Rome wasn’t built in a day, or so they say. And very rarely are Texas hold’em poker players.
Not even a month. Not even a year, and sadly, sometimes never.
- You don’t need the coolest pair of sunshades to hide your eyes to be a good Texas hold’em poker player. You need to understand why you are wearing them.
- You don’t need the fastest at counting your chips to be a good Texas hold’em poker player. You need to understand why you are counting them.
- You don’t need to be the best at staring down your opponent to be a good Texas hold’em poker player. You need to understand why you are staring him down.
What you need to do to pick up Texas hold’em poker is watch these professionals in action, how they play their hole cards, when they check, when they fold, when they raise and when they go “all in.â€
Television spectators of the major televised tournaments have a tremendous advantage in the quest to pick up Texas hold’em poker skills, they have the chance to see all the players’ hole cards and how they play them.
You can observe that depending on how many players are in still the game, how players will play out a hand; Most will fold before if you have two non suite cards, less than 10. A more conservative player might fold if just one of the cards is less than 10; a more aggressive player might stay in with, for example, an 8 and 9 of the same suit (because those cards give you decent possibilities for a straight or a flush). Players who have posted the big blind (a forced bet designed to ensure that every hand has a pot) is low enough, will usually consider it worthwhile to check and try to get to the flop for free. If you see a player pick up a high pair or consecutive cards and especially if they are of the same suit then they will go on, Firstly they will try to check, and if they have no option they will bet going into the flop. Players with a really strong set of hole cards will not necessarily raise the bet, they may even check or match the bet, and they are trying to give the other players the impression their hand is a lot less strong than it actually is.
The same tactics are applied all through the hand, and for a bystander it is fascinating to watch. What you will rapidly learn that the best hand does not always win the game. The players who win hands, games and tournaments are the ones who have learned to read their opponents, their mannerisms and their playing style. One of the advantages and disadvantages of being a Texas hold’em poker champion is that your opponents have more than likely played against you before, and have studied your style; this is one of the reasons why the top ranking Texas hold’em poker professionals feel uncomfortable when a new comer breaks through the ranks at the major televised tournaments. They are playing against loose cannon whose style is unknown to them, and may cause unpredictable results.
To be a truly great Texas Hold ‘Em Poker player, you need to have been blessed with a few skills and acquire a few more:
- An analytical mind.
- Strong nerves.
- Ability to study people
- Be a showman.
- Possess a lot of stamina.
- The ability to learn from your mistakes.
- The ability not to make new ones.
Add these characteristics together, and put in a lot of practice and you might even find yourself watching yourself take part in a televised Texas hold’em poker tournament. As if that was possible.