6 Tried and Tested Ways to Elevate Your Poker Game

No one is born a naturally talented poker player. It takes time and work to reach a good standard of play. Indeed, given the depth of the game, you could argue that a poker player’s learning is never truly finished; there’s always something new to grasp that can help improve performance.

If you’re just starting out on your poker journey, then it can be a little overwhelming to see how far you have to go before you reach a high standard. While you’ll likely reach that level with patience, there are also steps you can take to speed up the process. Below, we’ll look at some of the most effective methods for doing just that.

Understand the Basics

People have been playing poker since the early 19th century, and the card game has only gone from strength to strength in its 200-years-and-counting lifespan. But that means there’s much to catch up on for players coming to the game relatively late. Experienced players have a good understanding of the basics, including the key concepts of the game and the order of play, which makes it easier to focus on their performance. Newcomers planning to play at a real-world casino should read up on table etiquette to avoid falling foul of the dealer. 

Read Up On Strategy

You shouldn’t expect to be a poker strategy master while still a beginner. However, even understanding a little bit about strategy can improve performance — and also prevent you from making some of the common errors that new players are guilty of. In the beginning, it’s recommended to read up on what is considered a good and bad starting hand. For instance, two Aces or two Kings is considered a great starting hand; 2 and 7 are among the worst. Once you’ve got the basics down, you can dive a little deeper. Broadly strengthening your mathematics skills will help your game more than you might expect, too. 

Improve Your Psychological Gameplay

There’s a psychological aspect to poker that’s not to be discounted. Even non-players are familiar with “poker face,” which is all about ensuring that opposition players can not read the strength (or weakness) of the hand by looking at your face. But the psychological element comes into play even when playing online, where it’s impossible to read a face. Poker requires concentration and clear thinking, both of which can be compromised if the player believes that they’re performing poorly. The best approach is to try to take emotions out of the performance and to continue playing the same regardless of whether you’re on a winning or losing streak.

Watch the Masters

A lot of poker is televised these days, and that’s good news for players willing to learn. Watching what the best players in the world do with their cards can influence a new player’s approach to the game as they learn when to do what with each hand. You can also learn from the masters in other ways — for instance, did you know that professionals tend to listen to instrumental electronic music when playing because it helps them focus? Turn off any songs with vocals and opt for video game soundtracks, which are designed to block out external noise while also helping to maintain focus on the game being played. 

Review Performances

There’s not a single poker player in the world that does everything right. It’s not the presence of errors that matters, but rather, failing to learn from those mistakes that counts. Whether you’ve had a good or bad day at the table, review your decisions and analyze why they did/did not work — it’ll help with your future games.

Play Against a Variety of Players

Finally, poker players can improve their performance by mixing up who they play against. Playing against a variety of players of various skill sets will improve your overall game much more than simply playing against the same opponents again and again.