Glorious poker victories — is that arrogant? Not at all. If you read my last article, then you already know how I feel about poker. It’s all about playing to win. It’s all about getting into the game. You need to make sure that you’re brushing up on poker theory at every opportunity, because it’s not like you’re going to be able to just step into anything that you want to get into. You need to have more strategy than that, little warrior.
To set the stage, you need to be able to practice scanning your opponents. Some people will not do very well at this, and they’ll have problems. But the truth is that until you know what the crowd is doing, you can’t really plan much. You have to be able to assume what other people have. Counting your outs and looking at odds is a good way to get started.
If this sounds foreign to you, don’t worry. Here’s a list of what you need to master:
Odds
Implied Odds
Counting outs
Understanding hand ranks
Pre-flop raising vs. raising on the flop
Again, these are all things that happen after you’ve practiced with them for a while. If you haven’t done your practice work, then you’re going to find yourself in over your head. I didn’t say that this journey would be easy at all. This part is why so many people don’t last in poker. Oh, they come swinging with a loot of hopes and dreams but they realize that hopes and dreams don’t carry you very far. Tons of people get mowed down in poker tournaments, even when they do have strategy.
You need to make sure that you’re mixing up your image. Someone that’s raising all of the time is creating a pattern. If you’re the chatty type that is too busy being the life of the party… STOP. You’re playing poker to make extra money and earn a reputation for being a good player, not to laugh it up during the games. If you want to tell someone they made a good play, that’s one thing. On the other hand, why telegraph who you’re watching? Being silent is honestly the best policy, as much as people hate to think about it like that.
If you’re always in the middle of the conversation, you can’t concentrate. Even though some people disagree, I don’t. I think that if you’re trying to play poker for real money, that should honestly be your focus. I didn’t say that you couldn’t get social after the game, or in the forums.
A word about forums, while I’m thinking about it — forums can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Remember that other people can and will read what you type. If you put yourself out there as a weak player, you might be surprised to find yourself a target when you cross over into the games. Likewise if you mention anything stressful that you’re dealing with. These people are going to be social, but that doesn’t always mean that they’re going to be your friends. You should see it in this light: anything that you admit can really be used against you over time. The best thing to do is be well aware of this at all times.
I know that I am giving you more than what you might be able to handle. But setting the stage for wonderful poker victories doesn’t mean that you just go in when the mood suits you. It means that you approach it as a warrior preparing for battle and nothing less than that.