The Do's And Don'ts Of Poker Articles | Poker

By: Richard Bleuze

When playing poker, please remember to be PATIENT!

Patience is the key! It’s fun to play every hand, but the fact is, your hand won’t be strong enough to compete and survive the multiple betting rounds each hand. You should be folding everything apart other than face cards and high pocket pairs. Good players fold at least 80% of their starting hands.
Prepare to invest some effort and dedicate some time to practice and reading up on the subject of poker.

To become a winning poker player will require many hours of play. That's why you should open several online poker accounts. Reading is important, but like everything else, practical application - on the job training - is always the best way to learn. There is no substitute for playing, but being well prepared will minimize your losses as you learn

Now my tips for poker players that want to be winners:

The Do’s

• Do have the right attitude
  If there is one thing a winning poker player has, it's a positive attitude. There will also be periodic losing streaks and bad beats which will test your discipline. Pay your dues and learn the game. Sign up for lots of online poker accounts and read up on the subject of poker. Have fun while you’re playing poker.
• Do stay at a winning table, leave a losing table
  If you’re making money, you’re playing against weaker players. If you’re losing money, the opposite is most likely true.
  You’re playing for to make money, not revenge. If some dude is beating up on you get out of there. Find another table to play.
• Do Play premium hands
  Only play high pocket pairs and hands that add up to 20 or 21. Playing too many hands is going to get you into trouble.
  Large starting hands have a higher percentage of success and will keep you from getting into trouble and have the advantage of preventing being “outkicked”. You should limit your starting hands to this list. As your game improves, you will graduate to playing more types of hands, bluffing and other strategies.
• Do show respect and learn poker etiquette
  Players acting rude to other players are disrespected and are only showing their lack of skill. Some players feel they can gain an advantage over other players by provoking them. Players of quality will not be affected by this behavior.
• Do know your maths
  Some of the game’s top players are math wizards. You don’t need to be a human calculator, you do need to know how many cards can help you and hurt you so you can bet or fold according to the odds. Spend some time learning about odds and outs, it will really help your game improve in leaps and bounds.
• Do Research your game
  Study the basics of poker theory, but also keep reviewing the way you play. Many players repeat the same mistakes again and again and get burned. There are countless tracking tools that gather your play history and analyze it for you.
• Do control your emotions
  Whether it’s bluffing, having an effective poker face when you land pocket aces or controlling your temper when you suffer a bad beat, you must be in control. Why do you think so many actors like James Woods gravitate toward poker? They can compete and act at the same time.

The Don’ts

• Don’t play under the influence
  Playing after having a few drinks is not a good idea. Same goes for prescription medications and recreational drugs. Your perception changes when you use a drug of any kind. That’s why you drank in the first place. If you’re seeing the world differently (or more than 1 screen), you’re going to play differently. A drunk and his/her money are quickly separated.
• Don’t chase away the fish
  When you are having a good session, don’t ridicule opponents for their poor play. Sometimes weak or recreational players - fish - will be very poor sports when they’re losing their money. Don’t embarrass them further. They will just leave the game. There goes your easy money because of your big mouth. Other players won’t be impressed by this foolish move either, because they see the easy money too.
• Don’t play with money you don’t have
  Playing poker should be a gradual increase of a float. Large cash buy-ins are not recommended for the novice player despite the lure of a big 1st deposit bonus. Start small and work your way up. You will hear this often: Play with your head, not over your head.
• Don’t play the same way all the time
  Good players are going to get a feel for your play if you’re around them long enough. Periodically, change up your play, even if you have to spend a bit of money to do it. Misleading your opponents can be profitable for you and frustrating for them.
• Don’t become a calling machine
  A common mistake new players practice calling too many bets. Good poker is about folding and betting. Controlling the pace and mood of a game requires taking the lead or getting out of the way.
• Don’t be in a hurry
  Becoming a winning player takes time. It will take hours of reading and playing before you begin to see profit. Stay the course and maintain your disciplined play.
• Don’t be afraid to fold
  The best players in the world fold often. A good player will fold when they feel they are behind in a hand. Most pro’s only play 20 per cent of their starting hands. That's OK. Remember, impatience is seldom rewarded in poker!
• Don’t draw to the low end of a straight..
  Drawing to the low end of a straight is one of the first lessons most players learn the hard way. You get your card, while some other guy was waiting for the same card that gave him an even higher straight than yours. Plays like this should happen to you only once.
• Don’t go on “tilt”
  Going on tilt will surely break you. When you experience a couple of bad beats and get frustrated, don’t lose your cool discipline. Players will recognize that you're upset and take advantage of it. Walk away from the computer and go get something to drink like coffee. It might cost you a couple of blinds, but it’s better than your whole chip stack.
• Don’t waste your best moves on bad players
  Straight-up play seems to be the best method against weak players. Using fancy moves will only scare away a poor player. You don’t want to crush weak players. Encourage their play as you milk them. They’re paying you for this knowledge, it’s the least you can do. Then the player doesn’t run the next time you are at a table together.

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