A Game of Psychology:
The Secrets to Winning at Live Poker
Even though it’s one of the oldest gambling games in history, poker is still one of the most popular card games in the world today. Of course, to seasoned poker players, it’s not all that hard to see why. Poker is one of the few casino games wherein the turnout heavily relies on strategy and not just luck. Typically, most other casino games rely a lot on luck and probability. Of course, these things still play a big role in winning at poker (as you will learn later). There’s still a great deal of mathematics involved in calculating the winnability of your hands in the game of poker. So, at least a basic and fundamental understanding of math will go a long way in helping you win. However, many poker masters will tell you that poker is mostly a game of psychology. It’s about developing mastery over your own mind and on the minds of your opponents. This is especially true for poker tournaments that require a great deal of discipline and endurance. These tournaments are designed to fatigue players and make them lose their senses the deeper they get into the games. This is why the people who tend to do well are also the ones who have solid mental fortitude and strength.
These days, poker can be played just about anywhere thanks to the internet. In the past, people would have to gather in casinos, backrooms, or private residences in order for them to have decent poker games. However, you can practically hop on your phone and start betting on your hands with just a few taps of a finger. In fact, a lot of online casino platforms these days offer live poker games. These are games that incorporate the use of a live dealer instead of an algorithm while you’re playing with people from other parts of the world. This is great because it adds a more human element to the online poker-playing experience. This is why more and more online poker players are flocking towards these live poker games as an alternative to actually going to the casino and playing in real life.
How to Win at Live Poker
If you’re just starting to get into the world of online poker, then you might be shocked to know that a lot of the essential principles and rules still carry over from traditional physical casino games. However, there are certain changes in the dynamics as well and this means that you might have to tweak your strategy just a little bit to make sure that you always have a competitive advantage over your opponents. In this list, we are going to go over some of the best tips and secrets that the best online poker players on the planet use to make sure that they always come out on top.
Get Comfortable at Lower Stakes
As much as possible, if you’re new, stay away from the high roller table. Try to get a feel of the online game by playing a few hands at the lower-stakes tables. Get a good rhythm for your playing style and how the online poker game works.
Maintain a Decent Stack
You never want to be the short-stack in poker. As much as possible, maintain a stack that’s decent enough for you to scare off limpers and fishers within a game. If you don’t have enough chips on the table, then you risk putting yourself in a position for a bad beat.
Play the Extremes Pre-Flop
When it comes to online poker, fewer players are more prone to limping as people typically play things tighter. So, don’t be afraid to always aggressively bet or raise whenever you’re joining the pot pre-flop. You will scare off all the limpers and you will put yourself in a good position to establish yourself with a good hand.
Pay Attention
Of course, you’ve got to pay attention to the game. Switch off all other apps and focus on what’s going on. You always want to make sure that you understand everything that’s going on and how your opponents are playing their hands.
Be Prepared for Bad Beats
Unfortunately, you aren’t going to win every hand. But make sure that you still have the mental fortitude to not play on tilt whenever you get a bad beat. It happens. Just brush it off and move on. Stick with your strategy.
Have Fun
Lastly, it’s very important that you remind yourself that poker is supposed to be a game of fun. If you’re not having fun while playing, then you’re probably doing it wrong and maybe you should consider changing your mindset or strategy.