Should I Play Poker
Poker is a game where starting at the bottom is a very good idea. You'll make some bad mistakes, but they'll only cost you $2 and you won't walk around looking for something to bash your head. The chance of the place being a scam or a way to fool the innocents can be high. Thus many people prefer to play poker in a real poker room or a land based casino because in first place they think it’s much safer than an online poker room.
One of the questions that may be of concern especially to those who have never played poker, is how it is played. This game can be played in a casino or among groups of friends anywhere(casual play), and in each case the rules vary slightly. In casual play all the players have a right to distribute the cards and it rotates among the players, and this is slightly different from casino. Players make a bet and in the case of casino one of the players is normally required to make a forced bet. The house dealer then shuffles the cards and distributes them to each player at a time starting with the player on her/ his left hand.
The game then begins from the first bet and it may involve a number of bets. As the game progresses the set of cards that the players have continues to develop by either gaining more cards or even exchanging the cards which they had. At the final betting round, suppose there are more than one player left, those players reveal their set of cards to each other in order to determine the winner of the game.
The time spent in playing poker vary from one person to another, and it may range in hours every single day with breaks in between. When we ask the question, how often should you play poker, we may think of days or weeks or even months. For others it may be how often within a single day while to others it may be how often in a week or weeks. There are some people who play poker for cash and there are a few, especially in casual play, who play for fun. The reason why someone plays the game, whether for cash or for fun, will determine how much time they spend in that particular game. Money has some sense of attachment and where money is involved it may influence the time that is spent on the game, either because you are winning or loosing.
In most cases the session of poker game last between one hour to two or three hours. Therefore, if you have to play continuously without a break you are able to play in about six sessions a day. However, the human brain cannot concentrate for that long therefore there must be rest between each session. And because of this majority normally play two or three sessions a day. Whether it is one session a day or three sessions a day or even one session a week, the big concern is how often should you play that shall be of benefit to your health, work or money.
There are factors that may determine how often every person plays poker, whether for cash or fun. When you are employed or you have some business that you run that demand your time almost all day, you may end up playing poker maybe over the weekends only. This is because of the amount of time it requires per session and the amount of concentration that it also demands.
There are instances where in all the games that you play you record consecutive losses in a day or days. This may lead to frustrations, and therefore, it is better to take a break of days or even weeks to reflect on your methods of play before you embark again in the game. Taking a break after several days of play, whether you lost or won, enables you to reflect on your game plan and therefore you are to adjust where necessary.
There are a times when we are normally not at our best, either because we are emotionally disturbed or things are not working out well. At this point you can take a break from playing poker for cash and if you do miss playing you can opt for casual play just to play for fun. When we are disturbed emotionally most of the time our judgement is affected and this may be a big blow when playing poker. It is therefore recommended to always take a brake from playing poker at such a time.
A number of people play poker for income, and therefore to them playing poker is a profession and way of living. These people do play poker sometimes both during the day and at night. To them taking a break of days may be a challenge, therefore they can learn to play by taking a break of hours after one or two session in order to relax their mind. The game demands a lot of attention and thinking, therefore few sessions at night and a few during the day may be of great benefit to those who play daily.
There is no definite time over which people should play poker but as we have seen it depends on an individual. Some play poker for hours every single day, while there are others who play poker once in a day or after a season. There are a few who play poker for fun and to them, playing poker may be when it is convenient. However, whether you play for fun or for cash, or whether we play after days or daily, there is need for a break in order to have effective play. The breaks may be between every session or after some days but it will vary to a great extent with the player and the circumstances under which you are playing.
Before playing every player should contribute something to the pot to be competed for. While playing poker you cannot definitely play both hands, there must be an opponent or opponents to play with. All you have to do is understand what hand your opponent is playing and make decision well on. I play because of the competitive nature of the game. I love to compete and especially win. I play because I like to gamble and can afford it. I see it as a form of entertainment. I play because it helps me forget about the more stressful aspects of my life (work, school, my marriage, the kids, etc.).
Here is a quick poker tip from me on a question I am often asked – how often you should fold, and how often should you stay on in the hand during a poker game?
Too many players play the same percentage of poker hands no matter what the situation of the game is.
That’s a mistake.
For example, if you are in the casino and you know you are playing against weaker players, you should play more hands, and fold less. That’s what I do. In terms of poker strategy, post flop is where skill comes in. Better poker players will always come out on top. So give yourself that chance. Against stronger players, be more conservative.
The number of players at the table on poker night is also important. For example, when there are 9 players, there are 9 sets of cards. It’s tough to have the winning hand in that situation. And you should be careful about spending too much money to see a flop when you might only have a small chance of winning the poker hand. A good hand in a 3 handed game is not the same as in a 9 handed game.
Amateur poker players don’t make this calculation often enough. Even between 4 and 6 players, there’s a lot of difference. Say a Texas Holdem game starts with just four players. But then after an hour another 2 sit down around the poker table and join in. Amateur players will often carry on playing the same way. They shouldn’t. The game has changed, and the difficulty of getting a winning poker hand has too.
Position around the poker table is important too of course. This is another poker tip to remember and to bear in mind.
Should I Play Poker Today
Don’t keep playing the same percentage of hands every game. Assess the circumstances and the poker players in the casino first.