Poker Strategy: Poker Psychology
The power of the mind in poker: There is no spade.
It’s well-known among poker enthusiasts that using psychology to get inside the head of your opponents can really give you an edge over them. What some people forget though is that it’s equally important, if not more so, to understand how your own psychology plays a role in your results. Many people who have solid overall strategies nevertheless fail to live up to their potential as players due to a lack of emotional control. Tilt – including “winners tilt” – the desire to get “unstuck” while in the midst of a losing session, playing while tired, and off-table habits can threaten your ability to earn a profit from poker. The articles below discuss some of the psychological problems that affect poker players and ways of dealing with them. Before long, you’ll be able to make calm, dispassionate decisions, and you’ll therefore be able to play your A game for extended periods of time.
Featured Poker Psychology Articles
Most Recent Poker Psychology Articles
Dealing With Bad Beats
Recently I have seen a number of posts by newer players complaining about bad beats and suckouts and perhaps even suggesting that certain sites deliver a greater proportion of bad beats than others. There is already a sticky in the bad beat forum about this but I...
Practice makes Perfect
Practice makes Perfect. It’s something we’ve all heard a million times. It’s meaning is obvious! What could I possibly have to add to this catchy, well-informed nugget!? Well, I have a secret: Practice does not make Perfect. Rather, Perfect practice...
Cbets, HUD Reads and Problem Solving
It’s possible to apply classic decision-making processes to poker games. For example, by understanding your c-betting leaks, coming up with a plan to fix them, implementing that plan and observing the results, you can make drastic improvements in your c-betting game.
Poker Thoughts for Beginners
I’ve been through all the ups and downs of poker. I just thought I’d share some things with some of the beginners to help them not make mistakes early on. We all make mistakes starting out and I was making the same mistakes over and over and for far too...
Your Bankroll and You
There are many things that are important in Poker; your position during a hand, your starting hand (cards), your opponent tendencies, the odds for a certain draw to hit, how that draw fares versus your holding, bluffing opportunities, recognition and exploitation of...
The Value of a Bankroll
I think that the concept of bankrolls in poker is something that is misunderstood by the vast majority of poker players. In fact I have read more opinions and articles on the subject of bankroll management and earn rates than I can remember. I find most of the...
Top Poker Tell Tips From 5 Pros
Poker tell: “A tell in poker is a subtle but detectable change in a player’s behavior or demeanor that gives clues to that player’s assessment of his hand. A player gains an advantage if he observes and understands the meaning of another player’s...
A Jedi Mind Trick for Improving at Poker
You don’t just have an innate, unchangeable level of skill at poker. By adopting the right mindset and exercising your willpower regularly, you’ll be able to make substantial improvements — improvements that may well put you ahead of someone with a higher level of natural talent.
Tilt and Why
Rondavu re-evaluates the psychology of tilt and why it occurs. Another Look at Tilt I’m going to explain tilt the way I understand it. I hope it rings true for a lot of you, as it does for me. We are flawed as humans. One of our major flaws is detrimental to...
The Principles of Performance for Poker
You can make it much easier to improve your poker game by following a few easy guidelines. Your problems as a poker poker are but a reflection of your problems in life and vice versa. With the proper level of self-awareness, you can set about successfully improving your play.
Theory Read – River Check/Raise
Below you will see an interesting discussion on river check/raises which took place in the High Stakes forum. It started with ISF showing hands and posters such as Sauce123, Massimo, Toadstool, and gabe adding their replies. View the check raise theory...
The Proven Best Poker Training Books of All Time
Learning how to play poker correctly is a tough enterprise. Fortunately, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel — by reading the tips and advice of players who have gone before you, your own learning curve can be significantly accelerated.
Poker, the Beautiful Woman
Yes, poker is definitely like her. It can give you feelings of great exhilaration, and then bloody annoy you, all within the space of a few minutes. When you first meet poker, you just want more. You can’t stop playing with her, and think she’s the best...
Comfort Zone
We’ve all fallen prey to the common ills of online poker – playing while you’re too tired, playing for too many hours, forgoing meals or hydration, or sitting at the table with too many thoughts swimming in our heads. Here are a few simple tips that are guaranteed to make you feel better at the digital felt.
Playing Long Sessions
By learning how to play longer sessions at the poker tables more effectively, you can increase the amount of money you win. By carefully choosing the right tables and using lobby filters to your advantage, you can keep yourself in good +EV situations for extended periods of time.
