Poker sharks are often referred to as tight and aggressive. These poker pros do not play many free poker tournaments, but when they do, they play them like they own it all. That is a nice general description, but don't pay much attention to that. A solid poker player is one who has mastered the recipe of online poker games.
Let's learn the perfect recipe to win at free poker tournaments.
1. A Little Bit of Mathematics
A solid poker player always knows general probabilities and poker rules of the game. They know when to hit a set, when to hold a pocket pair, and when to completely flush draw by the river. Good poker players understand the importance of outs; they understand that outs are simply the number of cards that will improve their hand. Count your outs, multiply them by two, and add one. This is roughly the percentage shot you have at hitting. So, to become a poker pro you need a little bit of mathematics in your corner.
2. A Spoonful of Discipline
Poker pros demand an advantage. What separates a winner from a fish is that a fish never expects to win, while a winner does. A fish is happy playing craps, roulette, or the shots but a winner does not hope to get lucky, he/she plays the shots and win. Understand that free poker tournaments require a different discipline. A disciplined player knows when to play and when to fold. He/she recognizes that they are on tilt and are aware when a game is too juicy to quit. He/she accepts that they are not perfect, but at the same time, they learn from their mistakes.
3. A Spice of Psychology
A good poker player is never self-centred. He/she may be the biggest sob you know, he/she may not care about anyone, but, when a poker pro walks into a poker room, he/she always empathize with their opponents. They try to think what the opponent is thinking and understand the decisions they make and why they make them. Always ask these questions to understand the psychology of your opponent: What does my opponent have? What does my opponent think I have? and most importantly What does my opponent think I think he/she has?
4. An Understanding of Risk vs. Reward
Poker pros are willing to take a long shot if the risk is high enough, but only if the expected return is higher than the risk. More importantly, understand the risk vs. reward nature of the online poker games outside the actual poker room. Understand how much money you need in the bank and how much you need in the reserve to cover other expenses. A good poker player always understands the need to be more risk-averse with their bankroll than their stack at the table. You need to have enough money at the tables but not affect your bankroll too much.
Summing Up
If you worry too much about losing, you will end up making a lot of mistakes at the table. So, if you feel you are going to lose, don't push it and leave yourself with the chance to fight another day. Inherit these key skills to win free poker tournaments and come back with a bang. Learn the latest poker rules and strategies and apply them together with these skills and see the upgrade in your game.
