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
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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.