By admingottpayThe game of poker has evolved tremendously in the past decade. Back in the heyday of the Moneymaker Boom there were only a handful of poker forums to visit, a few pieces of poker software and a small selection of books that deserved a read. Today there are a seemingly endless number of poker websites, Discord channels and Facebook groups to discuss the game with others. There is also a huge amount of poker programs you can use to train, learn and tweak various aspects of your game.
Learning to read your opponents is a critical part of becoming a better poker player. It’s not only about subtle physical tells like scratching your nose or playing nervously with your chips, but about patterns. For example if someone is betting all the time you can assume they are holding some pretty weak cards. Conversely, if someone is folding all the time then they are probably only playing strong hands. Knowing which hands beat which is a good place to start but it’s also important to look for patterns in how players bet and when they raise their eyebrows.
Poker requires you to be able to make decisions under uncertainty. This is a skill that will help you in all areas of your life. For instance, when you lose a hand it’s essential to be able to understand what went wrong and learn from the experience. Similarly, when you win a hand it’s equally important to reflect on how you played and figure out what you did right.