Poker is perhaps the most popular and well-known game within gambling. Most players never learn how to master the game, others seem to have a natural instinct for it. Whether you want to become a professional poker player, or you simply want to improve your skills, you can learn to become the one person no one wants to face in a poker game.
Do you remember James Bond and the villain Le Chiffre go head-to-head in an enthralling poker match in Casino Royale? Chances are you want to become a poker player because of that scene, or perhaps some other scene that inspired you to learn how to play poker. This is because poker is all about people and human interaction. To master the game of poker, you must learn how to read people. First, however, you must learn the basics of the game.
Practice online
If you are completely new to the game, there is no reason to buy books about poker, or to study professionals playing. Not yet at least. You won’t understand much of what’s going on anyway. First, you must learn the game, and there is no better way to learn the game of poker, than to get yourself involved right from the start. When you play online, you will quickly adapt to the rules of poker. But this is not the only advantage of playing online.
Poker is a game that requires that you become comfortable with the uncertain. Unlike chess, you won’t always be able to figure out what the best move is or predict what is going to happen next. If uncertainty makes you feel uncomfortable, you can practice poker online and get rid of your discomfort of not always knowing what to do next. There are so many different poker games online. Go to casinohawks.com and find one that suits you and your level, so you can practice your skills.
Mathematics vs. Psychological play
What you need to learn is that poker is a study of human behavior. Unlike chess, you can’t follow strict rules and mathematical calculations to become the victor of a poker game. Instead, you need to know people.
If you are an expert at reading facial expressions and figuring out what your opponents are thinking of and planning to do, you are in the works of becoming a great poker player. Seidel is the number one poker player, and even though mathematics has become a bigger part of the modern way of playing poker, Seidel insists on playing a psychological game, which might be the reason why he has managed to stay on top for so long.
According to theatlantic.com, poker is about human intentions, interactions, and deceptions. To become a great poker player, you need to learn how to read people. This is why you should take Seidel’s example and think of poker as a psychological game rather than a math equation.
Study professional poker players
Once you have learned the rules of the game, accepted the discomfort of not knowing your next move, and practicing your psychological talents, you can study other poker players and learn from them. Watch as many games as you can, preferably professional poker games. Also, you should listen to some of the great poker podcasts that we have recapped and timestamped for you right here at cardplayerlifestyle.com to be introduced to other poker players and their strategies.
