Hollay
05-18-2005, 10:55 AM
This week's topic was: The Doctor is In: Player Psychology.
It's been narrowed down to two submissions! Vote in the poll to let us know which article you think is the best. The winner will score a ticket to the 'Michael Woods Invitational'!
Thanks to everyone who submitted! Be sure to look out for next week's topic in the upcoming Extra!
Article #1
Ask any true poker player what they need to be successful at poker, and the answer is invariably the same: “Any two cards.”
What is commonly known in the poker world is that poker is a skill game, but perhaps what is less commonly known to the general populace is that poker is a game of psychology. The very best poker players know how to make you do what THEY want you to do.
Poker is a game of psychology, manipulation, and intimidation. A good player can get a read on his opponent’s methods and then turn and use this information against him. Watch any player that is on tilt, and then ask yourself “What happened to him on the previous hands?” Chances are he was tricked into over-betting a pot against a made hand. What he won’t admit is that he was set up. He was weighed, measured and his play was manipulated by someone else.
It’s often pride and arrogance that keeps people from improving their game. Pride, because no one likes to admit that someone “knows” them. Arrogance, when a player can’t acknowledge that someone has outplayed them. It’s not until a person really humbles him or herself and becomes a student of the game that they will overcome these obstacles.
A common misconception is that the aggressive player wins the big pots, but in reality it is the SMARTER player who sees greater success. Aggression by itself will often see short term success against tighter players, but it is often these aggressive players that the sharks seek out. Their egos grow to titanic proportions from their many little victories that they are unable to see the bear trap laid out before them.
With the recent surge in poker popularity there is an undeniable amount of good poker players; however these players are often two dimensional and will never be a real threat on a global scale. They will not see the spotlight of the World Poker Tour. They will not win a significant prize until they are able to do what the pros do: Take control of the game and steer it to their own success.
Aces.Wired
Article #2
The psychology of poker…
Having been bit by the poker bug last year thanks to its popularity on television, I decided one day to try my hand at online poker. Logging on to my first session, I peered at my screen to witness a modest $1000 in play money sitting idle in my account. As I quickly found out, the poker gods didn’t take too kindly to a newbie like me. But thanks to the handy refill button, I was able to enjoy many weeks of horrific play, some masterful displays of luck and quiet fits of rage. So many emotions came into play those first few months – overwhelming joy at taking down a huge pot, exasperation at the sheer stupidity of chasing a single card to the river, and the growing desperation as you see your flopped set slowly dwindle to 3rd best hand at the showdown.
What is it about this game that causes so many people to go on tilt? It’s not the seemingly endless barrage of cold cards or the bad beats on the river. They bring it on themselves. Controlling your emotions is the single biggest hurdle that I, personally, had to overcome. Bad beats happen. Watching someone suck out a straight on the river happens. The game of poker is a game of odds and calculated risks. The better you understand the odds, the less risk you have of getting into a pot you shouldn’t have gotten into in the first place. It’s the devil on your shoulder telling you that maybe, just maybe, the next card will make your hand. Whereas the voice of reason will tell you that you only have 3 outs, and you better get out of the hand – asap!
I, admittedly, was a fish for several months as I learned to swim in the sea with sharks. As my play money bankroll increased, so did my confidence at the table. I found myself throwing out ridiculous raises, calling with nothing and re-raising with even less. Play money, after all, can be refilled with the click of a button. Having amassed a handsome bankroll in the neighborhood of half a million dollars, I thought (say it with me, I thought) I had what it took to venture out into the world of real money poker.
Mustering up enough courage, I gingerly hit the enter button to deposit a mere $25 into my account. This was the moment where the psychology of poker changed dramatically for me. Now I’m playing with my own money. My hard earned money. I was no longer the aggressive player running the table. I found myself playing ridiculously conservative and not having much luck as a result. I saw other players controlling the table, wondering how they built their confidence to be able to garner such respect. They were the sharks, and this fish was getting eaten every time he sat at a table. After a few months without much success at both ring games and tournaments, I decided to become a serious student of the game. My library now contains several poker books in which I have studied enough to confidently say I am no longer a fish among sharks. Learning from those that play the game professionally was the single most important thing I have done to improve my game. I can now confidently read the table and properly play the cards I’m given. Brushing the tilt devil off my shoulder, I know I may not finish in the money all the time, but I can honestly say I played my cards the best I could.
Totter – 1
Psychology of poker - 0
Article #3
Psychology of Poker 101 Classroom
(the chatter and finger keystrokes of excitable online Hollywood Poker holdem players echoes through the room with clickity clack and chip stack sound effects as the teacher reaches for the chalk)
Children, settle down...put down your mice, fold your "7-2 offsuit," and listen up! Today we will be discussing something very important - psychology. No, no, no...we're not talking Freudian perversions or Pavlovian feeding techniques here, we're talking about something far more important - how you can take your hold'em game to the next level.
