Have you ever thought that poker is just another card game? If you had, you’d be very much mistaken.
Poker is a famously complex game that is only half about playing the best possible hands. It’s also a game of psychology, bluffing, strategic thinking, reading opponents and emotional control. It sounds exhausting, but once you get the hang of the ‘poker face’, you never know where the game will take you.
So, let’s dig into some of the psychology behind playing poker and what some of the best players do to make some big wins at the table. After reading, you might be inspired to give some online poker a try here at Tonybet!
All About Bluffing
Bluffing in poker is one of the most important power plays you can make. It’s all about tricking other players into thinking that their hands are inferior to yours – when the reverse might be the case!
However, the best poker players know that constantly bluffing, or bluffing too early in the game, can kill their strategies. You need to think carefully about when the other players are most likely to fold – for example, can you take them late enough into the game where risks get too high to chance?
Some players only ever risk good hands, while others bluff far too much. Sometimes, these players are easy to read and take risks against – it’s the players who bluff somewhere in the middle that tend to avoid notice.
To get good at bluffing, you need to consider if your fellow players have been showing any tells, if you have a strong enough hand, and whether you’re ‘respected’ at the table (i.e., do you play fairly and fold occasionally). It’s a process that can take even the best players years to master.
Moves and Mindsets
The strategies you choose and the moves you make will, ultimately, change from game to game. There’s always the element of chance that differs from table to table, and also the fact that nobody truly knows what the best possible hand at any point will be.
To make calculated moves, you’ll need to think carefully about the following:
- Your current hand and where it ranks overall (e.g., a high card is right at the bottom).
- How many other people are playing.
- What’s in the pot.
- Other people’s playing styles.
It’s an ongoing game of maths and probability, meaning that you need to think about whether or not to call or fold. Calling too often will look suspicious – unless you’re playing against novices! Will calling even be profitable?
Following certain strategies can help if you’re prone to following emotion rather than logic when playing any kind of casino game. Sticking to a framework can risk you appearing too obvious to some players. However, it’s a wise move if you’re also prone to falling into some of poker’s most delicate traps.
This is all about managing your own game – what about reading your opponents?
Reading Your Opponents
In poker, you’ve got to read a book by its cover. No one’s a true mind reader, but carefully examining how people behave and react to the cards they draw could tell you what types of hands they’re making and whether or not they’re bluffing. Crucially, some people are just better at lying than others!
Some players play poker tightly and keep themselves to themselves, while others can be talkative, loud or even aggressive. Remember, these characteristics might not be genuine, and some players effectively put on facades to try to throw you off the scent. You’ve got to get exceptional at checking out slight changes in how people hold themselves and behave across the game.
Reading your opponents is about looking for weaknesses and taking advantage of them! You need to think carefully about the cards that other people are holding and what they might be thinking. Do some players get louder and more active as the game goes on? This could be a tell that they have a great hand or that they’re bluffing and are desperately trying to avoid suspicion. Be suspicious – that’s the key!
Controlling Your Own Emotions
Here’s where things can get extra tricky for newbies! Not only do you need to look for changes in other players’ emotions and behaviours, but you must also keep your own in check! This means employing what’s called a ‘poker face’ (i.e., becoming difficult to read).
This doesn’t mean going completely emotionless or blank. It could simply mean mastering the art of showing emotions or behaviours that run counter to the hand you’re holding. At the same time, go too far over the top, and you’ll appear suspicious.
The best poker players understand that failures at the table are inevitable to some degree and that you can’t always blame it on the luck of the draw. If you’ve appeared too emotional, given something away, or you’ve played against someone who’s superb at reading others, you simply have a bit more work to do!
It’s all about becoming self-aware and self-confident. This takes time – and humility – meaning that the more you play, the easier you will find your rhythm.
Examples of Poker Champion Mindsets
One of the best ways to sharpen your mind and your play style is, of course, to learn from the very best of the best. You only have to hear a few winning stories from some of poker’s most experienced champions to understand what it takes to get truly great at reading people and managing hands.
Annie Duke, for example, is a World Series of Poker champion who has made more than $4m across her career in the game. She’s in a great position to explain how to manage your mindset in the heat of the action.
Interestingly, Duke, in conversation with Adam Pascarella, states that it’s wise to approach thinking about life as a series of bets. She explains that you don’t have to evaluate probabilities with every play you make – instead, think of each play as a bet so that you reduce your emotions and look at the decisions you make more objectively.
While her interview discusses general decision-making, it’s interesting to consider how she decompartmentalises and keeps plays objective.
Phil Hellmuth, meanwhile, is a poker champion with something of an unorthodox playing style – to the extent that even fans are unsure of how to categorise it. However, over time, it’s clear that he’s built up a sharp knack for exploiting weaknesses – betting large when others fold, for example, and playing aggressively when his starting hands are particularly strong.
Of course, everyone’s playing style will vary – meaning that it’s just as important to find your own rhythm as it is to learn from the best!
Could You Master Poker’s Mind Games?
Succeeding in poker means learning about hands, reading people and generally playing as much as you can. It’s a multifaceted game with lots of moving parts – and you’ll need to watch other players as much as you’re watching your own emotions!
Why not try online poker here at Tonybet and start building up your own play style?
