Key Poker Skills
Discipline
In order to win steadily at poker, the most important skill to
master is discipline. Indeed, all other skills are dependent on
discipline. You must have the discipline to wait for a good hand, a
good game, the right opportunity, etc. Discipline means that you do
not play in games where you lack edge, that you refrain from playing
hands that will get you into trouble, that you manage your money
expertly and that you learn from your mistakes. It is imperative
that you keep your emotions under control at all times and not go on
"tilt". Do not, under any circumstances, play drunk or when you are
tired or emotionally troubled. As well, you should constantly ask
yourself if you are playing your best game.
Observation
If you continually study your opponents, you will learn a lot.
Most of the time you spend playing you will not be involved in a
hand, and you should use that time to observe your opponents. Watch
how each player plays their hand and use that information against
them. It is important to listen to what they say. A lot of players
will tell you what kind of hand they threw away or why they played a
hand in a certain way. Try to figure out what they are holding and
put them on hands whether you are involved in the pot or not.
Consequently, when you are playing a hand with them, you will know
what their checks, bets, calls and raises mean. Pay equal attention
to your own game and think of your table image at all times. You
will notice that some players do not examine the game at all and,
therefore, your table image is virtually non-existent when playing
against them. Just as you search for tells in your opponents, look
for tells in yourself. When you spot one in an opponent, consider
whether or not you are displaying that very same tell.
Changing gears
A good poker player is unpredictable and is able to change gears.
The way you do this is dependent on your opponents and your table
image. If you have been playing solid poker and were not once caught
bluffing, you will have substantial bluff equity. If you have been
playing loose and bluffing a lot, you will be in a position to get
paid off when you hold a good hand. When your opponents are playing
tight, you should play looser and, when they are loose, you should
tighten up your game. Always try to be one step ahead of your
opponents. It is the ability to balance your game by changing gears
at the right moment that makes you unpredictable. This is why you
should occasionally advertise plays when you know you will be
playing with the same players for a while, show them hands you do
not normally play and mix up your play to cash in on those plays
later. This is not as important when playing online since people
usually are not paying as much attention to the game and also
because players move around a lot. However, it should still be done
under the right circumstances.
Money management
If you are unable to manage your money it is impossible to be a
steady winner no matter how good you are. This means only playing in
games you can afford and knowing how much you are expected to win in
the long run. The reason that so many skilled players go broke is
that they constantly play at limits that are not supported by their
bankroll. There will be times when you are just plain unlucky for a
longer period of time though you are playing well. You must have a
bankroll large enough to handle these expected swings in poker. For
example, you should have a bankroll of 300 times the big bet when
playing Limit Hold'em. If you are a winning Limit player and have
100 times the big bet in your bankroll, and you always cash out or
use your winnings for other expenses and never let your bankroll
grow, inevitably you will go broke.
|
