Poker is an entertaining and enriching hobby to have. It keeps your brain sharp and has a social element too, not to mention there’s always the possibility that you might win a little money. For some people, they’re very happy for it to remain a pastime that they pick up and play every now and again. However, for others they might be keen to take their hobby up a level. If you’re looking to improve your poker performance then we’ve got some tips on how to get there.
Make Proper Time For Practice
The first tip is not only the most overlooked, but also the tip that’s the most likely to make all the difference. So many people spend a good deal of money on poker trackers, and hours looking at YouTube videos of poker plays, but an awful lot of them forget that practice makes perfect. Making time for poker practice is the single best thing that you can do to improve your own gameplay. If you can currently only squeeze in an hour or so each week, then up that to an hour and a half, spread over three half-hour sessions. At the end of each session, take some time to review how things went and set yourself some goals for the next bit of practice. Of course, the most important thing about poker practice is that it’s still fun, poker is a game after all, so if things don’t go so great, don’t beat yourself up about it.
Enter Regular Tournaments
There are so many poker tournaments going on that there’s no excuse not to get involved. Entering yourself into a tournament is a good way to get the wind in your sails. Knowing that you have a ‘deadline’ to improve your game by, means that you’re more likely to put in the practice. Better still, you don’t need to be near a casino or card club to enter a tournament, there is lots of opportunity online. This guide to the best online poker tournaments is helpful for narrowing down how many people you’d like to play against and the sort of cash you want to spend on your buy-in. Once you’ve got the date booked in, knuckle down on that practice and get ready to show the other competitors what you’re made of.
Watch The Professionals
One of the best ways to learn is by watching those who are already really, really good. Thankfully we live in an age where it’s possible to instantly access thousands of hours of poker footage, totally free of charge. If you ever catch yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media then try to make your break a little more intentional. Close down Facebook, open up YouTube, and search for interesting poker plays. There’s a wealth of poker information on YouTube and watching live plays is not only a good way to learn, it’s entertaining too. Some of the most spectacular technical wins in history have also made for great television. This tip is the perfect way to turn your procrastination time into a learning opportunity that still feels like you’re having a break.
