The difficulties lie in knowing at what point to cut your losses and 'fold,' when to 'bluff,' when to play a mediocre hand, and how to increase the chance of acquiring a good hand.Įach player's 'rhythm' will gradually emerge as the session progresses, and the good player will understand those rhythms well enough to make an educated guess as to the quality of their opponents' hands. Every time an additional card(s) is added to the hand and another bet is required to continue, another estimate is made. Based on those cards, the player will make an estimate of the chances of success. Here's the general idea: most poker sessions are made up of many individual games, or 'hands.' Every player will 'ante' up a token amount for the privilege of receiving their first cards. Knowledge, patience, and luck are all important factors in any poker game, but the truth is, not much can save an amateur's money from an experienced poker professional who's determined to get it. It's said that good poker players can win more consistently by making accurate assessments of their fellow players' characters than by paying attention to the cards, and that's not too far off the mark. A game of poker is not so much a card game as it is a psychology class.
