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One of the first things people notice when they study the game of poker is that playing consists of a relentless stream of decisions. You no sooner make one gut-wrenching decision when along comes another. And another. And another after that. And each decision is as perplexing as the one before. It is brutal. The secret I am about to reveal to you targets this problem. It allows you to make the right choice for difficult poker decisions.
This secret is the most valuable you will ever learn. It has the potential to transform every aspect of your game. You might think I am exaggerating, but I cannot overstate the power and scope of this incredible secret. I have given exclusive poker lessons where the only thing I’ve taught is this one secret. It is that good. It is often all that’s necessary to transform an average player into a world-class competitor. And you will not learn this secret anywhere else. I have read dozens of poker books and discussed strategy with countless professional players, and nowhere have I come across this concept expressed so succinctly.
This secret appears deceptively simple, but do not be fooled. It is the most powerful tip that exists. It trumps every bit of poker advice out there. Learning this secret will be like finding a hidden treasure.
Here is the secret: “Figure out what they don’t want you to do, then do that.” When you face an opponent in poker, he will always be worried about you doing some particular action. Figure out what that action is. Determine what he does not want you to do. Then do exactly that.
In poker, you often find yourself at a point of decision. It is your turn to act and you don’t know what to do. Should you call? Should you raise? Should you fold? You study the cards. You calculate your outs and your pot odds. You retrace the action of the hand. You ponder the chips on the table. Still, you have no clue what is your best move. You analyze the probabilities. You consider advice from poker books you’ve read. You look skyward for guidance. Yet you remain baffled. Your actions in situations like this determine your success as a poker player.
Try this. Ask yourself: What does your opponent hope you do not do? What is the one thing he is sitting over there, at this moment, worried you might do? For sure, there exists some such thing he is rooting for you not to do. He is sitting over there thinking, “Please, God, don’t let him do that! Please, oh, please, anything but that!” What is that thing? Figure that out, and you will know for certain what you should do.
The reason this secret is reliable is because the inner desires of your opponent are based on accurate information. He knows his situation. He knows his cards, his monetary considerations, his propensity to fold and his emotional disposition. He does not need to speculate about those things, as you do. He is the person involved, so he knows, firsthand, every relevant aspect of his immediate situation. Therefore, whatever he is thinking is based on factual information from his viewpoint. His thoughts, whatever they are, are rooted in his reality.
Let me give you an example of this secret in action. Many years ago, I was playing in the World Series of Poker, main event. About fifty players remained in the tournament; I was one of six at our table. George Huber was seated to my left. George was a well-respected player who had already won a World Series event a few years before. Right then, he was low on chips.
A hand came where George and I tangled. I held 6h and 5h, and the flop came Kc, Qd and 5s. I had the low pair on the board. George bet all his chips, and it was my turn to act.
Ordinarily, I should have let go of this hand. The last thing I wanted to do was double him up, and he appeared to have me beat. He was representing at least a pair of queens, which made me a big underdog. I decided to wait a moment before folding. I stared across the table, watching him closely. And then, suddenly, I got an impression. Somehow, I got the sense that George was worried about me calling. I’m not sure how I picked up this feeling, but the message was clear and unmistakable. George was sitting over there hoping I would not call. So, according to my secret, that was exactly what I should do. I promptly put in chips to match his bet. George had Jd and 10c, which meant he was on a draw. The next two cards failed to help him, and I eliminated George from the tournament.
In this example, I was able to get a clear impression of what my opponent did not want me to do, and sure enough, that was exactly the right thing to do, even though it was contrary to what good reasoning would say. An analysis of the cards on the table, the money in the pot and the action of the hand would suggest I should fold. Every poker book in the world would tell me to fold in that situation, especially in a tournament. Yet I had something better than all that. I had the most important information there could be. I had an indication that George did not want me to stay in the hand. That was all I needed to know.
Your opponent is thinking something. He is not sitting over there blank in the head. He is considering your possible moves, and there is something he hopes you do not do. Find out what that is. Study him. Get into his being. Put your psychological whammy on him. Do whatever it takes. This approach is more reliable than trying to figure out if he is bluffing or how he is playing. Go after one piece of information: what he does not want you to do. If you can determine that, you are golden.
