Nobody
wants to believe that poker is won by the same players. Lately, we have more winners but the good
ones stay on top of the finishers.
Why? Is it poker a lucky game? No game is 100% luck, the more we know about
the less luck we need. That is what
science is all about. It could be
empirical science or “quantified” science.
Life and poker playing is not different.
I tell my patients: “kids need to
learn how to play chess.” I do not mention that they should know that playing
poker is useful because they believe that poker is sheer luck. Playing poker well says about our emotional intelligence
(I do not agree with the term but I will use it).
Poker
winners according to Wikipedia:
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
7
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
||
|
? ?
|
30,000
|
6
|
? ?
|
|||
|
K♥ J♦
|
80,000
|
8
|
6
6
|
|||
|
A♠ 7♠
|
130,000
|
13
|
K♥ J♠
|
|||
|
3♥ 3♠
|
160,000
|
16
|
A♣ 2♣
|
|||
|
J♠ J♥
|
210,000
|
21
|
Bob
Hooks
|
J♣ 9♣
|
||
|
10♠ 2♠
|
220,000
|
22
|
A♠ J♦
|
|||
|
10♠ 2♥
|
340,000
|
34
|
8♥ 5♣
|
|||
|
Q♦ Q♣
|
210,000
|
42
|
9♦ 9♣
|
|||
|
7♠ 6♦
|
270,000
|
54
|
A♣ A♥
|
|||
|
5♠ 4♠
|
385,000
|
73
|
A♥ 7♠
|
|||
|
A♥ Q♥
|
375,000
|
75
|
10♣ 9♦
|
|||
|
A♥ 10♠
|
520,000
|
104
|
A♦ 4♦
|
|||
|
Q♦ Q♠
|
540,000
|
108
|
K♦ J♦
|
|||
|
10♥ 10♠
|
660,000
|
132
|
6♥ 4♥
|
|||
|
3♠ 3♥
|
700,000
|
140
|
A♦ 3♣
|
|||
|
A♠ 10♥
|
570,000
|
141
|
A♦ 8♦
|
|||
|
A♠ 9♣
|
625,000
|
152
|
Trent
Harvey
|
A♦ A♣
|
||
|
J♣ 9♣
|
700,000
|
167
|
Q♣ 7♥
|
|||
|
9♠ 9♣
|
755,000
|
178
|
Johnny
Chan
|
A♠ 7♠
|
||
|
6♥ 6♠
|
895,000
|
194
|
4♦ 4♣
|
|||
|
K♠ J♠
|
1,000,000
|
215
|
7♥ 3♥
|
|||
|
8♥ 4♣
|
1,000,000
|
201
|
Tom
Jacobs
|
J♦ 7♠
|
||
|
J♠ 6♠
|
1,000,000
|
220
|
7♦ 4♥
|
|||
|
K♠ 8♥
|
1,000,000
|
268
|
Hugh
Vincent
|
8♣ 5♥
|
||
|
9♦ 8♦
|
1,000,000
|
273
|
A♥ 7♣
|
|||
|
9♦ 8♦
|
1,000,000
|
295
|
K♣ 8♣
|
|||
|
A♥ 4♣
|
1,000,000
|
312
|
A♠ 8♣
|
|||
|
J♦ 9♣
|
1,000,000
|
350
|
Kevin
McBride
|
Q♥ 10♥
|
||
|
5♣ 5♦
|
1,000,000
|
393
|
6♥ 6♣
|
|||
|
A♠ 9♣
|
1,500,000
|
512
|
A♦ Q♣
|
|||
|
K♣ Q♣
|
1,500,000
|
613
|
A♠ A♥
|
|||
|
Q♦ 10♠
|
2,000,000
|
631
|
J♣ 8♣
|
|||
|
5♦ 4♠
|
2,500,000
|
839
|
J♥ 10♦
|
|||
|
8♠ 8♦
|
5,000,000
|
2,576
|
A♥ 4♠
|
|||
|
7♣ 3♠
|
7,500,000
|
5,619
|
A♦ 3♣
|
|||
|
Q♠ 9♣
|
12,000,000
|
8,773
|
10♥ 10♠
|
|||
|
8♦ 8♣
|
8,250,000
|
6,358
|
Tuan
Lam
|
A♦ Q♦
|
||
|
A♦ 5♠
|
9,152,416
|
6,844
|
4♥ 2♥
|
|||
|
9♦ 9♣
|
8,547,042
|
6,494
|
Q♦ J♦
|
|||
|
A♠ J♥
|
8,944,310
|
7,319
|
K♦ 8♦
|
|||
|
A♠ K♣
|
8,715,638
|
6,865
|
10♣ 7♣
|
|||
|
K♦ 5♦
|
8,531,853
|
6,598
|
Jesse
Sylvia
|
Q♠ J♠
|
||
|
8,359,531
|
6,352
|
Top 10 Poker Tips to Make
You a Better Player & Improve Your Poker Game
Want to become a better player, fast? Follow these 10 tips to boost your
poker performance & profits. While geared to beginner players, there's poker
tips that even seasoned pros should remind themselves of once in a while.
