Poker, though a card game, is commonly known to be a skill game that requires mathematics, logical reasoning, patience and discipline. Besides the skills, there are certain poker rules in the game that a professional poker player needs to abide by.
Thou Shalt Play no other Games than Poker
Poker is regarded as king of skill games and other games such as roulette, craps, etc still fall under luck games. To be a winning player in poker, one has to be hardworking, dedicated and patient enough while games like roulette or crap involve 100 % luck, and 0% skill.So, don’t get influenced by quick money winnings in roulette as these card games wholly dependent on luck. Keep patience and your poker hardwork will definitely be paid off in long run.
Thou Shalt Never Swear in Game
As a poker player you should not swear while playing the game. This commandment has dual purpose. First- some casinos prohibit swearing, for instance, Bicycle Casinos penalize the players for 10 minutes if they use ‘F’ word while playing tournaments. Here, F does not stand for Fold. Second, it helps you to control your temper. For instance, if an amateur player makes a bad move and takes away the pot that you were supposed to win, then you will definitely feel like criticizing him/her. In such a situation, you should not loose your temperament and stay calm to play better in the next hand.
Thou Shalt Take a Break
Poker is a never-ending game. You can log on anytime to an online poker site at the comfort of your home. But don’t forget to take a break. Playing poker continuously for 12 hours can affect your body and drain your mind. You can play poker everyday, even on Sundays, but should take a day off from poker and revitalize yourself by sleeping, exercising, and spending time with family and friends. These breaks help you think positively thereby making you a confident player.
Thou Shalt Respect the Dealers
Whenever you visit a casino for playing poker, respect the dealer as you respect your parents. You may come across the casino staff who are younger than you but be nice to them and know their names if you are a regular visitor. For instance, calling a dealer “Dealer” doesn’t sounds good; instead try calling them by their name.
Thou Shalt Not Blind-Bet
While playing poker, you must have experienced a situation wherein a player who has won two hands back to back pays extra blind bet. This extra blind paid is twice the amount of big blind and is called blind betting or blind straddling. It gives that player the right to last action before the flop. Though it helps increasing the action on the table but it comes at a player’s expense. You should minimize the amount of blind bets you make, specially in high-roll games because your opponents can easily analyze your play with that blind straddle.
Thou Shalt Not Play Each and Every Hand
In the game of poker, you should never deface your starting hands with weak hands. You must have read and heard about this point in poker books and video tutorials. It is possible that you can win pot after pot with weak hands but that happens when you are purely bluffing; and that’s not the way to play professional poker. You should always pick a specific playing style and play only strong starting hands. All you need to do is tighten up your play. Further, if your opponents have a weird playing style, then you should play fewer hands as the game can tun expensive with such players. On the contrary, if you are playing with a group of rocks, then you can play more hands.
Thou Shalt Not Steal
Stealing the blinds in online poker game is not a smart play but this is one commandment that you can break in some situations. You should not steal the blinds in cash games but can try the same in tournaments.. For instance, you can use it as a key tool during the middle stages of the tournament when every player is trying to survive in the tournament to atleast make it in the money.
Thou Shalt Play Fairly
This is yet another commandment that you can break once in a blue moon. You can play unfairly once in a while as honesty is not always paid off at poker tables. Hence, you can blend your honest play with unfair means. For instance, if you always let your opponents read your hands then you would not be able to make big money. You should, at times, change your playing style to keep your opponents guessing. The same stands true in case of bluffing. You should show your hand if you have won by bluffing your opponents, so that, you are paid off next time when holding a strong hand.
Thou Shalt Stay Away from Gossip
Gossiping about your fellow poker players is a big NO. This effects your credibility as a player and you never know when and how people can exploit your words and stab your back. The negative energy and thoughts might also influence your game play. A few laughs are not worth the repercussion of spreading rumors about people or gossiping about them.
Thou Shalt Not Envy Other’s Possessions
Poker is a skill game that requires mathematical calculations and logical reasoning to make strategic decisions. You, as a poker professional, should follow game rules and play the game with discipline. Let’s take an example here. You were bluffed out of a pot by one of your opponent, and now you are in rage to get your chips back from that opponent and make every effort to engage him in a pot. In this situation, you are not playing your game because you are only trying to get your chips back. Further, this will be your worst game play since your target here is that player who steals your pot, and not the whole table. Therefore, you should always play tight against loose opponents and wait for the right cards to fall to knock him out of the game.