And trust your instinct. If you pick something up, heed what you get. Your subconscious mind may notice something subtle, something subliminal, something nearly imperceptible. You don’t need to know the details; if your perception is real, you have what you need.
This approach to decision-making works without fail. It will not let you down. As long as the message you get is accurate, you can be confident you are doing what is best for your situation. When you use this secret, you go directly after the information you need. You don’t get sidetracked trying to evaluate a bunch of confusing and irrelevant ideas. You aim at the target, and you hit the bull’s-eye.
If you are like most players, you are forever trying to weigh various factors to make good decisions. Your number of outs. Your pot odds. Your relative stack size. Your opponent’s tendency to bluff. And so on. Any help you can get to aid you in that constant decision-making struggle is welcome, right? Well, you cannot get better help than this! If you are able to ascertain, directly from your opponent, what he does not want you to do, you have the most valuable assistance you could ever have. Nothing can top it. And that’s why, when it comes to winning at poker, this is the greatest secret you will ever learn.
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See you at the tables
I have seen many interviews with poker players and almost all of them have said to build up a bankroll before you quit your job until you have a couple years worth of income to support your bills while you try to make a living off of gambling. You can build up your bankroll by playing online and treat it like a second job, everyday for a couple hours a day. This building up of your bankroll will also give you practice. As your bankroll becomes larger, don't splurge on fancy items quite yet as that money has to sustain you for awhile as you will have many days where yo uwill lose money, and not win. When you feel you are ready to play bigger tournaments in person, start out at neighborhood bars that maybe running tournaments (poker bar leageu for one) as it will give you another chance to learn how to read people and more practice. Once you feel confident there, make your move into the various casinos around the country, if you are under 21, you can play Poker in MN casinos.
Good Luck
The secret to playing winning Texas Holdem is to avoid making the following mistakes:
Texas Holdem Mistake #1: Paying to see the Flop
Most poker players are too loose with their starting hand selection.
Stick with the PREMIUM hands.
* Focus on pocket pairs, suited connectors, A-X suited, or two over cards
* Fold problem hands such as K-3, J-5, Q-2, and 2-7.
Texas Holdem Mistake #2: Playing out of Position
Position is EVERYTHING in poker.
Good position is LATE position. The problem most players make is playing CARDS without considering position. Two things worth remembering about position…
* Late Position: you want to play MORE starting hands.
* Early Position: you want to play FEWER starting hands.
Late position means you are watching what your opponents do FIRST before you act. Then based on their betting pattern and habits you can make an informed decision what you need to do.
Texas Holdem Mistake #3: Thinking you are a natural born poker player
It's amazing how often someone says, "I was born to play poker…"
Holdem is a complicated game. Much of the poker strategy today has been DEVELOPED through the years.
* Poker involves math, psychology, body language skills, self-control and performing under pressure.
* There are systematic techniques, tricks, and "plays" that you can use to win more money at the tables.
* Poker strategies won't just "come to you" like a little light bulb over your head.
You must STUDY the game. TALK to other players. PRACTICE in order to move forward to the next level.
Texas Holdem Mistake #4: Playing on Tilt
Emotion is a big part of Holdem.
The REASON emotions run so high in poker is you're putting MONEY, EGO, and CHANCE all together at one table with nine other players.
Failure to "let go"is a recipe for tilt.
After a "Bad Beat", fold your next hand quicker than Superman does laundry regardless of what comes up.
Why you ask?
* Because you are not in the right frame of mind.
* You're still mad and your head is not screwed on straight.
The key is to ANTICIPATE things will get stressful and tense.
EXPECT to suffer a "suck out" from another opponent. "Suck outs" are not fun, but they happen! Learning to anticipate will help you to become a better poker player.
Texas Holdem Mistake #5: Playing the wrong Limits
The limits you play will determine the caliber of opponents you're up against. Consider the following for example…
* If you're in over your head, nothing else matters… in the end you are going to lose.
* However, if you're much better than everyone else is at your current level, perhaps you should move up a notch.
The action plan is to build your bankroll where you're confident you can win and move up.
If you lose your bankroll, move back down and build up again. After a period of time move up in limits again.
Texas Holdem Mistake #6: Playing the Cards and not the Player
The cards determine the winning hand, but only when the hand plays out at the VERY END and all cards are turned over.
* GOOD poker players rarely ever make it to the show down.
