Poker Strategy: Poker Psychology

The power of the mind in poker: There is no spade.

It’s well-known among poker enthusiasts that using psychology to get inside the head of your opponents can really give you an edge over them. What some people forget though is that it’s equally important, if not more so, to understand how your own psychology plays a role in your results. Many people who have solid overall strategies nevertheless fail to live up to their potential as players due to a lack of emotional control. Tilt – including “winners tilt” – the desire to get “unstuck” while in the midst of a losing session, playing while tired, and off-table habits can threaten your ability to earn a profit from poker. The articles below discuss some of the psychological problems that affect poker players and ways of dealing with them. Before long, you’ll be able to make calm, dispassionate decisions, and you’ll therefore be able to play your A game for extended periods of time.

  • Featured Poker Psychology (3)



  • Tilt and Why

    Tilt and Why

    the psychological aspects of tilt in poker, highlighting how humans inherently link failure with self-worth, and emphasizes the importance of recognizing and managing these emotions in real-time during poker games to prevent irrational decisions and maintain optimal gameplay
    Tilt and Why

    The Psychology of Winning

    the mindset of poker players during winning streaks, emphasizing the importance of understanding and analyzing one's behavior and strategies during such periods, as it can lead to sustained success and growth in the game
    Expanding Your Pre Flop Range

    Avoiding Tilt

    the significance of recognizing and avoiding tilt in poker, emphasizing the importance of taking breaks, understanding the emotional triggers, and implementing strategies to maintain optimal gameplay and mental well-being
    Comfort Zone

    Comfort Zone

    We've all fallen prey to the common ills of online poker – playing while you're too tired, playing for too many hours, forgoing meals or hydration, or sitting at the table with too many thoughts swimming in our heads. Here are a few simple tips that are guaranteed to make you feel better at the digital felt.
    Expanding Your Pre Flop Range

    Bless the Beats

    how to handle and recover from poker losses, emphasizing the importance of taking breaks, reflecting on gameplay decisions, avoiding sharing bad beat stories, maintaining a positive attitude, and the significance of resilience and returning to the game with renewed focus
    Expanding Your Pre Flop Range

    Poker Goals

    the importance of setting proper goals in poker, cautioning against monetary objectives due to their unpredictability and potential to negatively influence gameplay; instead, it advocates for achievable, volume-based goals that don't compromise decision-making
    Dumb People Believe in Downswings

    Dumb People Believe in Downswings

    A funny look at the mythic term, “downswings,” this article debunks the existence of players being on downswings or upswings. The logic? Since every hand dealt in poker is independent of all others, you cannot up-or-downswing; you can only have an historical period of increased losses or winnings.
    Expanding Your Pre Flop Range

    Traits of Great Poker Players

    By examining the playing styles of five of the world’s best online poker players, we’ve identified the four traits they have in common: trusting their instincts at the table, taking advantage of their table position, having a strong work ethic and not selecting games based on their opponents’ skill.
    Comfort Zone

    Away From the Felt

    the significance of factors outside the poker table that contribute to a player's success, emphasizing the importance of studying the game, controlling tilt, maintaining physical health through diet, exercise, and sleep, and the benefits of consistency in one's daily routine for optimal performance
    Comfort Zone

    Practice makes Perfect

    challenges the common adage, asserting that while practice is essential, it's the quality of practice that truly matters, emphasizing that perfect practice leads to optimal performance and highlighting the importance of understanding and correcting mistakes outside of live play
    Tilt and Why

    Leveling by Gametight

    the psychological strategy of "leveling" in poker, which involves thinking multiple steps ahead of your opponent to predict their moves and reactions, illustrated through various levels of thought processes and exemplified with a detailed hand scenario between two players
    Expanding Your Pre Flop Range

    The PokerJanitor’s Philosophy

    author's personal approach to poker, emphasizing the importance of consistent practice, unpredictability, learning from televised poker (with a discerning eye), staying true to one's personality at the table, and handling intimidation and losses with resilience and a growth mindset “Well,” she said, “I've always wanted to get good at poker. Could you teach me?” So, rather than simply tossing “Super System 2” in her lap and watching the NFL playoffs, I'll spend some quality time teaching her how to play. That shows what a caring guy I am, right? I think so, at least. Also I get to eat homemade bread. What's not to love?
    Expanding Your Pre Flop Range

    Bust-Out Blues

    It's happened to all of us at one point or another. Even the great Phil Ivey went bust several times before hitting his stride. Rather than beating yourself up over it, take your bust-out as an opportunity to learn.
    Your Bankroll and You

    Building Your Bankroll

    Even if you’re an experienced player, you should still give some thought to how you can build your bankroll so you can move up in stakes and increase your winnings. From avoiding tilt to taking advantage of bonuses and rakeback, this article gives meaningful advice about building your bankroll.
    Expanding Your Pre Flop Range

    Poker Thoughts for Beginners

    the importance of bankroll management, patience, pride, trusting reads, controlling tilt, adopting a tight preflop strategy, maintaining discipline, optimizing blind play, keeping detailed records, and ensuring that poker does not overshadow the significance of life itself
    Expanding Your Pre Flop Range

    A Jedi Mind Trick for Improving at Poker

    You don't just have an innate, unchangeable level of skill at poker. By adopting the right mindset and exercising your willpower regularly, you'll be able to make substantial improvements -- improvements that may well put you ahead of someone with a higher level of natural talent.
    Expanding Your Pre Flop Range

    Poker and Life

    the concept of "tilt" in poker, emphasizing that while most players recognize tilt as a reaction to in-game events, external life stressors can also contribute to tilt
    Tilt and Why

    Be Vito, not Cyclone Hart

    illustrates the psychological aspects of winning, emphasizing that both the "coward" and the "hero" feel the same emotions but react differently, and relates this to the mental challenges faced in poker tournaments, particularly after the bubble bursts
    Top Poker Tell Tips From 5 Pros

    Babysitting Blunders: How Not to Treat New Players

    During my time at the tables, I've had a chance to observe an extensive amount of human behavior. Thanks to the growing popularity of the game, I'm seeing more and more diverse personalities sported by players operating on a variety of skill levels. But with the ever-expanding pool of competitors, I find many of my brothers and sisters who've been around for a while are forgetting some of the cardinal rules of the game. I'm talking, specifically, about the treatment of new players at the tables. It happens both at live events and when surfing through the online card rooms. There are veterans (and even more who think themselves to be veterans) who, by carrying themselves in a certain fashion, do themselves a disservice and consequently reduce their own level of play.
    Understanding the Importance of Shania (theory post)

    A Post About Bluffing

    Bluffing is an integral, exciting part of poker. Defending against suspected opponent bluffs is no less important to your overall strategy. But becoming too focused on bluffs to the exclusion of other considerations can lead you straight to the poorhouse.
    Expanding Your Pre Flop Range

    Poker Discipline

    the importance of discipline in various aspects of poker, from bankroll management to in-game decisions, highlighting that while knowledge is crucial, the discipline to execute that knowledge is equally vital for success in poker
    The Psychology of Losing

    Dealing With Bad Beats

    the inevitability of bad beats in poker, emphasizing that they are a part of the game, often reinforcing poor play in some players, and highlighting the psychological stages players go through when faced with such situations, from anger to indifference
    The Psychology of Losing

    Poker Bad Beats And You

    You have a pretty looking hand and your opponent has a funny, lopsided looking hand and you’re happy to see that all the money goes in the pot. The end. Everything after that is just an illusion taking your focus away from a truth in poker. You’ve made the...