Everyone loves winning at poker, no matter how big or how small the payout is. It is addictive, the money, the thrill, risk. Some people come by it naturally and can easily take their game to the professional circuit. They usually are risk seekers or have the disposable income that allows them to lose big on their way to winning. Other people have the potential and just need to learn the real rules of the game, how to manage yourself, your hand and your bank to not only win, but to know when your best option is to get out and maintain what you have.
Some of the things a player needs to know are game strategies, others are just common sense reminders that can go out the window in the heat of the moment or during a winning streak when confidence levels are peaking. The first step is the first in almost any serious endeavor. It’s research. Obviously, it’s not a glamorous step, but it is the most important. Knowing the game, all its nuances and every possible combination or hand. Seeing what worked for other successful players and getting familiar with any venue you are going to and any other player you can research will all boost your chances of making the right choice when the pressure is on. Beyond the technical skill and knowledge, here are some tips from some of the best poker players of our time.
Longtime pro Ben Roberts points to controlling your instinctive reactions as essential to real success. Both the adrenaline from winning and the rage from losing can sabotage what could be an otherwise positive income. He advises taking each win or each loss as it comes and that while planning a jump to the pro level, practice maintaining control with every single hand.
Prolific and controversial professional poker player Chris Ferguson made his mark by winning his first World Series of Poker right out of graduate school in 2000. Ferguson advocates knowing game theory. Known for his aggressive style, he believes in forcing your opponents to make the hard decisions so you don’t have to. In keeping with that logic, he instructs beginners that raising is always better than calling for just this reason.
Huck Seed, a World Champion, believes in knowing the power of quiet deception. Deception plays a roll in more than just the traditional bluffing that must be second nature to a successful poker player at any level. He speaks of the skill of tricking a table into thinking you are bluffing when you are in fact holding a great hand. Deceiving people into thinking you aren’t as good as you are can be your most powerful asset.
Successful pro Jennifer Harman has been playing poker since she was 8 years old and has a long list of championships in the World Series and on the World Poker Tour. She has blazed trails for women, being the only female in many men’s clubs over the years. Her philosophy is that playing is about the individual, not about being gender or her role as a feminist icon. She believes every game should be played on its own and that all players and games can have purpose. She is no heavily involved in raising money through charity tournaments for a number of causes, both human and animal.
Erik Seidel is prolific, Hall of Fame professional player originally from New York with 8 World Series Bracelets to his name since he started on the circuit in the 1980s. He advises players to consider all styles of play with every hand and strike a balance between book smarts and table smarts. He mentions the mathematical savvy of players like Chris Ferguson compared to the freewheeling instinctive play of players like Gus Hansen, both extremely successful with their particular methods. Instead of adopting one set standard of rules or play, Seidel suggests considering the hand first and then approaching it from the style that fits it best, using imagination and experimentation and constantly adapting to the situation literally at hand.
Tips from the pros are always a great way to approach poker playing from a different angle and their advice is good to have in your arsenal. It seems all of their words lead to the conclusion that your best bet is to stay well informed and keep trying everything you’ve read and learned to complement your own instinct. Success means trying and failing, but adapting and improving with every win or loss.
