Knowledge is Power

Hey Calvin,

Today we'll be tackling the important topic of POKER
PSYCHOLOGY-- to help you master your emotions, intimidate
your opponents, and quickly improve your "poker profits".

Before we get started, I just want to thank everyone who
replied to my last letter (the one on poker odds).

Dozens of readers said it was the EASIEST explanation of pot
odds they had ever seen... and the BEST email I'd ever sent
out.

Nice!

Anyway, I genuinely appreciate the feedback. So thank you.



All right-- let's dive into the questions, shall we?


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

Hi Roy,

Where do you stand on showing your cards after the hand is
over? Some folks advise you NEVER to do it, others say you
should use it manipulate your table image etc.

D.F.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

Indeed, there are a lot of conflicting opinions out there
about showing your cards after the hand is over.

My belief is this:

Yes, there IS a right time and right place for showing your
cards after a hand.

HOWEVER, most poker players-- even some of the pros-- show
their hands WAY TOO OFTEN.

The pros I know who make this mistake are usually caught up
in the moment of being on TV, wanting to please the
audience, etc.

If you're tempted to show your cards after a hand is over,
ask yourself these 3 questions:

1. Do my opponents REALLY WANT me to show them?

If the answer is yes, then you probably should NOT show. You
want to frustrate your opponents, not educate them.

2. Will it make me LOOK GOOD if I show them?

Once again, if the answer is yes, don't show. You're doing
it for the wrong reasons.

3. Have I shown my cards at all within the last 2 hours?

If the answer is yes, don't show.

The time when you SHOULD show your cards is when you've got
an "extremely tight" or "extremely loose" table image and
want to change it.

Showing a bluff or monster hand-- ONE TIME-- will serve the
purpose.

But don't do it again for another couple hours, because your
opponents will see that you're deliberately trying to
manipulate your image... and you'll be revealing too much
information about your playing style.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

My question: I notice that the newest sport of Texas Hold'em
Poker is growing however the personalities I see are lacking
appeal.

What must one do to get on the pro circuit and bring some
personality to this game?


>>> MY COMMENTS:

Haha, yea I agree.

So YOU are gonna be the one to SPICEN IT UP, eh?

Well, to get on the pro circuit, you simply need to start
winning some tournaments, build your bankroll, and buy-in to
the major events!



*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

I don't think you can answer this without knowing me, but
here it is:

In No Limit, I often will be cruising along, playing
patiently, and doing decently although not great. Then I
make one big mistake - usually calling a big bet from a
loose player whom I don't believe but who in fact has a big
hand - and it all goes in the toilet.

Why do I do that?

S.W.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

You're right. I can't answer that without knowing you. Lol.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

Hey Roy, I'd like to know how to keep from getting emotional
at the tables. I'm not even talking after losing a big pot.
And I expect to win big pots so that doesn't phase me.

It's just the action of sitting at the table gives me a rush
that sometimes makes me not think clearly and listen to my
better judgment when making decisions. I've read your
article about getting emotional after big pots and going on
tilt.

This was very helpful, but not the entire story for me as I
sometimes can't concentrate as my mind is racing so much.
Keep in mind I'm new to the game but I'm an avid study and
have learnt to flease my mates on a regular basis and have
qualified for my states poker league final.

I'm from australia and play APL Australian poker league
which is a free poker league that offers a cash price of
$250,000 for the national winner.

B.J.R.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

Man do I LOVE getting emails from my readers "down under"!

Australian poker players always say the coolest things like
"I have learnt to flease my mates on a regular basis."

Lol.

Anyway, to answer your question... I think the problem is
simply that you're so new to the game.

It takes a long time before you'll start encountering the
same situations and hand scenarios over and over. When that
happens, your body will quit releasing all that adrenaline
and you'll be able to focus better.

Think of it like skydiving (or kangaroo hunting or whatever
you Aussies do). ;-)

The first time you jump out of an airplane, you're scared
s**tless. Your heart is beating faster than a jackrabbit on
speed.

Trust me, I've done it. (Skydiving I mean... not speed.)

Anyway, the second time is also pretty intense, but not
QUITE as exciting.

Then the third time you're a little calmer... and then the
fourth time... and the fifth time...

Until after awhile you get USED to it. Your body doesn't
release all those "fight or flight" chemicals anymore-- at
least not as many.

Poker is the same way.

Poker combines ego, chance, and money... so it's no wonder
your body reacts so dramatically.

But the good news is, the more you play, the easier it'll
get.

If you're REALLY having trouble concentrating at the table--
and need a fast solution-- I'd recommend adopting a
"pre-game ritual" of sorts.