You see, class, playing poker, is not just about the cards, (the teacher points to a picture of Vince Van Patten on the wall) take for example this fine looking gentleman (the teacher winks sexually at Vince's picture) named Vince Van Patten. Like you class, Vince had a passion for something as strong as your passion for poker - tennis. At first, he was an average player at best, but his determination and drive helped him climb the tennis ladder to be ranked in the top 30 in the World. In 1981, He beat tennis superstars Vitas Gerulaitis, Jose Louis Clerk and John McEnroe to win the $300,000 Seiko World Super Tennis tournament in Tokyo. He was excellent at getting under the skin of these professionals by staring them down before a match and never letting them intimidate them.
Van Patten worked hard at his game day after day, watching the professionals, seeing how they reacted at key situations in the match, what kind of shots they used in different situations, but most importantly their facial reactions on the court.
By knowing when his opponents were ready to go off the deep end in a McEnroe fit of anger, he could strike the key blow and put the match away.
You can use Mr. Van Patten's tennis skills and translate them to the felt of any online or offline poker game, just by knowing the situation and the "psychology" of your opponents. You need to always be watching every player at the table, their movements when they pick up their cards and put them down, their reactions to your bets and most important to their own bets, their tone of voice and their willingness to talk or not talk during certain hands. It is vital to ALWAYS pay attention, especially when you fold a hand - if you fall asleep you may miss a vital clue that can turn your 6th place finish into a 1st place victory. In an online poker game at Hollywood Poker, watch who clicks their mouse the fastest - sometimes your opponents will always come in for the call, without a raise - this should bring up a red flag in your mind - remember someone who calls every hand at the poker table is what...class??anyone??? -- Joey, shoots up out of his chair and yells, "the kind of player I WANT TO BE PLAYING AGAINST!" Correct!
Think of your poker experience as a series of tests. You should be keeping mental notes about every player at the table, who folds what hand, who is playing tight, who is playing loose, who talks the most, who is really quiet - all of these factors will help your game ten fold. Also class, don't let that rush of good or bad cards get the best of you! It is important to play at a steady emotional pace, and keep your facial expressions to that of a James Woods at the poker table. Being a good actor like Mr. Woods will help you go far in yoru game.
So class, next time you log on - make it a point to know who your playing against, take notes, watch for visual and verbal clues, and watch out for Mr. Vince Van Patten at the tables or the tennis court.
There will be a quiz on Monday!
It's been narrowed down to two submissions! Vote in the poll to let us know which article you think is the best. The winner will score a ticket to the 'Michael Woods Invitational'!
Thanks to everyone who submitted! Be sure to look out for next week's topic in the upcoming Extra!
Article #1
Ask any true poker player what they need to be successful at poker, and the answer is invariably the same: “Any two cards.”
What is commonly known in the poker world is that poker is a skill game, but perhaps what is less commonly known to the general populace is that poker is a game of psychology. The very best poker players know how to make you do what THEY want you to do.
Poker is a game of psychology, manipulation, and intimidation. A good player can get a read on his opponent’s methods and then turn and use this information against him. Watch any player that is on tilt, and then ask yourself “What happened to him on the previous hands?” Chances are he was tricked into over-betting a pot against a made hand. What he won’t admit is that he was set up. He was weighed, measured and his play was manipulated by someone else.
It’s often pride and arrogance that keeps people from improving their game. Pride, because no one likes to admit that someone “knows” them. Arrogance, when a player can’t acknowledge that someone has outplayed them. It’s not until a person really humbles him or herself and becomes a student of the game that they will overcome these obstacles.
A common misconception is that the aggressive player wins the big pots, but in reality it is the SMARTER player who sees greater success. Aggression by itself will often see short term success against tighter players, but it is often these aggressive players that the sharks seek out. Their egos grow to titanic proportions from their many little victories that they are unable to see the bear trap laid out before them.
With the recent surge in poker popularity there is an undeniable amount of good poker players; however these players are often two dimensional and will never be a real threat on a global scale. They will not see the spotlight of the World Poker Tour. They will not win a significant prize until they are able to do what the pros do: Take control of the game and steer it to their own success.
Aces.Wired
Article #2
The psychology of poker…
Having been bit by the poker bug last year thanks to its popularity on television, I decided one day to try my hand at online poker. Logging on to my first session, I peered at my screen to witness a modest $1000 in play money sitting idle in my account. As I quickly found out, the poker gods didn’t take too kindly to a newbie like me. But thanks to the handy refill button, I was able to enjoy many weeks of horrific play, some masterful displays of luck and quiet fits of rage. So many emotions came into play those first few months – overwhelming joy at taking down a huge pot, exasperation at the sheer stupidity of chasing a single card to the river, and the growing desperation as you see your flopped set slowly dwindle to 3rd best hand at the showdown.
