Do you think poker is mostly a game of strategy and mental acuity? Do you think it’s all about poker odds and poker statistics? Or maybe it’s all plain luck. Actually, there is a ton of poker psychology behind the game. In fact poker basics is really all about deception and perception. The best poker advice for anyone is to concentrate on how you appear to others at the poker table, and how others appear to you. In the beginning, play a bit more tightly when you first sit at the table, until you are able to observe the other players and how they behave with different hands and different pots.
This is good poker advice, especially when you playing with new people. Before you can formulate any playing strategies you need to get a feel for the table and get a better idea of the different poker playing roles. Who are the aggressive players who try to bully others by betting a lot of big pots? Who are the more conservative players, only betting when they have a good hand? Are there any erratic players, those people who seem to have no real strategy of their own? This is when you start looking for “tells” or signals that give away a player’s underlying strategy. Look for any pattern of behavior. Do they stand up or lean back when they have a good hand? Many players will overreact to their hand, pretending to be overly weak when they have a strong hand or being extra aggressive when their hand is weak. The next bit of poker advice to follow is to start thinking about your own image. Are you giving away any tells yourself? If you’ve been playing conservatively to start, most people will see that you only stay in the game when you have a good hand so they will fold quickly. After a while, you can try throwing in a bluff or two. That’s where some of the poker psychology comes in. Always be aware, though, if you giving away any signs. You need to eliminate any pattern of behavior so the other players will not be able to guess when you’re bluffing. You can even show them your hand every now and then when you win a pot, although you should only do this as a means to mix people up about how you play. Don’t show them your hand every time otherwise you’ll give away too many of your poker secrets. The final piece of poker advice is to look at poker like a boxing match. Look for patterns of movement in your opponent so you know when to strike. At the same time, you need to disguise your own moves to keep your opponent guessing so you can’t be figured out. Focus on the poker psychology rather than the poker odds and poker statistics and you will go far in the game.
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