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When poker pros are asked to identify the characteristics of good poker players, they often use the term tight-aggressive. This describes poker players who do not play many hands, but when they play their hands, they play like they have the best hand possible (i.e., they have the nuts).
This fits a general description of good poker players, but it is rather vague. Also, it is not completely accurate. Loose-aggressive poker pros should also be respected in no-limit games because they are difficult to pin down - do they have a good hand this time?
So, when poker pros say that poker players are good because they play a tight-aggressive style, it really means that they have mastered the four key poker skills.
Math skills are the bread and butter of any poker player's skill set. Don't play a hand of real poker until you know at least the basics. All good poker players know the general percentages of certain hands. For example, they know that, when holding a pocket pair, there is a 1 in 8 chance of hitting the set. They also know that there is a 1 in 3 chance of hitting the flush at the flop.
Poker pros know the importance and percentage of outs (the number of cards that will improve your hand). For example, if you have an inside straight draw, you have 8 outs (4 cards on either side) to complete the straight. To figure out your odds of hitting your hand, count the number of outs, multiply this figure by 2, and add 1; there's your rough percentage.
Good poker players also know how to calculate pot odds. Knowing your outs is a useless poker skill unless you can turn that knowledge into solid, calculated betting. Once you know the odds of hitting and then winning the hand, you can quickly calculate and compare the pot odds. For example, let's say that you have a 20% chance of hitting your hand. Divide the size of the pot at the river (the amount in the pot now plus whatever should be added through other players' bets) by the amount of your required bet to figure out the pot odds. If the bet to you is $10 and the pot is at least $50, then pot odds are 1:5 (20%) or lower, so go ahead and call. However, if the pot is smaller, then the pot odds are higher than your card odds, so you should probably fold.
Good poker players are disciplined enough to know when to play and when to quit. That is the true definition of discipline - making the right decision at the right time, ignoring bad beats, and recognizing when you are on tilt. Disciplined poker pros learn from mistakes and get better.
Different poker games require different levels of discipline. In Limit Poker, a discipline player plays very tight before the flop. He or she will only play the hands that have a good chance of winning. Good Limit Poker players avoid betting away their stacks chip by chip. However, discipline to good No-Limit Poker players allows them to play a lot of blinds, but means avoiding getting trapped in bad situations. He or she can play loose and make bets before the flop with statistically weak hands. However, the disciplined poker player will toss hands that can get him or her into trouble.
Poker pros work on empathizing with and knowing their opponents. Not only are they trying to figure out their own moves, they are trying to think about what their opponents will do. Poker players with a good understanding of psychology will evaluate other players by asking themselves: What does my opponent have in his/her hand? What does he/she think that I have? What does he/she think that I know about his/her hand?
Once you understand how your opponent thinks, you can then work on manipulating your opponents. This involves changing your style of play (slow playing, fast playing, bluffing) so that your opponent cannot accurately read what cards you have or guess what they believe that you know what they have in their hand. Psychology also involves being able to read other players' poker tells (and disguising your own tells) and then making betting decisions based upon those tells.
Poker pros will take big risks when the rewards are potentially higher than the risks (i.e., payoff is higher than the bet). However, good poker players understand the basics of risk vs. reward when it applies to their overall bankroll and life outside the game of poker.
When playing a game of poker, every chip in your stack has an equal value. The poker player is concerned with making the right plays. Good poker pros will risk half their stack when there is a greater than 50% chance of doubling up. However, they understand that they can lose half their stack, although there is less than a 50% chance of this happening. However, the good poker player is more risk averse when it comes to gambling with his or her overall bankroll. You want to protect your bankroll so that it will not affect your overall level of play. Worrying about losing will affect your play, and cause you to make mistakes. Be prepared to walk away so that you have the bankroll to play another day.
So, now that you understand the key poker skills, you can find out more about what it takes to be a poker player by reading the other articles, or jump right into an online poker rooms to test your skills. |
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