What is it about this game that causes so many people to go on tilt? It’s not the seemingly endless barrage of cold cards or the bad beats on the river. They bring it on themselves. Controlling your emotions is the single biggest hurdle that I, personally, had to overcome. Bad beats happen. Watching someone suck out a straight on the river happens. The game of poker is a game of odds and calculated risks. The better you understand the odds, the less risk you have of getting into a pot you shouldn’t have gotten into in the first place. It’s the devil on your shoulder telling you that maybe, just maybe, the next card will make your hand. Whereas the voice of reason will tell you that you only have 3 outs, and you better get out of the hand – asap!
I, admittedly, was a fish for several months as I learned to swim in the sea with sharks. As my play money bankroll increased, so did my confidence at the table. I found myself throwing out ridiculous raises, calling with nothing and re-raising with even less. Play money, after all, can be refilled with the click of a button. Having amassed a handsome bankroll in the neighborhood of half a million dollars, I thought (say it with me, I thought) I had what it took to venture out into the world of real money poker.
Mustering up enough courage, I gingerly hit the enter button to deposit a mere $25 into my account. This was the moment where the psychology of poker changed dramatically for me. Now I’m playing with my own money. My hard earned money. I was no longer the aggressive player running the table. I found myself playing ridiculously conservative and not having much luck as a result. I saw other players controlling the table, wondering how they built their confidence to be able to garner such respect. They were the sharks, and this fish was getting eaten every time he sat at a table. After a few months without much success at both ring games and tournaments, I decided to become a serious student of the game. My library now contains several poker books in which I have studied enough to confidently say I am no longer a fish among sharks. Learning from those that play the game professionally was the single most important thing I have done to improve my game. I can now confidently read the table and properly play the cards I’m given. Brushing the tilt devil off my shoulder, I know I may not finish in the money all the time, but I can honestly say I played my cards the best I could.
Totter – 1
Psychology of poker - 0
Article #3
Psychology of Poker 101 Classroom
(the chatter and finger keystrokes of excitable online Hollywood Poker holdem players echoes through the room with clickity clack and chip stack sound effects as the teacher reaches for the chalk)
Children, settle down...put down your mice, fold your "7-2 offsuit," and listen up! Today we will be discussing something very important - psychology. No, no, no...we're not talking Freudian perversions or Pavlovian feeding techniques here, we're talking about something far more important - how you can take your hold'em game to the next level.
You see, class, playing poker, is not just about the cards, (the teacher points to a picture of Vince Van Patten on the wall) take for example this fine looking gentleman (the teacher winks sexually at Vince's picture) named Vince Van Patten. Like you class, Vince had a passion for something as strong as your passion for poker - tennis. At first, he was an average player at best, but his determination and drive helped him climb the tennis ladder to be ranked in the top 30 in the World. In 1981, He beat tennis superstars Vitas Gerulaitis, Jose Louis Clerk and John McEnroe to win the $300,000 Seiko World Super Tennis tournament in Tokyo. He was excellent at getting under the skin of these professionals by staring them down before a match and never letting them intimidate them.
Van Patten worked hard at his game day after day, watching the professionals, seeing how they reacted at key situations in the match, what kind of shots they used in different situations, but most importantly their facial reactions on the court.
By knowing when his opponents were ready to go off the deep end in a McEnroe fit of anger, he could strike the key blow and put the match away.
You can use Mr. Van Patten's tennis skills and translate them to the felt of any online or offline poker game, just by knowing the situation and the "psychology" of your opponents. You need to always be watching every player at the table, their movements when they pick up their cards and put them down, their reactions to your bets and most important to their own bets, their tone of voice and their willingness to talk or not talk during certain hands. It is vital to ALWAYS pay attention, especially when you fold a hand - if you fall asleep you may miss a vital clue that can turn your 6th place finish into a 1st place victory. In an online poker game at Hollywood Poker, watch who clicks their mouse the fastest - sometimes your opponents will always come in for the call, without a raise - this should bring up a red flag in your mind - remember someone who calls every hand at the poker table is what...class??anyone??? -- Joey, shoots up out of his chair and yells, "the kind of player I WANT TO BE PLAYING AGAINST!" Correct!
Think of your poker experience as a series of tests. You should be keeping mental notes about every player at the table, who folds what hand, who is playing tight, who is playing loose, who talks the most, who is really quiet - all of these factors will help your game ten fold. Also class, don't let that rush of good or bad cards get the best of you! It is important to play at a steady emotional pace, and keep your facial expressions to that of a James Woods at the poker table. Being a good actor like Mr. Woods will help you go far in yoru game.
So class, next time you log on - make it a point to know who your playing against, take notes, watch for visual and verbal clues, and watch out for Mr. Vince Van Patten at the tables or the tennis court.
There will be a quiz on Monday!