Poker Playing Essentials
Have you ever sat down and wondered why some players simply seem to have that dynamic edge that sets them apart from everybody else at the table? They carry themselves well, they win regularly and they are incredibly difficult to put a finger on in terms of their aura and mystique.
Talk to any poker player that’s survived at the tables for a number of years and you’ll constantly hear one word that filters down every time. Preparation.
Good players don’t just happen! To be one of the best, you have to prepare like one of the best and simply trying to learn from sitting at the table isn’t going to cut it in the long run.
Watch a professional footballer and ask yourself if his abilities come from just playing a game every Saturday. Of course they don’t! Top level football players train hard, maintain remarkable standards of fitness, eat right, sleep well and maintain lifestyles that keep them at the top of their game. Once more, it’s all about preparation.
So what essentials can you add to your game that will secure your own meteoric rise through the poker rankings? Let’s have a look at the poker toolbox that no self-respecting player should be without!
Literature
When it comes to poker, you really can’t do enough reading. The world is one big poker bookstore and the amount of information that can be found on the game is almost becoming infinite. Unfortunately, there’s an awful amount of bad reading to be found amongst the small handful of gems that every player should read at least once.
There are two pieces of poker literature that are considered to be essentials and these should be a staple part of every poker player’s diet:
- The Theory of Poker by David Slansky
- Harrington on Hold ‘Em – Volume One by Dan Harrington
If you only read two poker books in your entire life, make them these two. These poker bibles continue to be rated as the best by players at every level of the game and contain enough credible information to see drastic improvements in your game from the very first chapters.
A Good Bankroll
Try to start out with as big a bankroll as you can realistically afford to lose. Not only will a healthy bankroll keep you at the tables for longer when things aren’t going so great but the more you place into an online account, the bigger the bonus will be with your site of choice. Some sites are now offering huge percentage bonuses and new players should capitalise on these as much as possible.
Once you have a bankroll, the next thing is to learn how to manage it. Looking after your money and playing within your means is the key to a long and successful poker career. Never play with more than 5% of your bankroll and always have at least 300 big bets in that percentage if you’re playing to limits.
Poker Face
An absolute must have for any player irrespective of ability. If you’re taking a successful online game to a real life table, there has to be strict rules about your mannerisms, physical traits and general state of well-being. Giving the game away at crucial moments of any hand can see your bankroll disappear as quickly as your dreams of making an impact on the poker world.
Always be consistent in your behaviour and understand what it takes to be as neutral as possible at all times.
Shades, hats and mascots
Some players simply need to provide a distraction to reduce the amount of ‘tells’ that they produce and there are some great ways to divert attention from obvious signs of weakness.
Shades are a great way of providing cover for the biggest ‘tell’ of them all! Nothing will give up your hand as quickly as a pair or widened eyes or a raised eyebrow.
Annette Obrestad provides a perfect example of just how anonymous a pair of great shades can make a player look. Although relatively young for a professional poker player, Annette always appears to be completely unconcerned and her choice of eyewear makes reading her game impossible.
Hats and visors also provide a distraction and other players are more likely to miss those important tell tale signs if they’re looking at your forehead instead of your eyes.
Mascots can also be really off-putting for another player. A small teddy or good luck charm can be toyed and fiddled with to present false information or simply to give a player a psychological edge, particularly if they always seem to win when teddy comes to the table as well! Poker players are a superstitious breed and anything that can give you a tiny advantage should be welcomed.
Chips
Always make your stack work for you. When other players see you playing with your chips late in a hand, they’ll think you’re desperate to get your money on the table because of the strength of your hole cards. Often, a poor hand can take a pot simply because other players have been bluffed into believing you are desperately eager to play.