Exercise, get a massage, meditate, drink some decaf tea...
just do whatever calms you down.

Do NOT drink any coffee, energy drinks, etc... as that will
surely make the problem worse.

Now go out there and flease some mates!


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

Hello Roy,

I am a big fan of you and your info. I have a reputation at
my home game as being semi-tight. I tend to use this to my
advantage and steal pots from time to time.

My problem is that I don't get the action that I want
sometimes because people always assume that I have a hand if
I am betting.

I almost never show my hands if I don't get called and I was
wondering if I need to start showing some of my bluffs to
loosen up my table image.

Mike Sexton says on TV that he never shows his cards, but I
sometimes wonder if it would help me because I have been
playing with the same crowd for over two years on a weekly
basis.

Thanks,

C.J.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

This would be a situation where you DO want to show a few
bluffs... like we discussed earlier in this email.

Just remember that showing your cards will never have a HUGE
impact on your table image, especially if you've been
playing with these guys for 2 years.

An even better solution is to simply PLAY LOOSER. If no
one's giving you action, you'll be able to steal a lot of
blinds and win more pots.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

Do you have any tips for staying calm and detached while
playing online, as I can get quite frustrated sometimes.

A.V.J.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

Try playing two games at once. That'll usually help you
become "detached" to any specific hands.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

How can I win all the time?

V.G.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

Lol.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

Do u trust your gut more than your brain or can u really
distinguish one from the other?


>>> MY COMMENTS:

I tend to trust my GUT more often... but that's based on
years of experience and a natural skill for "reading" my
opponents.

You should DEFINITELY be able to distinguish between what
your brain and gut are telling you. Your brain should be
analyzing the situation logically... running through a
"checklist" of considerations before reaching any
conclusions.

Your "gut", on the other hand, will be "naturally" pushing
you towards some decision... but you won't necessarily
understand why.

The biggest mistake players make is letting their EMOTIONS
dictate their "gut"-- and then listening to it.

When this occurs, you're not listening to your gut. You're
simply letting emotion get in the way (TILT!).

If you haven't mastered your emotions at the table yet, or
if you're new to the game of Texas Holdem, trust your brain.
Period.

If you're an experienced poker player who can adopt a
cold-blooded attitude of pure logic, try trusting your "gut"
more often and see how it works.

Your "gut" is especially important in live games I believe,
because your subconscious picks up on little "tells" and
body language incongruities among your opponents... which
helps you read the situation.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

Is no-limit or limit holdem better suited for a conservative
player? Or is it just a preference?

C.K.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

Limit Holdem is usually a better choice for conservative
players, because there are fewer "swings" of fortune.

Plus, the intensity of each pot isn't as dramatic since no
one can put their entire chip stack in the middle at any
given moment.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

What should your playing strategy be when you play for the
first time at the main event (WSOP) or any other top
tournament to make it through the first day and be in good
position for the rest of the event?

B.N.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

Your best strategy for making it to Day 2 of a top
tournament is to actually NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT DAY 2.

Getting caught up in the future is the quickest way to get
eliminated from the present.

Just stick to your fundamental poker style and skillset.
Don't let the cameras or celebrities or any of that cross
your mind.

You're there to play poker. You've played poker thousands of
times. You know what to do, so just do it.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

Hey Roy, if I've learned any one thing from your newsletters
it's patience! I've learned to play tight and man is it hard
when you see people taking pots with Q/2 off suit!

My question is... I have found out (rudely I might add) that
most men do not like to play poker with women!

How do I stop male players from pushing me around on the
table without going broke? I rarely get to see 4th street
let alone the river!

I'll finally catch a great starting hand like A/K or a pair
and they'll push me out with outrageous bets only to find
out they didn't have a thing, I mean if I don't catch my
card on the flop it's over for me most of the time or risk
going broke.

C.P.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

If the men keep trying to push you around, use that fact to
your advantage!

Tighten up your hand selection so that you only play premium
hands before the flop. (It sounds like you might be playing
too loose.)

Then when you get a good hand, bet aggressively and be
willing to push your opponents all-in. The odds will most
definitely favor you.

After getting burnt a few times, those guys will definitely
stop bullying you so much!


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

I play a number of no-limit games and one aspect of the game
I would like to improve upon is the ability to create fear
and intimidation in my opponents. My personality is not one
of intimidation, but one must be able to establish this
through his style of play?

In my own mind I have tried playing loose agressive and
tight agresive, etc..., but it seems I always manage to come
up on the short end of the chip pile. What can a player do
in order to intimidate or create fear in other players
whenever they sit down at a table?

