Poker Talk

It’s not always fun and profitable playing poker, especially when you are playing a level you are not very familiar with such as Omaha Poker or 7 card stud poker. There are nights when your stars don’t seem to be in cosmic alignment. And nights when you just don’t feel in a good mood. Those nights are real hard and a pain in the neck. Who wants to lose money, anyway? But you are a good player. You can handle yourself well whatever bad luck comes your way. So, no reason to go on a tilt. But that is not always the case. No matter how strong your intention of playing well is, there are still moments that you lose control of yourself and play hands you shouldn’t be playing.

I know what you will ask now, how do you avoid these slip offs and keep yourself in control. There are actually simple and easy steps to avoid them. First off, if you feel like going on a tilt, shake yourself off, stand up, and go for a walk. Simply put, refresh yourself. Have a chat with your friend or order some coffee to pump up your adrenaline. You can also go to the washroom and sprinkle water on your face. There’s nothing more refreshing and better at getting back your energy in playing Texas Holdem Poker than cold water on your face. You can also pinch your toes to bring back the energy you lost. This may sound silly to you, but believe me it does brings you back from the hypnosis you had at the table.

Second, try the letter therapy. Get a piece of paper and wrote there “I am here to make good decisions at the table. Not simply to win money.” Write that a few times and put it in your pocket. Every time you feel like tilting or making a bad decision, take it out and read it. That would remind you of your real goal in those
Poker Sites.

Third, keep a positive attitude. You have in your hands the power to make your games as good as it can get. It’s about how you face and act in every game. Don’t let your negative attitude overcome you. Stay focused and every time you lose tell yourself, “that money I lost was not mine. It was just visiting.”

Lastly, every time you play poker, be it in casinos or online poker rooms, think of it as a job. Tell yourself that you are hired to play there. The money you have is not yours, but it belongs to your boss. And unless you make good decisions, you are not to be paid. Think of your boss as mean and demanding. He doesn’t care if you win or lose as long as you play correctly and make sound decisions. Naturally, you would not want to be fired, right? So, make sure to always make the right choices, and your spot at the payroll is guaranteed.

There you are. Simple and easy-to-do steps to keep yourself in check. Keep them in mind and you are sure to have fun at the tables.

“Barry, can you play tight in a Texas Holdem Poker game?” that’s what a friend ask me sometime ago. Good question. For beginners and those who don’t know yet what a tight player is, he is the one who starts the hand with a high pair like an AK. He’s easy to spot in a table. He usually only raises when he feels he has a sure thing.

To most poker players, including me, playing too tight is not really a problem. This is also true to new poker and low limit players playing Holdem or 5 card stud poker. But when it comes to high limit games, players often play tight and aggressive. One attitude of a player that’s too tight is that he does not vary in his play. This makes him easy to spot and avoid at the table. Often, it is easy to get rid of less quality hands when raised by a tight player. That is if you don’t have a very big hand.

As I’ve said, tight players are easy to spot, so this make them win less money. How? Let’s say I make a call against most of the players at the table when I have a good, but not great, hands in me. When the too tight player bets, I would throw away all my hands. I may be giving the tight player a chance to win the pot by bluffing, but I know that I am not risking much as the tight player will seldom or never bluff.

So, can you play too tight in a No Limit Holdem game? Definitely. There’s nothing wrong with playing too tight. If you don’t, those who played nothing but a pocket of aces will win the most. Now, that’s what you don’t want to happen, right? So, don’t be afraid to play tight once in a while.

Take a heed though that when you are at the table, it is best to study your opponents. Learn their skills and techniques. If you can’t take playing too tight at all times or your opponents are better than you, don’t hesitate to transfer to another table. If you see that playing too tight works for you, then it is best to take advantage of the situation and win lots of pots.

But remember, if you have been playing too tight for a while know, take time to loosen up. Don’t stay in one technique in all your plays. Most successful poker players combine tactics in their game. So, you can random your playing style and combine it with a tight play. But don’t play aggressively and tightly when you are don’t have the best play. Just simply resort to tightness rather than playing too aggressive. Other players at your table may not like this, but don’t mind them. This can work to your advantage.

So, whatever Poker Games you play, just play hard and play with your mind. If ever you decide to play too tight, take a well-calculated risk. Remember that the best hands don’t always win the pot. It all depends on how you play the game.

Poker is one of the most popular games played online today. I’ve been playing this game for a long time now on various poker sites. I first learned it in our kitchen table with my uncles. Back then, all I knew were the basics. I was such an aggressive player because I want to win lots of pot for my dates on weekends. But much to my dismay, my aggressiveness did not win me lots of Poker Games. As I grew older, my realize my mistakes and negative techniques that worsen my play. These days, when I play in online poker sites or casinos, I try hard not to commit the beginner’s mistakes I did before.

My favorite uncle told me before that poker is a game of skill rather than luck. It is a game that requires skill and great deception in order to win. By playing with my mind, I can still get ahead of my opponents despite losing a few sessions. He added that patience is also a good virtue in poker. He told me that I cannot just charge every game. I have to wait for my cards. When they come, that’s when I make my move and push my chips into the game. He was such a great man. He was the one who taught me how to win at poker by not forcing my luck on it.

These days, I’m teaching a cousin to play poker. I’m trying to impart to him everything that my uncle has told me. If you are a newbie at poker as well, let me share to you what I told my cousin. I hope I can help you get better at your game, be it a casino or Online Poker game.

