Can you really become a better poker player in 10 minutes? Absolutely. Becoming the best you can possibly be at poker is a lifetime pursuit, of course, but that doesn’t mean that short tips and exercises can’t change your skill level.
A lot of simple tips and methods can help with both the poker mindset and your knowledge of the game, and that’s what we’re covering in this post. If you only have 10 minutes or so to spend on improving your poker skills then these are some of the ways you can improve.
Note Down Silly Beginner Poker Mistakes
Plenty of poker players make notes when they are getting started. It is a way to help to remember things like the value of poker hands and ways to play the game. Beginners may even need to take notes about things like poker terminology, and words like “blind” and “call” and what they mean in a poker context.
With so much knowledge to learn as a beginner, many choose to make notes of silly mistakes. It is proven that writing things down can help them to stick in your memory, and beginner poker mistakes like bluffing too much and showing your cards can damage your chances of victory in any poker game or tournament.
A lot of beginners have a tendency to play too aggressively, especially when it comes to bluffing. Writing down the basic techniques like this can cement the strategies you want to use. You can also make a note of famous quotes from poker players and use these as guidelines. Amarillo Slim once said, “If you are going to bluff, make it a big one.” Taking 10 minutes to write down the poker hands and which hands beat which can help players make quick decisions in the game when the pressure is on.
It only takes a few minutes to run through these mistakes and write them down on some index cards. You can read through them once again when you have another spare 10 minutes to keep them fresh in your mind.
Practice Your Poker Face
A poker face is all about avoiding showing emotion on your face, so your eyes don’t light up when you get pocket aces and so that if you’re bluffing you don’t look terrified.
A poker face is important not just for the game of poker but it can also be useful in business, for instance when performing negotiations. Forbes Magazine recommends using a mantra to try and keep yourself calm in these kinds of situations.
Can you really practice the way you react?Though it is impossible to precisely recreate a poker tournament atmosphere, it is possible to try keeping your facial expression from showing much emotion. Try watching a comedy film or video you know you find funny and not showing how it makes you feel. Or watch something scary and try not to jump or react. This helps you to practice the skill of avoiding emotion showing too clearly.
Some beginner players choose to try and retain their poker face even when playing online. It may sound silly, but it is one of the best ways to practice for the day when they may play in person.
Take Poker Quizzes
There are a lot of quizzes and exercises out there for beginners. These may be as simple as having to identify which hand is a winner out of multiple options, or they could relate to the mathematics of poker, which is a complex and advanced skill set to learn.
In education, quizzes are known to help identify what students know and what they don’t know. If you’re a student of poker, this can help you to understand which areas you need to focus on, based on the answers you struggle with.
Watch Interviews With Poker Greats
If you’ve only got 10 minutes then you can watch an interview with one of the poker greats. Some poker players are more high-profile than others. Jennifer Tilly has made a lot of money out of poker and there are many interviews out there regarding her experience, she speaks well due to her background as an actress.
Even poker players who are more reclusive may have some tips they can share in short interviews, and you can study their demeanor as well as soak up all their knowledge when checking out their interviews.
Conclusion
While there are so many different ways to play poker, in terms of variations of the game and also different methods and strategies, it is fair to say that knowledge is power. Beginners should seek to take on as much information as possible through reading, playing poker, and a number of other exercises that can help to boost their skills and poker level. It doesn’t have to take a long time to study the game, and 10 minutes can prove helpful in the long run.