Tue, 02/15/2011 – 17:39 – PokerPages Staff

The game of poker is exciting and winning is even more of a thrill.  As such, ego can enter the equation and negatively influence your game.  Ego can creep into the game in numerous situations, but here we will examine two.

When playing poker, the beginner poker player will be up against all different kinds of personalities.  It is inevitable that you will come up against some personalities that you simply do not jive with.  Trash talk at the table can seriously affect your game.  Trash talk is used to get inside your head and knock you off your game.  Do not allow this badgering get the better of you.

When winning at poker, do not allow yourself these wins overinflate your ego.  Poker is a game in which losing occurs more often than winning.  Do not be naïve and believe that you are always guaranteed to win.  Being in the mindset that you can never lose will inevitably lend to poor decision-making.  When on a winning streak be gracious and keep your ego in check.  Remember that as you win, someone else loses. 

By not allowing an egotist to get under your skin or preventing your own overinflated ego, you will become a better poker player.
 
To learn more, check out PokerSchoolOnline, the best source on the Internet for poker related learning.  Then put those skills to work by playing free at PokerStars.net.  Also, check out the PokerPages section Poker Information and Poker Articles for more poker tips and strategies.

Tue, 02/15/2011 – 00:49 – PokerPages Staff

Tilt is a poker term for mental frustration that disrupts your ability to play your best game.  When a player is on tilt, that player acts according to their frustration level rather than according to rational decision-making.  The beginner poker player must learn to control or eliminate tilt in order to have success.

The most common cause of tilt is a bad beat.  In poker, a bad beat is a term for losing with a strong, favorable hand to an opponent who wins with a weak, inferior hand.  Generally, cards on the board improve the weak player’s hand.
 
Dealing with tilt is an essential aspect of poker.  The beginner player cannot allow emotional frustration interfere with their game play and must always apply their best strategy.

The first step to controlling tilt is to recognize that you are experiencing tilt.  Once a player recognizes that they are on tilt, they can employ strategies to control it. 

The most commonly suggested way to overcome tilt is to understand that success in poker is viewed over the long term, not the short term.  With this view, you can simply disregard uncommon outcomes.  Statistically, losing these hands is a result of variance in the game of poker, not bad strategy.

To learn more, check out PokerSchoolOnline, the best source on the Internet for poker related learning.  Afterwards, why not test those skills by playing free at PokerStars.net.  Also, check out the PokerPages section Poker Information and Poker Articles for more poker betting, tips, bets, and strategies.