If you have just started playing, or if you have been doing it for some time now, it is likely that at least on one occasion you have looked at the world’s top players in order to understand some of their best moves and learn from them. You might have also stumbled on different kinds of strategies or methods, some of them based on proven probability theories, or have read famous words that seem to linger when you are facing the felt. There are several wise tips out there and it is hard to choose which the best ones are, but in an effort to select some of useful advice that can be put into practice, we have looked at what a few of the top and trending poker players have to say.
With six bracelets behind him and considered to be one of the best players in the world in 2014, Canadian born pro Daniel Negreanu certainly has at least one helpful advice worth listening to. After being asked to provide some tips for amateur players as he had previously stated that he believed that only a few players can make it in the poker industry and that a lot of effort is required to play well, he decided to create a blog under his name in which shares his knowledge about this challenging mental sport. In an effort to help and inspire other poker players, in his site he posts about tournaments he attends, analyzing the best and worst hands, and he also discusses some ideas and strategies related to the poker world. He updates his blog on a regular basis, which makes it even more appealing to follow. But if we had to choose one piece of advice from Negreanu, it would definitely be linked to how important it is to focus on backgrounds and patterns of players you may face on the online or offline felt, because being able to figure out “your opponent’s hand based on his betting pattern is a crucial skill.”
Although it is true that playing many hands is a great way to learn, we also like the advice of one of New Jersey’s top online players – as the Garden State is increasingly embracing online casinos – who is known as Mergulas. In 2015, which was a great year for this player, after being asked how many hours a week he spent playing, he replied: “I don’t really dedicate a specific number of hours weekly to poker. I think about it a lot and play whenever I feel like it.” What makes these words wise is that they stress the importance of reflecting on the game, while highlighting that it makes sense to play it when one is ready to do so, and that is the only way in which it can continue to be an activity we enjoy instead of becoming a source of stress. It is common knowledge that relaxation increases our odds of succeeding in different activities.
Dominik Nitsche, ambassador of the acclaimed site 888poker, also has provided some good tips to follow. Our favorite among them is that, especially during intense tournaments like WSOP, what experience teaches you is that “it’s just very important to stay patient.” Simple, but true: not firing all of our chips on the first shot after getting short will translate into higher chances of staying in the game.
It might also make sense to look at a player that is in the spotlight: Scott Blumstein. This New Jersey born pro recently became quite famous after winning the 2017 WSOP Main Event and taking home with him $8,150,000. Following this historic victory, Blumstein was asked about what had helped him win. He replied that repetition and practice had improved his skills considering that he believed that live pros could hardly have witnessed “the amount of hands I’ve probably seen in the last two years,” as he often plays online back in New Jersey.
Understanding your opponent, enjoying the game, having patience and practicing are some of the main elements that will help poker players improve their game. There is no single formula to become great and different things work for different players. However, what is true is that those who have managed to climb to the top have learnt a few tricks on the way, so it makes sense to listen to them while trying to make your way in a competitive, challenging and ultimately thrilling sport.
