Poker Etiquette Superstitions I have to bluff to win

Not all poker mistakes involve card and betting strategy. There are a lot of sub cultures in the poker world, but even so there is a general code of conduct that most players follow. It is always good to read up on everything from etiquette to superstitions, and to use the good information to your advantage and discard the rest.

Mistake #1: Not following appropriate poker etiquette

There are special rules for conduct around the table, and also playing a game. These are not hard to research, as virtually all dealers, casinos, and players want individuals to understand basic etiquette before sitting down at a table. The most common mistake with etiquette usually does not mean being a joke, but the most common mistake (you see this all the time on movies) is “I see your X and raise you Z.” In poker, you get one action per turn. If you say “I call” or “I see” then that is what you do. If you want to raise, just say you are going to raise, count out the call chips, and then figure out your raise. Always tell the amount of the raise for the dealer and other players.

Mistake #2: Superstitions

All gambling involves luck. While luck will usually even out over the long run, especially in games like poker where so much strategy is involved, people naturally focus on the short run and on their fluctuations. Since even poker has a degree of randomness, many people will talk about bad luck or an unlucky streak. There is no magic luck, there are no fates around the corner waiting for you to seek your destiny. There are good streaks and there are bad streaks and you will have both. Don’t concentrate on luck, and don’t throw away A-8 if you hit two pair because it is a dead man’s hand. If you have two pair with no obvious threat, play it! If you play well, you will be “lucky,” if you play badly, you won’t. It’s still about the skills, and shower. Not showering doesn’t make you lucky, it makes you smell bad.

Mistake #3: I have to bluff to win

Bluffing is such a small part of playing poker that most beginners should not even think about it. When you understand the game well enough to only play good starting hands, to read your opponent correctly the majority of the time, to understand betting patterns, to spot tells, and to do all the math in your head on what happens if you are called, then consider it. Unless you can check off every skill on that list then don’t even try it. Even to the best players in the world bluffing is a miniscule part of their game, and it often gets them in trouble just as often as it gives them a victory.

Keep these tips in mind, and play with proper etiquette, and your sessions will not only be more profitable, but more enjoyable, as well.