| Ten Tips to Playing Your Best Poker |
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Everybody wants to play poker well. As much fun as poker is, it's a lot more fun when you're winning; and a lot less fun when you're losing. Even if you've read Super/System and think you know all the ins and outs of the game, you still may not be playing your best poker. Here are a few tips to keep you at the top of your game. 1. Don't Play Emotionally Being emotional is nice when you are having a tender moment with a loved one, but in poker it is instant death. Some very frustrating things are going to happen to you during your poker adventures, if you let these things get to you, you are doomed. You are going to take very bad beats. You are going to face opponents who do everything wrong and win huge sums while you are doing everything right and losing. In these situations players are very tempted to "spite the fates" and play incorrectly as well. Of course, the poker gods rarely smile upon good players who do this and your bankroll will quickly reflect this fact. 2. Don't Play Egotistically Despite what some players may have you believe, poker is not a test of manhood. If it were, how could Annie Duke and Jennifer Harman be so successful? As the saying goes, there is no shame in folding. Making bad calls to prove you can't be bluffed or intimidated will not show them that you are a real man, but it may show them that you are a real broke man before long. 3. Don't Play Tired, Angry, or Hungry This goes hand in hand with the above two. Poker is a game of wits, and you need to have your full wits about you at all times when you play. If you are tired or hungry, you will make mistakes or miscalculations, and if you are angry, you may be prone to punish yourself with bad play. 4. Don't Play with Money You Can't Afford to Lose It's tough to win with "scared" money. If you are focused on the financial consequences of losing you may not be able to make the mathematically correct plays when you need to, which in the end will prove costly. If your bankroll is meager, play at lower limits, or wait until you can build it up. 5. Don't Play Over Your Head Make sure you are beating the limit you play now consistently before moving up in limits. When you do move up, if you find yourself having trouble, don't be afraid to move back down. Moving up before you are ready can decimate your bankroll. Those higher limit games will still be there when the time is right. 6. Do Be Selective About the Games You Play It is tempting to just jump right in to the first game or tournament that is available when you are itching to play. Sometimes there is only one game you can play in. But if you have a number of options, you will help yourself if you take a few moments to observe the different games in progress and find the best one. One or two weak players at your table can make a huge difference in profits. 7. Do Play for As Long As the Game is Good It's tempting to get up as soon as you have sustained a big loss or a big win, however, if you are still at the top of your game and the game is still good, you should continue until you get tired. Be honest with yourself though. Whether you are ahead or behind, whether the game is good or not, if you continue to play when you are no longer sharp, you will see your profits slip away. If you are not sure whether or not you are still playing your best, it is better to err on the side of getting up and playing another day. 8. Do Be Courteous to Your Weak Opponents When They Win Berating opponents for making bad plays that work not only makes everyone uncomfortable, it's also bad poker. The worst thing that can happen for you is that a bad player takes a chunk of your stack by doing something stupid, then responds to your comments by playing correctly so you can't get that money back. Shake it off when a bad player beats you. Remember that in the long run it is good for the game. 9. Do Educate Yourself Learn everything you can about the game you play. If you have a bad session, go over it in your mind and see where you might have made mistakes, what you could have done differently. You can't win every time, but if you don't repeat mistakes, your win frequency should increase. 10. Do Have Fun You started playing poker because it was fun, and even if winning is the goal, there's no reason that can't continue to be the case. If poker becomes an aggravation or a chore, take some time off for awhile. It's unlikely you are playing your best in that state anyway. |
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