* They either force their opponents to fold or fold because they pick up a read on their opponents.
* The only time you should be flipping your cards up at the end is when you show the winning hand and just milked some sucker for a huge pot.
The PLAYER you're up against is who you need to focus on. Find out his betting patterns, his habits and his tells and take him to the cleaners.
PLAY THE PLAYER, NOT THE CARDS.
Texas Holdem Mistake #7: Playing Predictably
Just as you are studying your opponents, your opponents are studying YOU.
One of the prevalent mistakes made in poker is setting a pattern. When you become predictable, you start losing.
* Every time you get good cards, everyone will fold.
* Every time you get bad cards, everyone will bet.
The key is to BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR BETTING PATTERNS.
Bet strong hands a certain way for a while and mix it up a bit. Do crazy things, bet odd amounts.
CHANGE GEARS and remove any consistencies in your game.
Texas Holdem Mistake #8: Not knowing when to quit
You will save TONS of money in the long run when you STOP playing after a series of bad beats and tough suck outs!
The tendency among poker players is to keep playing and hope to break even.
However the trouble is you're going to lose your money or dig yourself in a deeper hole.
Losing streaks suck.
No matter how determined you are your "luck" will change, it's not going to happen.
You'll lose more. So STOP.
Take a break. Get away from the game for awhile. After a period of time start back up again.
Texas Holdem Mistake #9: Not using Pot Odds
The ability to understand odds in poker is a standard ingredient for success
Reading other players will help you win a few games.
However knowing poker odds will transform and help you become a WINNING Texas Holdem poker player.
You don't need to be a "whiz kid" to recognize the odds of a hand. You'll discover many shortcuts you can use to calculate pot odds, hand percentages and outs.
Texas Holdem Mistake #10: Not asking for Help
As stated earlier, you are not a natural born poker player.
You had to LEARN it.
In every phase of the game, ask yourself this question, "Is this EXACTLY what I should be doing in this situation?"
There are two key ways to improve your poker skills:
* Learn from experience.
* Learn from someone who has mastered the game.
The problem with experience is it takes YEARS of playing Texas Holdem every day.
It's an admirable way to learn, but costly. .
Learning timeless strategies and "field-tested" techniques is the QUICKEST way to learn the game.
@iliketeaa LOL!!!!
I would pay good money to see it
hahaha….he used the word 50 times…lol funny guy!
Megalomaniac… lol perfect choice of wordage Phil!
the key is all about brains watch the flops try to get good cards from the dealer bluff if you have too it will scare your oppionent and when looking at your foe don't smile or he'll know you have nothing so remember watch for a straight or pocket cards aka 2 of the same cards such as 2 kings
Just imagine if all those Hellmuth’s at 00:42 got beat by Q10o at once. It’d be a fuckin’ apocalypse!
Cheating
If I were you I would just get in some practice. Maybe ask for a book for Christmas or birthday. You can play online for free at PokerStars.net. It is legal, free, and will allow you to get the hang of playing. Lessons are probably not that important until you've had a little bit of practice or read some simple books.
lol you watch too much WSOP
i doubt that, you have to bluff sometimes to win – the way you bet tells a lot.. this is why people always want to see your hands when they fold. They learn by remembering what you did and how people play with certain hands (strong/weak)
change up your betting and as usual do not show ANY emotion. Its as simple as that and knowing the odds of each hand to win. http://cheats.interkeys.com/poker/
don't have one and you don't need one, if you use CARD sense and watch the player they will show you all tells you will need to make a decision.. but remember that stack count this will tell you if they will call you or not if your bluffing … most all in are just excuse to re- buy
He loves online poker so much! It’s just funny how so many pro’s were way against it until a large portion got endorsed by the sites.
The game is all about patience. Don't loose your patience.
When your starting its better not to try bluffing to much and avoid going all in. Usually its better to wait till there are 3 cards already on the flop. dont make or call high bets if there has not been 3 cards out on the flop yet, usually those 3 cards let you know if you won or not. The main thing you have to know by heart are the winning hands because a pair of A´s does not always win.
played 5/10 nlh 6hours made 315$
it was borring but i made money….
take it easy and make simple money
check out Jimmy ‘The heat’ Montana, he goes round gambling? in local shops and stores instead of paying! Very funny
l