You don’t need to be a psychic or psychotherapist to read other people’s minds. You can master this art by playing the wonderful game of Poker.
Online Card games are catching the eye of the tech-savvy youth and for all the right reasons. The internet has made it possible to play all your favorite games whenever you want from the comfort of your home.
Poker is a highly popular skill-based card game that has managed to stand out above the rest because of the unlimited fun, thrill, and action it offers.
Poker psychology
Along with the key concepts, terminology, and hand nicknames (dead man’s hand, snake eyes, cowboys, big slick, etc), you have to learn how to make quick decisions on the basis of your understanding of your opponent’s hand strength. The better you are at reading people and situations, the easier it becomes for you to choose your next move. You can get into the mind of your opponent by observing his body language, mannerism, tendencies, and facial expressions. As you cannot see your opponents at online tables, you cannot listen to their tone of voice or spot any clues by seeing their body language. Therefore, you need to pay attention to their table position, table image, betting pattern, and style of play to find out what is going on in their heads. On the basis of their game, you need to categorize them (tight/loose, passive/aggressive) and develop a strategy accordingly.
At Poker tables, it is crucial to understand your opponents’ approach to read the true motive behind their words or actions. In pressure situations, you have to come up with a solid game plan to outsmart your opponent.
Reading tells
It is important to learn how to read ‘tells’ to know about the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents. A “tell’ is a tic, habit, tendency, or unintentional verbal/physical action of a player that tips the fellow player off to important information about his hand. What matters the most is knowing how to spot those ‘tells’ that give away the strength of your opponent’s hand.
Here are some of the best ways to get insights into your opponent’s hand strength and future moves. –
- You need to keep a watchful eye on your opponent’s gameplay (how he bets/raises, how often he bluffs, etc). By noticing his pattern of behavior such as aggressively throwing chips in the pot, staring at other players, taking a good amount of time thinking before making a move, rechecking their hole card, etc, you can find out whether he is angry, frustrate, or nervous when he puts in a large bet. For example – if the player is taking a long pause before checking or trying to maintain a menacing body language, there is a high possibility that he is holding a weak hand and merely trying to represent strength.
- You have to pay attention to their characteristics and identify their emotional triggers. It requires observing individual qualities to determine whether the ‘tells’ are authentic or false. For example -if a tight player starts playing aggressively, you can assume that he is holding a really strong hand and want to put pressure on other players to make them fold. Also, if a ‘maniac’ starts behaving like he is uninterested in playing the hand, there is a good chance that he is just pretending as he doesn’t want to scare away fellow players. Some players brag and carelessly provide information about their hand strength as a strategy as they know that most players won’t believe in such an ‘easy’ tell.
- Some players believe in the notion that Poker is all about bluffing. They play premium hands like they are holding a weak hand, and weak hands like they have solid hands. You should not be scared of their aggression regardless of your hand strength. You need to make the decision to join the pot or fold the hand on the basis of the information you have about their past records.
If you are a new player, you can play freeroll games online to learn how to pick up as much information as possible about the opponent by observing his moves to ensure making calculated decisions at the tables. Along with the fundamentals of the game such as playing card names, hand ranking rules, table etiquette, bet sizing etc, you have to learn how to create a solid strategy as per the situation on the board.
The ability to read non-verbal cues that you earn at the tables can help you greatly in dealing with complex situations in your personal and professional life. You become more observant and better at understanding what the other person is actually feeling. If you are a businessman, you can predict what your customer needs and what’s important for your investors. If you are an employee, you can anticipate the requirements of your boss and sense what he truly means when he criticizes or praises you.
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As a superpower, the ability to read minds can help you get an edge in the game. It is a skill that can be acquired with training and practice. Even if you are not involved in the hand, you still need to carefully analyze the actions of other players for future reference. You should never let your ego, negative emotions, and past experiences take control over your ability to think rationally. It is also important to ensure that you conceal your thought process to ensure that you never reveal any secret about your playing technique unknowingly.
You can play real money games online and win mind-blowing prizes every day. Playing cash games and tournaments is one of the best ways to make productive use of your free time and showcase your talent in front of the world.
Join the tables to sharpen your critical thinking and decision-making skills as well as make some good profits! Play NOW!