B.S.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

The most effective way to INTIMIDATE your opponents is to
simply play solid poker-- all the time.

You don't have to be "naturally" intimidating in any way.
Because intimidation doesn't require any special personality
type...

Sure, Phil Ivey is intimidating. He's calm under pressure,
doesn't make any sudden movements, and you never know what
he's thinking.

But then again, Phil Hellmuth is also intimidating. But he's
loud, obnoxious, goofy-looking, and you almost ALWAYS know
what he's thinking (because he won't shut up about it!).

The COMMON TRAIT both of these pros share is a REPUTATION
for being damn good at poker. And that's all that counts.

By "always coming up on the short end of the chip pile",
you probably don't have a "winning reputation". And as long
as that occurs, you won't be intimidating.

To improve your skills in live cash games and tournaments,
the best place to start is with my ground-breaking eBook.

This course will teach you step-by-step hundreds of tactics,
techniques, and "secrets" about poker that I've spent my
whole life figuring out.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

Hi Roy,

Its so kind of you to give us a chance to be with you for a
minute.

My one question would be, if I were already labled as a
loose and aggressive player, how do I make them fold when I
bet or bluff? Or how do I change that to my advantage?

It is to the point that with certain regular players, I
can't even make any move that I have to play with good cards
in order to win. Thats not profitable and not challenging!

Please help! And have a cool day!

C.C.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

It sounds like you're bluffing too much. Tighten your hand
selection for a few games in a row, and limit your bluffing
to 3 TIMES PER GAME.

Don't confuse "bluffing" with making the game more fun or
"challenging". It's simply a tactic to use to win more pots.

There are hundreds of other aspects of poker that will make
it plenty challenging, trust me!


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

Hey Roy,

I am a lady and I'll take the stogie and some single malt
scotch. Tempting though you may be, I love my husband way
too much for such shenanighans. :-)

As for my question: what helped you make the transition from
solely playing your cards to also playing the players?

C.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

Hahaha... I love it! Single malt scotch, coming right up.

Transitioning from just thinking about the cards to focusing
on the PLAYERS requires a lot of mental discipline.

Here's a neat trick:

When the cards are dealt, don't look at yours until it's
your turn. Instead, just watch all the other players at the
table and try to "guess" what they're holding...

Analyze their body language, think about what they were
holding in past hands, etc.

Then when the flop comes out, don't look at it. Just watch
everyone else (until it's your turn).

Keep doing this throughout the hand and for the rest of the
game... and you'll slowly shift your focus to the PLAYERS
instead of the CARDS.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

What do you do to get ready to play in a tournament, or
just a friendly game with the guys on a saturday night???

B.B.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

What works best for me is going for a jog and visualizing
myself winning the tournament or cash game.

Sometimes right as I walked into the poker room I used to
repeat to myself, "This is my house. I own this place." to
get pumped up.

Yea... it's cheesy, I know! But it helped me get my brain
"set" for success.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

Hey Roy,

Would becoming a Poker Dealer be a good way to earn good
money and also learn a lot about the game seeing all kinds
of scenarios and different betting styles?

C.W.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

Yes, absolutely.

This is how a lot of pros have gotten started in poker.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

Ok, you asked for it, here's the killer question:

If I was one of the world's top Poker players, and knew tips
and strategies that most other players didn't, the very LAST
thing I'd do is write them all down in a book, and try to
sell it to other players to make them better.

Instead, I'd just concentrate of creaming off easy profits
from the numerous online Poker rooms on the net,
interspersed with picking up regular big prizes in real-life
tournaments at various exotic locations around the world.

So why aren't you?

D.C.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

Good question. Who's to say all the information and advice
I've been giving isn't the WRONG advice-- intended just to
make the competition out there easier for me!?!

Haha, just kidding.

The truth is, I love the game of poker more than anything
else in the world. But at the end of the day, after I've
played 8 hours, I realize the day has been all about ME.

It's not a TEAM sport. It's a ME sport.

Sure, the exotic locations and big prizes are fun. But I
believe life requires balance.

And for me personally, that balance is achieved by teaching
other players and helping them succeed.

I get as much satisfaction out of helping SOMEONE ELSE win
as I get out of winning myself.

Besides... I've been so fortunate to have made my living
from the sport, that it'd be selfish of me not to give back
when I can.

And let's face it, the extra money from book sales is nice
too. ;-)

Speaking of my book-- it's a complete "brain dump" of all my
secrets and battle-tested tactics that I've developed over
the course of my career.

