Robert Williamson III has rightly quoted “Poker takes a day to learn and a lifetime to master”. Just like you need proper ingredients to cook a delicious meal, likewise you need to portray certain characteristics to be a successful poker player, and to not be the fish among the sharks.
Versatility
In any sports you take part in, it is advisable to adopt an adaptable nature or else it may result in destruction. It is good to have a game-plan but more important is to be insightful enough to change the plan as the situation arises and accept what is dealt with you. In poker lingo, you should know how to turn the tables and make that showdown happen.
Mindfulness
If you are not aware of the things happening around the poker table, you will weaken and fall off. While playing poker, you should be observant and analyze the game (such as betting patterns of opponents and spotting tells) on the table you are involved in. Staying alert with your mind and heart in the game holds the key.
Magnetism
“Always mystify, mislead and surprise the enemy if possible.” — General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Following a ‘bump on the log’ approach is considered effective but only when cards fall in your favor. You should at times get more active and playful in the game in order to cash in more pots. Thus, apart from playing the possible odds, try to be social and gracious to an extent as it gives a new dimension to your game.
Devotion
“Don’t be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps.” — David Lloyd George. In skill game like poker, you should make big moves if necessary, i.e., if you are sure that you would win the game by betting all your money on a specific hand, then your aggression is better off. You should make small moves with check-call and check-call, but big moves help you test and get the real view of your opponents.
Self-Reliant
Sit at the poker table with an intention to win, or don’t play poker. You may have come across players who complain mid-hand expecting a bad beat that will force them out from a big pot game. If anytime you are down for the count, get rid of all negative thoughts and believe that you’re the best player at that table.
Level-Headed
“If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs…” — Rudyard Kipling, You will usually experience bad beats some times in card game like poker. For instance, you flopped the best possible draw and hope to win the hand but somehow miss the draw. In this case, you should stay calm and keep going. Therefore, it is important to control your emotions to yield better results than falling to pieces.
Creativity
Let’s take an example here. You are dealt a low hand 3-5 off-suit which is really a bad starting hand in poker. But you can make it a winning hand by thinking out of the box. So, don’t just sit and wait for strong cards to fall at your place, use your skills differently like incorporate bluffing with tight-aggressive play to emerge as a winner.
Quick-Witted
Poker is a game with a hidden advantage. Every poker player should be smart enough to take an edge over the others. If you have a got a really good hand, then bold moves to swindle your opponents off the maximum number of chips. And if you have low cards but have already invested money in it, then act shrewd and make your opponent believe that you hold good cards.
Ego vs. Egoless
Tilt is something that every player has gone through in the game of poker. Generally, tilt arises if you lose a big pot on a wayward bad beat. In such a situation, how you proceed further determines the end-result of your game session. That is, if you play further to take revenge on the players, then you may lose more and if you control your ego and play as you always do, you will certainly recover the money lost.
Perceptive
It is sometimes beneficial to follow your instincts. While playing this game, you can sometimes keep aside the strategy and logic involved in the game. After all, man is a thinking being, thus, it’s fair to trust your gut feelings.
