Play the Player
Now you know about selecting the right starting hand, but that is only one part to playing Texas Hold’em. After you’ve been dealt a pair of cards you decide to play, your attitude should change.
Now it’s no longer just about the best hand. Psychology comes into play. You have to get inside your opponents mind and try to figure out what cards he may be holding.
And so we get to Best Poker Tips rule #2: After you’ve entered a pot, and you are up against your opponents, remember this: Play the player, not the cards!
This is a very important rule to keep in mind if you want to become a better poker player. Don’t just look at your own cards, and not bother about your opponents’ hand. This is a common mistake made by beginning poker players.
Instead you should try to figure out what your opponent is holding, because that is much more valuable information than knowing your own cards.
But not only that. You should observe your opponents very well. Every game. Every minute. Try to find something about his behavior that ‘tells’ you how he plays. Find out if he’s in the mood for gambling, or just wants to sit on his money. Does he bother about losing today? If he doesn’t seem so, you should not try and bluff him.
If you’re not involved in a hand, pay attention! Look how your opponent plays, how he bets his chips, how he looks at his cards. And did he do that in a different way when he turned out to be bluffing?
When the cards are dealt, DON’T LOOK AT THEM! Wait until it’s your turn, because in the mean time you can try to pick up on how your fellow-players look at their cards.
When the flop comes or the turn or river, don’t look at it! Wait until it’s your turn, because you might ‘read’ valuable information of player’s faces when they study the board. Did he hit that Ace? You might see it in his eyes, but if you were looking at the cards, you’ve missed all this valuable information…
So always study your opponents, I can’t stress enough how important it is to try and pick up on these tells, because that’s what makes all the difference between winning and losing.
