Referral Code Full Tilt

The last thing you want when you are playing poker is for other players to see you as an easy target. You will find during a table that a couple of characters will attract your attention. Part of this may be because they are very talkative, jovial or on the reverse plain critical or moody. You may also notice that these people will be winning or losing most of their hands and have a high or low stack. I’ll let you work out which ones are usually the grumpy players. Your mood at the table will be affected by how your game develops, but I’m sure many people will agree when I say those that play poker with a good humour often seem to do better.

Basically you need to gain respect at the table, you need to demonstrate confidence in all the hands that you play, if you feel like a loser – well then you probably will be. Poker is as much about psychology as it is knowing your statistics. If you’re casually cracking jokes and laughing as you cheerfully raise with AA in the pocket, people will begin to think you are untouchable and perversely your good humour will almost make some players want you to win hands. Sounds crazy, but say if you have been playing a high stakes hand, you’re the life and soul of the table and you are left playing the miserable so and so, who do you think the other players who might have dropped out earlier, or, did not bet, will be hoping wins that particular hand? And if other players do cheer you on, what do you think the other player is going to be feeling like.

In terms of the statistics well there is a simple rule – never let the other players see you playing a bluff. If for instance you do go to the showdown and you lose, don’t be in the position where they see you playing with for instance a two and a three unsuited, when the flop has revealed mostly high cards and you’ve held out to the end making no pairs, suits or anything but still calling raises. Every other player is going to see you as easy money. If you still lose a hand but made a high pair (triple etc) or didn’t complete a possible straight or flush people will respect your mindset that you have balanced the luck with good skill. It’s kind of like being in a mathematics exam as a child, just because the result wasn’t quite right, if the thinking was sound you’ll still get something, not money (unfortunately), but respect.

As discussed in a previous article some players like to bet low in many hands, raising when the opportunity comes up. But I am definitely from the camp that likes to bet on high cards, playing less often. In my game in most cases low cards like two’s and four’s get discarded 90 per cent of the time (unless I’m meeting a blind, in which case I ride it out for as little as possible, unless two pairs, triples, straight or flush presents itself  – in which case I’ll probably start raising). Whatever you do play with though, you need to convince the other players that when you play – you EXPECT it to pay! It’s one thing coming from left side and making the nuts or having four aces once in a blue moon, but it you want to stay in a game you need to be demonstrating control and sound judgement, which might mean that your call or raise will put off some players , but trust me in the long run the other players respect for you at the table, will win you chips.