Online poker is a game of skill, and as such, experience is an added value. You have to train yourself, read, play, analyze, understand your mistakes, improve your ability to concentrate and memorize, handle numbers, data and statistics, all at the same time. So how can you improve your game? How can you create a series of actions to refine your game? Let’s give you a hand with it.
Poker is a mental game
There is a constant debate about how to qualify poker, whether it is a game of mathematics or a game of chance. What if we tell you that poker, more than luck or numbers, is about mental toughness?
Because not only are you going to have to think about how to tie your project, but you will have to keep an eye on the others’ game, avoid being read while you read them, calculate probabilities and statistics, count cards and make good decisions in a short time, almost simultaneously. And without mental stamina, it is impossible for you to do all this while remaining unperturbed at the table.
The tilt, that negative spiral from which everyone flees, has a lot to do with the mental debacle of a dejected, surrendered or hopeless player. That is why, when you get there, it is better to stop playing. If you don’t enjoy it, take your time and renew your energy.
Lie just enough
Lying is inherent in poker, but if you do it more than you should, it will start to backfire. A bluff in poker should serve as a cover, not as a giveaway. Lying too much will soon put you in the crosshairs of the other players, and your bluffs will be easily uncovered.
A good poker player lies very rarely. The key is to know which is the best time to lie, and which is the best time to let it go.
If you play, play aggressively
Approach the game aggressively from minute one. If you have good cards, you’ll hit the table with your aggressive play. If you don’t, it will pave the way for you to bluff, which can be very good for you to take advantage of that extra cover and bluff well.
Read your opponents, but never frontally
It is clear that in poker reading the opponents is the general trend, but to get it right you should never maintain direct eye contact with the opponent for too long, unless that is part of a particular strategy. It is important that you are subtle and know how to take advantage of the data and the probabilities that you are handling, and that you give few clues with your reactions or your looks.
Remember that poker is a game of subtlety, and knowing how to hide is almost more important than knowing how to confront a player.
If it’s not clear, stay out
It’s okay to decide that this hand is not yours. The absurd thing would be to want to be in the game foolishly without having a chance. Poker penalizes bad decisions, so it does not pay to risk burning a cartridge that in the end will cost you money.
Besides, in poker you have to follow a clear objective, not play for the sake of playing. If you see that it does not work out or you think that the numbers do not favor you, it is better to quit.
Learn to count cards
It is something that you will learn with time, but the truth is that your game will suffer a turning point when you play counting cards. It is something that will help you keep under control what happens at the table. You will have the chance to know which cards are still to come out and make the right decisions depending on how that card selection affects your project.
Don’t be afraid to change the game
Sometimes you need to put competition mode on hold and relax. And for that there are casual poker games, which maintain the essence of the competition, but are designed to reduce the strategic component, betting more on rhythm and action.
There are those who fear losing practice or experience if they change the game, but oxygenating the brain with something stimulating, fun and different is the best way to get the most out of it when you return to the competition.
Always have a plan B
It seems incredible that in poker we talk about plans B, but the truth is that taking into account the contingencies in case of a card that turns the project upside down can come in handy. Above all, to know when to stop being in the game, because if it is going to cost us money to stay in the hand, the best thing to do is to fold if the odds do not smile on us.
Sometimes, plan B is reduced to check, but it is equally important to know when to do it to get the most out of our bankroll.
Manage your bankroll wisely
This is key. Because your continuity in the game will depend on how you manage your bankroll, and if you end up with it, there will be no way for you to get back to the tables. Therefore, be careful with the indiscriminate use of funds because it can be your ruin if you do not know how to manage it well.
Training to know how to adopt measures that promote good BRM (bankroll management) is important. Do not neglect this point in your study sessions.
Pay attention to your position at the table
Even amateurs know this, but don’t forget that position is vital in every move you make. OOP play tends to give mixed results, so keep an eye on your position so you are never out of rhythm.
