Poker has become immensely popular. The combination of strategy and skill it takes to win a game or tournament, plus the chance to win large amounts of money if you do so, is a combination that has enabled the game to appeal to many. There are lots of people out there who learn about the different poker hands and how to play the game, practice and then test their newly developed skills out at casinos online or online.
The arrival of online platforms, which have given more people the opportunity to learn how to play poker and to play the game for cash prizes, is another reason the popularity of poker has exploded. However, playing poker isn’t just about building good hands to win. Succeeding at the poker tables requires a certain mentality. Below is a look at the more psychological aspects of poker.
Bluffing
Bluffing is the ultimate mind game in poker. Sometimes it’s tactical. Perhaps an opponent has just lost a big hand and their spirits have sunk slightly. Others it’s because the player who is bluffing is feeling weak… they don’t have a good hand but can’t let their opponents sense this and use it to their advantage.
Patience
Being able to remain patient at the table is crucial. Canadian professional player Daniel Negreanu discusses the importance of this in his guide to poker strategy on the MasterClass learning platform. Sometimes, when a game is going well for a player and they’ve built a large chip stack, they become impatient and try to win the game too early. This causes them to ruin the game for themselves.
Keeping emotions in check
Whether you win millions or suffer a crushing loss at the table, your reaction should be the same. This is what the best poker players do. They know that if they react negatively, these emotions can lead them to make a bad decision. They also know that if they become too confident and cocky, they may also make a bad play. That’s why they try to keep their emotions on an even keel and just focus on the game. If you’re playing poker and your emotions feel as if they’re getting too much, try to take a short break from the table.
Confidence
Confidence is important in poker. If you can be confident in your abilities, you can intimidate other players and tilt games in your favor. Knowing where to draw the line though is essential. Too much confidence can cause you to become reckless and you could end up learning a harsh lesson at the table.
Self-awareness and discipline
Self-awareness and discipline are indispensable when playing poker. Being able to understand your strengths and weaknesses is a fundamental part of developing a winning mindset. If you have devised a well-thought-out strategy, you must have the self-control to stick to it (unless you’ve developed enough knowledge of the game to know when to move away from it). Keeping calm and being able to resist acting on impulse helps players to make more rational decisions and to remain a step ahead of the other players.
Be aware, too, of how you see yourself and of how your opponents (might) see you. You might visualize yourself as a certain type of player, but your actions at the table may cause your opponents to form a different same impression of you. Understanding how other players might see you can help you to mislead your opponents successfully and turn games to your advantage.
Not making excuses
Some players tend to tell hard luck stories and portray themselves as victims when things don’t go their way at the tables. Good poker players don’t wallow or blame their misfortunes on others, however. Instead, they accept that bad runs are part of playing poker and use the experience as a learning opportunity. They ask themselves what went wrong and why. They know that how they react to what goes on at the tables is up to them.
Playing fearlessly
Fear is debilitating. Players such as Josh Reichard have learned not only to keep fear in check when playing poker, but to banish it from their mind completely. Playing without fear means listening to your gut. Playing without fear means not being afraid to play a big bluff. It means having the courage to test your opponent, rather than let them have the fun and put you to the test. Playing fearlessly tends to lead to better results than if you were to play it safe.
Poker is less about playing good hands and more about being a good player. Being able to master the psychological aspects of the game will help you to play much better at the tables. Adopting the right mindset will allow you to make the right decisions and, whether things go right or wrong, to return to the tables as confident as you’ve ever been.
