Poker takes a long time to master correctly in order to risk it all on one hand that could be a bluff. Some of the poker greats admit it took years of dedication, practice, and patience for them to succeed as far as they have. Canadian poker fans will no doubt recognize Canadian poker champion Daniel Negreanu as one of the world’s most masterful players of the game who now is instructing others on how best to hone their poker skills; read his book.
Of course it’s not just Negreanu’s Poker Hold’em Strategy that tells all of what it takes to win. Many of his regular competitors in championship poker tournaments have written their own stories on the game such as Doyle Brunson’s Super System which many loyal poker players consider the ‘bible of poker’. The books elaborate on the skills necessary for playing the game to your advantage including how to do the math, how to predict the gameplay of the hand and most importantly how to read opponents to use that knowledge to your advantage.
For players who are not avid readers there are also online training sites available for you to watch players like Negreanu and Brunson play the game, and receive detailed breakdowns of how they expected the hand to go. By watching the veterans and hearing their thoughts on the game it allows you as a newer player to pick up on their skills for reading betting patterns to interpret how to read your opponent’s hand and what the bets they make actually mean.
Poker greats also recommend playing regularly with a close group of friends and talking about how a hand went in detailed post-game analysis. By bouncing ideas and insights off one another players can realize where they made mistakes and where they need to improve on their game.
Regardless of the method of choice honing your poker skills and improving your game requires playing; practice makes perfect after all. Negreanu, Brunson, even younger players such as Tom Dwan or Brian Hastings all admit it took them years of practicing their game strategy before having success in tournaments.
“I would go to Vegas and take my shot against the pros. I would lose everything, and have to rebuild my bankroll. But every time that happened, I got a little better,” Negreanu admits.
After all nothing counts like experience.
