The Poker Mag

As most players know, there are a select few players in the game who have developed their talents to the finest they can be, and earn a living by playing poker. Of the millions of people who play poker the world over, these , and poker players around.

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You would be foolish if you thought you could put in some serious practice for a few months then go to the WSOP with your savings in hand and win, because the chances are, you will leave empty handed. If you are serious about your poker though, my personal view of how best to turn pro, would involve setting aside a small amount of money each month that you can afford to lose. With this money, deposit some onto an online site of your choosing, and find out where there is a local live tournament going on. In this way, I have practice of live tournament play twice a week, and however much more practice of online play that I wish to participate in.

I feel this has strengthened my game a lot, and after 8 years playing the game, I generally feel my poker game is as good as it has ever been. The important thing is not to rush into bigger games, and to wait until you are getting good results often at your local tourney, before trying a bigger tournament. Whilst you are doing this, you can try your hand at the satellites, where your skill could earn you a seat in a major tournament for a small buy in. As long as you are playing regularly over a long period of time, and always examining how to better your game, eventually you will reach a level where you want to move on to bigger things. Jumping straight in at the deep end will almost always result in losses.

Some players I think, will be of the mind that nothing compares to putting in the hours at the tables and finding your own way around the game.

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Personally I agree, and would not wish to mould my own play around that of someone else whose book I had read. Having said that, I do not think there is any harm in taking on board someone elses view on how to play hands, and incorporating it with your thoughts in order to form your style of play.

Some of the greatest poker players in the world have penned books, and the wisdom they have in the game can be extremely helpful. I have two such books, one by Doyle Brunson, and one written by Phil Hellmuth, and I feel that they both helped my learning curve greatly as a younger player. When you consider what these men have achieved within the game, it would seem foolish not to read what they have to say about the tactical elements of poker, especially given that they have 21 WSOP bracelets between them.

As I mentioned earlier, the aim of reading a good book written about the game, is not to memorise everything that is said and do precisely that, because then you would not be playing to your own strengths. The point of reading such books is to understand what is being said, and to bear it in mind when you are playing. Perhaps experiment with a few ideas you have read about, and see which of them works out for you as a player.