No Attention No Win

Poker is as much a game of luck as attention. The more attentive you are while playing poker, the better chances you have of winning the pot. In fact, many beginners hesitate from sitting with a pen and a notebook at the poker table due to the fact that others may laugh at them or consider it rude. However, it is perfectly normal to take all the steps necessary to insure your hard earned money.

 

You can take note of the playing as well as the betting style of your opponent so that the next time you face him or her, you can strategize accordingly. The practice of taking notes comes even handier while playing online poker as many a time you will share a poker table with the same players. For instance, you can identify the betting styles of various players simply by paying attention.

 

Usually, an aggressive player bets large amounts on the table even if he or she has a weak hand. Alternatively, a passive player employs a more cautious approach and does not bet large amounts in the pot even if he has a strong hand. Once you have a clue of how various players react on seeing certain cards on the table, you can anticipate their move and always remain one step ahead of them.

 

Paying attention while playing poker will also help you ascertain the average size of bets of various players and the degree of importance they ascribe to various hands. Accordingly, you can also find out the correlation between their betting amount and their hand strength. This can prove to be an extremely helpful giveaway the next time you face the same opponent on the poker table.

 

Lastly, it is very important to be consistent with your notes and make the same notes for every player at the table.