Why Confidence Is Important To Poker Players

May 31st, 2009 Poker Tips Comments Off

Have you ever studied the demeanor of great poker players? If so, you’ve probably noticed how confident they are. Not just a little bit confident – it practically oozes from every pore on their bodies! Even more impressive, they are able to maintain that level of confidence – even during long games and moments of intense stress.

Though some people may seem like they were born with a “confidence gene”, you’ll be pleased to know that confidence is NOT born; it is bred. It is developed moment to moment through the use of deliberate thoughts and actions, and it is something that anyone can do if they know how.

Below you’ll find three helpful tips that will get you moving on the road to unshakable confidence:

1) Grow into confidence gradually.

Understand first that confidence is nothing more than a mind-set. It’s the result of years of thinking and acting in a certain way. Becoming confident isn’t as easy as stepping from one mind-set to another, like putting on a different set of clothes. Rather, confidence will begin as a tiny spark of belief within you, and then grow as you continue to nurture it and feed it the right fuel.

How do you do that? By first beginning to believe in yourself. When you think about it, confidence is ALL about belief. People who are confident believe that they can succeed at whatever they are about to do. Poker is no different! Begin to believe that you can be a great poker player and you’ll gradually feel your confidence growing to match that belief.

It’s also helpful to make it your mission to learn and grow as a player as much as you can. The more you do something, the better you get at it, right? The more you play poker, read about poker and study great poker players, the more comfortable you’ll feel with it and the more confident you’ll become about your own abilities.

2) See yourself as a confident player.

Ironically, the way you see yourself mentally (in other words, your self-image) determines how you feel and act in the real world. If you see yourself with a lack of confidence, that will show up in all areas of your life. Likewise, choosing to see yourself as a confident player will make you a confident player! It may not be an instant shift, but over time it will absolutely make a difference.

To begin, spend time each day visualizing yourself playing poker with confidence. Create little “mind movies” and see yourself exuding immense confidence and belief in yourself while you play. Affirm over and over again that your mastery and confidence are growing every day. Don’t dismiss this technique as “New Age Hooey” – it’s been proven to work.

3) Poker is only part of it.

Remember too that confidence isn’t usually reserved for only one or two activities in your life. A confident person will feel confident about their abilities no matter what they attempt to do. While you do want to improve your poker skills and boost your confidence in poker – you also want to boost your confidence in ALL areas of your life.

Even when you’re not focusing on poker, you can easily boost your confidence on a daily basis by developing a “can do” attitude. Rather than shying away from something that seems difficult, affirm that you can do it. Psych yourself up for challenges and face them head-on. The more you do this the more your confidence in yourself will grow, and that inner core of strength will also have a powerful effect on your poker game.

Is Poker Bankroll Management Important?

May 24th, 2009 Bankroll Management Comments Off

The most common error with new online poker players is bankroll management. That generally relates to playing in a game or tournament with too much of their poker bankroll at risk at any one game. This may be a shocker for you new players, but if you have just deposited $100 and that is your worldly poker bankroll then you should be playing no higher than $2 sit and go tournaments and .25/.50 limit ring games. Many of you probably thought that depositing $100 was going to last you some time, but playing over those guidelines will prove to be costly for players still learning the game.

The biggest rule breaker in regards to poker bankroll management is playing above your skill level and your poker account balance. Playing above your bankroll translates into this… those who do so are the fish of this game, because due to the mathematical variance of this game which can be tough sometimes, you will downswing even when playing to the best of your ability. Now, WHEN you do downswing your poker bankroll will be adversely affected to a point where you may have to reload – if you were playing at a limit too high. This should hardly ever happen if you are serious about building your skills and bankroll.

In other words, if you lose a tournament or have a losing session, at worst, you may be forced to move down a level, but by sticking to some tight bankroll rules, you won`t have to reload. The pro players often recommend a general rule of thumb to never have more than 10% of your poker bankroll in any particular game or session. For new players, that is WAY TOO high, because their error variance is far lower than yours. You should consider 5% the maximum while playing even lower is probably better because of the fact, that you are also building skills and getting valuable experience. You want your funds to go as far as they can while you sharpen your skill set and learn to adjust for the wide variety of opponents you will find online.

The absolute, best way to learn and win at online poker is to use OPM or other players money right? I mean what could be better than not only getting better and learning at the game, but doing it on somebody else ‘ s deposit? With that in mind, stick to a low deposit between $50 and $100 and challenge yourself to make it last as long as you can. I am not talking a few hours here, I am talking weeks. Play at the micro levels because there is where you will find the weakest competition. If you can’t beat the micro limits and $1 and 2$ sit and go tournaments then you might want to do some more reading and studying. A poker calculator can help, as well as posting your controversial hands in a forum for analysis. You will not find a shortage of other players willing to help.

Eventually you will find that your $50 grows to $100, then $150, then $325 and so on. All taken from your opponents accounts, not yours. That is when you know you can move up to another level, start multi-tabling, and get into deeper analysis with your own play and reading opponents.

Marty Smith has been a winning player online for more than 3 years now and has video reviews of all the online poker calculators so you can see them being used before you decide which one is right for you. He also has a poker tournament strategy video series that is free just for signing up.

How to Learn More about Casino Betting

May 2nd, 2009 Casino games Comments Off

People use casino betting as a rite of passage from boyhood to manhood. It is common for males to head to the casinos on their 18th birthday for some fun, and often they come back with no cash left in the bank. But it doesn’t matter why you choose to bet if you’re going to do risk your hard earned money you must at least be prepared for what’s going to occur in the casinos. Everybody knows ways to play the most well liked Casino Games like, Roulette and Blackjack, but they don’t know anything else then the fundamentals. By learning the game more in depth you won’t only increase the probabilities for you to take home some of the casinos cash, but you’ll have more fun whilst playing the games. The single thing to study them is the longer you stay on one machine the more your percentages of winning increase. The smartest thing to do with the slots is try to discover a slot machine that somebody has been playing for a bit without winning and then when they leave you get that machine. The majority will play ten or twenty bucks in a machine then leave if it doesn’t pay off, this could be a major cock-up.

Games like Craps, Blackjack, Poker and Online Roulette have lots of different variables to them, making it necessary to teach yourself more about a casino game before wagering for serious stakes.

A method to learn is to spend some time in the casinos playing the game and building experience.

My personal judgement, this is the easily most effecient way to learn. You are literally paying your dues for your education. These fun games are not played for cash so there’s no minimum age to play these casino games. An alternative way you can learn how to bet is to head off to a college that teaches you to deal some of the hottest Casino Games played today. You won’t only get to be taught how to play but you’ll learn the systems of the dealers. This will give you a really pleasant advantage in the casino.

The lest advice I have is to go out and get a book or 2 on the casino game you have an interest in studying and reading about it. This does not mean you may win each hand, but it increases your chance of winning some of the casinos cash. For online casino for usa players, visit the us online casino website for listing and guides. You can find legitimate online casino like the Rushmore Casino.



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