I don't hold anything back, because I want to help you
succeed and become the best poker player possible.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

Cards are cards... luck is luck, but I can't help feeling
that luck is not on my side... how do you combat a run of
bad luck? It does not affect my play but "knowing" that
you're going to lose if you call or go all in is just hard
to get out of...

I play tight aggressive more often than not and cannot win a
hand to save my life, even if I'm likely to win.

C.B.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

Maybe you're "cursed" somehow.

Maybe you accidentally pissed off some old woman with a
pointy hat many years ago, and she cast a spell on you...

An EVIL SPELL of endlessly bad cards!

Haha.

Or maybe... just maybe... you can "man up" and face the fact
that no one is "cursed" with bad cards.

That's not how it works.

I hate to be the one who tells you this, but maybe you're
just NOT GOOD at poker...

Have you at least considered this possibility?

If you can't win a hand to "save your life", consider taking
a break from poker and trying something else.

I mean this in the nicest way possible, but I can tell just
from this email that you're probably too emotional to
consistently win at poker anyway.

But don't take it personally. It's really not a big deal.

Hell, I suck at HUNDREDS of things-- like music, basketball,
swimming, acting, drawing, arm-wrestling, etc. You just
gotta know your strengths and weaknesses, and act
accordingly.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

My question would be when do you decide that enough is
enough in playing poker?

The reason I asked is because I noticed on online poker, I
cannot get lucky as much as the other people no matter how I
change my play.

I followed your very good advices, thank you very much, but
I came to the conclusion that the top players did not get
there because of only good play but because they are somehow
luckier than your average person. I know this is true
because without luck they wont be where they are.

I have no luck whatsoever and I am really contemplating on
leaving poker for good.

R.O.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

Wow, two sob stories in a row!

I'm not sure I understand your logic though. You wrote:

"I came to the conclusion that the top players... are
somehow luckier than your average person. I know this is
true because without luck they wont be where they are."

You know that top players are luckier than average players
because without luck they wouldn't be there? HUH?!?

Sigh.

Please go back and read what I told the last guy. It sounds
like poker just ain't your thing, so if I were you I'd just
call it quits.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

Do you have any insight on how to get these men to take us
woman players seriously?

I just played at a $2.00 & $4.00 table on Party pker... sat
down and these guys laughed and told me "This is a Mans
game!"

So as my Gram taught me, "Don't get mad get even!" The next
pot I took them for $48.00, logged out and went shopping!!!!

LOL You're great Roy someday I hope to meet you!!

C.M.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

Nice! I think stealing $48 is indeed the fastest way to get
those guys to take you seriously!

Just stick to your game and don't let the gender biases
bother you. Who cares if someone doesn't take you seriously
if you end up with all their money... right? :-)


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

I typically make it to the final (online) table by playing
as a tight reactor but I tend to go out 'just before the
money'. I know I need to step it up in order to become more
competitive because I'm sure I'm an easy read.

But in the past when I've tried shaking it up I've lost my
ass. Course I've found it's easier to shake things up after
a few highballs so maybe there's other things to consider
when I lose. Obviously I lack confidence even tho I have won
quite a bit and like I said, almost always make it to the
final table. I play like a girl.

Is this possible to overcome?

D.B.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

Well, I'm sure all the women out there appreciate hearing
you say that when you lack confidence you "play like a
girl".

Lol.

By "shaking it up", you're on the right track to becoming
better in your endgame. Now I'd recommend you stop drinking
those highballs when you play!

Remember that you don't need to mix it up TOO much in order
to confuse your opponents. Don't commit more chips than
necessary to any pot, especially if you have a weak hand.

Instead, buy pots when you sense weakness, mix up your
raises on strong hands, and defend your blinds ever so
often.

By not doing the SAME THING over and over, you'll be more
unpredictable, that's all there is to it.


*** QUESTION FROM A READER ***

Roy, great newsletter hope things are well... Here's my
question:

I was on a great run the last month but now it seems I've
hit a giant wall. What techniques do you use to overcome the
loss and return to winning form??

A.N.


>>> MY COMMENTS:

One of the easiest techniques you can use to overcome a
slump is to switch game types... or even better, switch the
POKER ROOM where you're playing.

Try something "fresh".

For example, if you've been playing turbo 6-player Sit and
Go's all the time, try out a few multi-table tournaments...
or maybe some ring games.

Don't just play the same game type at the same room all the
time...

Mix it up.

Of course, the BEST technique for overcoming a slump is to
inject NEW INFORMATION into your game.

P.S. I hope you all can implement this into your game, if not please dis-regard.

This info is sent to me weekly from Roy Rounder.

SHERMSTICK