigh the wins. Also, if you are playing with someone like this, do not get angry (at least outwardly). Realize that people are allowed to play however they want to with their own money. And console yourself with the though that in the long run that person will lose.

7. Get to know how specific people play. When you sit down at a table, look around at the players stacks. Notice who has a lot of chips and who has a little. This may be indicative of their success. Be cautious when playing against a big stack. Assume at first that they play good hands, until you know for sure. Once you know how your opponents play, you can make better decisions about playing your own hands.

8. You must have patience. Eventually, the cards you want will come to you. Don't change seats or tables constantly and incessantly because you think you will get better cards somewhere else. If the cards aren't coming, then take a break. Go eat a meal, take a walk, or divert your attention. Don't sit there simmering. You will be more likely to play bad cards and lose.

9. The best advice I can give is to PAY ATTENTION. Remember that poker is a game played against other people. Watch them carefully. Be aware of the way they play and the cards that come out. Maintain a good attitude and outward demeanor, and be patient. If you follow this advice, you will be on your way to being a better poker player.

Tips & Warnings

• These suggestions come from watching people play live poker games. I do not have any experience with online poker games.

[LissaK]

on 2/10/2009 I've never played a day in my life, but with all they hype about it, it's gotta be worth a try. Thanks!

[momoftwokids]

on 12/15/2008 The positive attitude is good advice!