My Five Cents For Amateur Poker Players

First Cent: STUDY YOUR OPPONENTS

You’ve heard how the FBI, the CIA and even the CSI profile their opponents, haven’t you? You’ve heard how important it is to think like an enemy in order to win, haven’t you? Well, it’s also what you have to do when playing poker. Knowing your opponent, his style of play, his preferred strategies and observing his reactions will help you win the game.

Second Cent: UNDERSTAND POT ODDS

To have better chances of winning a poker game, you must educate yourself on understanding pot odds and the different ways of calculating it, depending on the type of poker game you’re playing.

Third Cent: DON’T LET YOURSELF FALL

…for the trap. Most gamblers, whether it’s playing for poker or some other casino game, fall victim to the trap and sometimes bankrupt themselves in the process. Don’t let that happen to you! There is no infallible strategy and if you start believing that there is one, that’s when you’ve fallen for the trap. So if things are going terribly for you, it’s vital to change gears immediately if you want to survive another round of poker!

Fourth Cent: DON’T PLAY ON A TILT

A tilt is commonly used to refer to a situation where a poker player finds himself governed by his emotions. If you’re on a tilt, try to focus on happy thoughts – reach far, far back in your mind if necessary to dig out your happiest memories – and don’t let other external factors bother you.

If this still doesn’t work, mentally sing to yourself until everyone else’s voices have been blocked out and all you should focus on is your mental song and the poker hand you’re holding. Distract yourself from your emotions but if nothing works, it may be time to leave the poker table before you lose more money than you probably already have!

Fifth Cent: DON’T PLAY WITH YOUR LAST CENT

It seems quite apt to end the article with a money management tip. If you want your love affair with poker to last, it’s imperative to understand that the successful poker players know exactly when they can play and when they should stop. Admittedly, most of them may have learned this invaluable lesson the hard way but why experience the same thing yourself if there’s a way to prevent it? If you’re currently broke, don’t play poker with your last cent! Wait till you’ve got extra money to spare.

This, above all else, shall teach you self-discipline, a key skill in poker and something all expert poker players have in abundance. If you want to become a great poker player, start by learning self-control.