The first important point to remember when in a Poker Room is to keep your emotions and attitude in check. The table is not a place for you to show your frustration in life or your love for foul words. Your opponents won’t tolerate you. If you don’t want to get thrown out of the room, control yourself.

Second, not knowing what a bet is in a Pot Limit Texas Holdem game. As a beginner, you have to know that the bet is when it is your turn to play the game. Understand that in a limit game, the bets doubled before and after the flop. Now, that is what you have to keep track of.

Third, know your limitations. Don’t play in a $10 table in your first game. Start at the lower tables and work your way up. It’s never a good idea to force your way up when your skills are not yet enough. Only when you have enough experience and skill can you win as many pots as you want.

Fourth, never play when you are drunk or in a bad mood. The biggest mistake you can make as a beginner is to lose control at the table. Your opponents would take advantage of your situation and take as much money as they can from you.

Lastly, never play more than what you have in your pocket. Set a limit to yourself. When you have used all the money you have set for that day, stop playing. Don’t chase after the money you lost. Just leave the table and go back on another time.

There are no sure things in life, even at poker. What may start out as a good game can still end up bad. That sure is true. Even the best and most successful players still experience bad poker games. My friend even said that in poker, you have 99.99% chance of winning it and 99.99% chance of losing it. Even if you think that you have a good starting hands, it can still be beaten. For others, it a game of luck, but other consider it a game of skill. I’d say both, but still add that poker is more a game of money management. After all, money is what we play 5 card draw or Texas Holdem for, right?

Whether you play just for fun with just your friends or seriously in a casino or online Poker Sites, there is money at stake. Now, if you want to maximize your earnings, you need to manage your money wisely. How? I know a few tips to managing your money well. Let me share them with you.

Start low. Whether you are a beginner or a pro at poker, it’s always advisable to start low. The lower you go, the lesser your chance of tilting and chasing after the money you lost. Yes, I know this mean you’ll earn less, but at least you’ll have a good chance at winning a huge pot at the end of the day. You can still lose money, but as long as it’s not a lot, you’re still good.

Don’t easily jump to a high limit poker game. People who play this game are usually pros who can wipe out your pocket in no time. Understand that the higher the limit, the better the players. So, unless you are skilled enough to tackle these players, its better you stick with the low limit games to practice your skill.

It’s better to hone your poker skills playing poker on poker sites than immediately jumping into a casino. Remember that in a casino you see your opponents, so the pressure is greater. Also, there are more pros playing at casinos. Even if you play at a low limit game, there are still intelligent and skillful players sitting there. But if you think you can tackle them and stand the pressure, go ahead and try your luck. Nevertheless, keep in mind that it is easier to manage your money playing online poker than casino poker.

The bottom line is if you are new at playing poker or simply having fun, play at lower tables only. If you don’t want to get your life too complicated worrying about the money you lost at the table, stick with low limit Holdem games permanently. This way, you gain less and lose less as well. A $400 loss can be a huge mistake that can affect your life forever. So, stick with your skill and money level and you will surely keep your money managed well. It’s no fun worrying about money day after day. The best thing you can do to avoid that is to keep your pocket closed when you’ve used enough cash.

Have you ever felt so unlucky in your life before? I have. Two years ago, I got tangled in such an unlucky scenario. I lost my job, I got into a car accident, and lost a huge amount money from playing Limit Holdem on poker sites all in one month. Call that bad luck or whatever you want to call, I do believe I’m one unlucky guy that year. Good thing it didn’t stay for good. A few months after that everything turned okay and profitable. I just Heaven has it’s own way of making me worthy of all the blessings I have today.

Anyway, I’m sure most of you have felt unlucky in their like and poker game one way or another. There are simply times that you cannot control your actions and if ever you do bad things still happen. So, the question now is how do you get rid of this bad luck? I don’t have a scientific or cosmic explanation for that. But I can give you pointers on how to get those misfortunes away.

There are actually signs that tells you when you about to go on a bad luck. The most obvious of them is tilting. When you feel furious at your opponents and want to punch them in the face, you can lose control of yourself and start making bad decisions. Now, that would surely lead to bad luck. The best thing you can to avoid this in any Omaha or Holdem game is to take a break and cool yourself. Only when you feel calm and cool must you return at the table on poker sites and play again. You don’t want to end the day with less money in your pocket than when you start it, right? So, keep your composure at all times to keep bad luck away.

You can also consider going back to the basics. Find the root of your problem. Ask yourself where you go wrong and which strategies make you play bad. If you have time, start to learn poker again. Look at it like a beginner and try to go back to the ABC of poker. Along the way, you will realize your mistakes and take action in correcting it. You can also join a Poker Blog to learn new tips and techniques to improve your skill. Or read poker books that will make your attitude at the table better and more positive.

Another thing you can do is to develop keenness in learning. Poker, just like any game, continuously evolves. To keep your skill always sharp, keep on learning and learning. Talk with your poker buddies and learn from them the latest in poker. Keep your mind fresh at all times and you’ll sure keep winning in your game.

The best pointer I can give you to keep bad luck away is to get the right mindset. In any game, no matter if you win or lose, always control yourself. Don’t let your opponents see that you are affected of your bad play. Congratulate them instead and tell them, what a great game. This will put your opponents right where they belong, in wonder of your real deal at the table.