Welcome to PocketTwos.com. A poker site by the Pro's, for the amateurs.

Beating The System:

Winning in Poker

Why the Pros are consistent winners?

I’m sure all of you have found yourselves sitting around watching poker on TV and wondering how the big name players like Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, and Howard Lederer always finish in the top of tournaments year after year.  Well the answer is that they know the ways to beat the game of poker and apply this knowledge every time they play.  The following criteria are some of the fundamentals for beating your poker game.

Mathematic Calculations:

            When playing in a home cash game or a tournament, always factor in mathematics wherever you can.  Probability and statistics don’t lie! So the more you become aware of your chance of success when involved in a hand, the quicker you will become a winner.  It should be no surprise that some of the poker community’s best mathematicians are also some of the best pros on the circuit.  If you don’t believe it watch players like David Sklansky or Howard Lederer, 2 of the best in poker, and you’ll see how knowing the mathematics of poker can pay off.

Bankroll Management:

            In the game of poker, the only real way to beat the game is to win in the long run.  Now, we all know that poker is a game of ups and downs, and everyone has they’re bad beat stories, but overall, poker is a very beatable game!  My first year in competitive poker was a grind, and I learned the importance of managing my bankroll the hard way.  However, after playing for numerous years now and being educated in the field of financial management, I feel my strength has become managing my poker gains.  The key to this is keeping a wide view on your poker game, and never letting one night throw you off.  Sure you will have losing nights, but don’t let them deter your focus and mental capacity down the road.  Too many players let one loosing night, or even one bad beat throw they’re game off track and the result is a disaster, a downward spiral.  Even if you’re first entire year is a loss, you still must look at poker as a long haul.  Each time you play you will better understand how to read your opponents, make correct decisions based on pot odds, and keep a level head at the poker table.  Experience is key! Don’t get mad at your opponent when he sucks out on you when you made the correct bet and he made an unjustified call.  It happens!  Just know that in the long run, the more correct plays you make, the more you will win.  And once you get a hands on grasp of this you will have the proper knowledge to maintain and manage your bankroll to success.

Tells:

There is no doubt that knowing tells is critical to becoming a top notch poker player.  However, most amateurs make too big a deal about them!  Sure we know that an amateur opponent who acts strong is probably weak and vice as versa, but people try to watch every move of there opponent, and for lower limit games it really isn’t necessary!  The easiest way to beat a 2/4 or 5/10 game is to stick to the odds.  Sure it is helpful to always pick up tells on an opponent, but don’t get so wrapped up in reading your opponent that you forget to play the cards.  For these types of game simply playing the odds will make you a winner in the long run.  As you move up into higher games both limit and no limit you will want your reading ability to be sharp, but for 99% of amateurs just playing the cards by the book will make you a winner