If there’s one big piece of advice I can pass on to the new poker player, it would be to sit down, look at your enemies, and try to read them the best way that you know how. Now, a lot of poker guides say that you should do this, and they’re definitely right. However, a lot of newcomers assume that it’s just hopeless. With so much action happening at the table, it’s hard to remember who’s really folding what. As you become a more advanced paler you might want to invest in software that helps you interpret the data that’s available on every player, including the ability to leave notes on the tough guys that you encounter. As a beginner, I think that you should wait until you understand the gameflow a bit better.
You see, if you sit down at a table and you see a guy shoving hard into the pot, you might have a bluffer…but you also might have a seasoned pro that wants you to think that he’s shooting blanks. He could have a real monster and just be trying to suck you in. It’s important to at least let a few hands play before you really see what your opponents are made of. Some will be pretty light, betting only after the flop has come down. This is a sign that they’re not as confident as they think they are when it comes to their hole cards. The hole cards are the two initial cards that you are dealt from every hand. The other cards will hit the community board and that’s what you’re using to make the best pair possible.
Your enemies may even use the chat window to rattle you. When I was a new poker player, I got this a lot. If they felt that you got lucky, they had no problem rattling you. Other people will make hard decisions about you without knowing you. Remember that all they can see is your gameplay. They can’t tell how you really are. There’s no point in taking people like this seriously. They’re just going to ignore you and do whatever it is that they want anyway. Why get worried about it?
Be sure that you’re keeping an even head as you play. If you’re not a drinker, I don’t recommend that you start. If you’re not a smoker, I don’t recommend that you start. If you’re a recreational drinker, you should save that for a time where you can really enjoy it. Poker is a game of the mind, and it’s really going to require all of your focus — as much of your focus as you can give it. Trying to skip this rule can lead to you getting taken advantage of, and that’s the last thing that you want to have happen anyway.
In the beginning, I worried about what all of the poker players would think of me. I was very much a newbie fresh out of practicing with fake money, but I wanted the real thing. I wanted to make a little bit of money on the side. I had a decent job that I was coming home from everyday, but I really wanted to make sure that I had extra spending money. Times can be pretty hard, you know. There’s nothing that says that you can’t build up a little nest egg of sorts through casino gambling, but it’s harder than it looks.
Weighing your enemies carefully through all decisions is going to be the winning strategy behind good poker, but it’s open for anyone to explore it. Check it out now!