1. Don't Play Every Hand / Do Fold More
Probably the number one mistake beginning poker players make is that
they play far too many hands. When you're just starting out playing poker, you
want to play poker, and that means staying in hands that aren't very
good just to be part of the action. But playing more doesn't mean winning more,
it usually means losing more. If you find you're staying in half or more the
hands you're dealt, you need to upgrade your starting hand requirements.
2. Don't Play Drunk
Countless nights have I sat across a table from someone & watched
them get plastered silly and throw away their entire stack of chips. I've been
that person too - and there are nights where you're just playing with friends
for low stakes and it's more about the fun than the poker - but if you're in a
casino, watch the alcohol. The truth is, while you may be more relaxed after 2
drinks, it may lead to you playing looser and less sharply, even if one's not
'drunk.'
Related: Vote: Should Poker Players be Allowed to Drink at Tournaments?
Related: Vote: Should Poker Players be Allowed to Drink at Tournaments?
3. Don't Bluff Just For Bluffing's Sake
A lot of beginner's understand that bluffing is a part of poker, but
not exactly how. There's is NO rule that one must bluff a certain amount or at
all during a poker game, but many players don't feel like they've won unless
they've tried a poker bluff. Bluffs only work in certain situations &
against certain people, and if you know a player always calls to the showdown,
it is literally impossible to bluff that player. It's better never to bluff
than to bluff "just to bluff."
4. Don't Stay in a Hand Just Because You're
Already In ItAnother
common mistake beginners make is to think that "Well, I've already put
that much in the pot, I have to stay in now." Nope. You can't win a pot
just by throwing money at it. There may be cases when pot odds warrant a call,
but if you're sure you're beaten, and there's no way your hand can improve to
be the best hand, you should fold right away. The money you've already put in
the pot isn't yours anymore, and you can't get it back just by playing a hand
all the way to the end.
5. Don't Call at the End of a Hand to
"Keep Someone Honest"
This one follows the last tip. I see a lot of players look at another
player's final bet, look at the hand, & say "I know you've got me, but
I have to keep you honest," as they throw in a final call. It may be worth
it to see if a player really has the hand if you're not sure & you're gaining
information that will help you later on, but if you really feel a player has
the hand he's representing & you're beat, why give him another pile of your
money? Those bets will add up over an evening.
6. Don't Play When Mad, Sad, or in a
Generally Bad Mood
When you play poker, you shouldn't do it to escape from being depressed
or having a really bad day. You start out on tilt -- playing emotionally,
not rationally -- and you won't play your best. Likewise, if during a poker
game, you lose a big hand or get sucked out on and feel yourself going on tilt,
stand up & take a break until you feel calm later on. Fellow players will
sense your mood & take advantage of it.
7. Do Pay Attention to the Cards on the Table
When you first start playing, it's enough just to remember how to play
and pay attention to your own hand. But once you've got that down, it's
incredibly important to look at what's going on at the table. In Texas Hold'em, figure out what the best
possible hand would be to fit the flop. Make sure you notice
flush & straight possibilities. In 7-card stud, pay attention to what's
showing & what people have folded when you consider calling opponents.
8. Do Pay Attention to the Other Players
As you play, one of the single best things you can do is observe your
opponents, even when you're not in a hand. If you know if one player
always raises in a certain position, & another has a poker tell when he bluffs, & a
3rd folds to every re-raise, you can use that information to help you decide
how to play against them. Once you know that player 3 always folds to a
re-raise on a river, that's when you can bluff & steal a pot.
9. Don't Play at too High Limits
There are many reasons people move up to a higher limit game than they
usually play. Good reasons like they've been winning consistently at a
lower lever & are ready to move up, & bad reasons like the line is
shorter for higher limits or you want to impress someone. Don't play at stakes
that make you think about the actual money in terms of day-to-day life or with
money you can't lose. Even if you had one super-good night at $2/4, resist the
urge to play $5/10. The next tip explains more why.
10. Do Pick the Right Game for Your Skill
Level & Bankroll
One of the reasons you shouldn't jump into a $5/10 game after winning a
huge bunch of money at $2/4 is because as the stakes rise, so does the average
skill level of the players sitting there. You want to be one of the best at the
table, not the fish who sits down with sharks.
If you're making stacks of money at a lower level game, why move? You're winning
stacks of money. The swings up & down at higher limits are much bigger,
and one big night's win won't last long at a high-stakes game.
When I hear in triathlon and other sports that
they did not have luck, that tells me how far they are from knowing science and
the sport they practice. Our posts are
meant to help you to understand that any sport is not about luck but knowledge
of everything that surrounds the sport
