Do You Make These 7 Poker Mistakes?

By Rory Monahan

Here are seven mistakes to avoid:

1. Getting Too Emotional

Don't let your emotions come out at card table!

It's easy to get "into" game, but you've got to practice self-control!

By staying cool, calm, and disciplined, you'll be able to concentrate on your strategy and winning hand.

2. Focusing Too Much On The Cards

Remember, poker is about PLAYERS rather than HANDS. Sure, what cards you have is definitely important, but only way to consistently WIN Texas Hold 'EM poker is if you are able to "read" other players at table.

Study their habits, watch their faces, observe their peculiarities... and THEN focus on your own hand.

Don't fold if you can check! Unless it's part of some "bigger strategy" you've got going (like ones I talk about in my book), then it's silly to fold a hand when you can just check instead.

4. Trying Too Hard To "Fool" The Opponent

Many beginners try to deliberately "fool" other players by "acting" a certain way.

Most people are good at reading body language, and your pretending will only give you away.

A better strategy is to let your ACTIONS fool other players. Keep your poker face straight and calm and let them fall for bait by making bets or placing action in ways that will confuse them.

The easiest way to win easy money at poker table is to just study a person's habits for awhile, and then take advantage of them hand-by-hand because they're so predictable.

Don't be this kind of sucker!

If you make same moves and same bets at table every time you play, other players will pick up on it so fast that you'll be out of chips in no time.

Be "spontaneous" in a calculated way, and be unpredictable. It will frustrate other players... and you'll win all their chips.

Everyone knows that some of poker's greats are most frequently beat by BEGINNING players at card table.

A lot of professionals refuse to play with "newbies" because they know there's such a high risk of losing and being embarrassed.

So how exactly can these beginners beat these PROS?

There are 3 types of magic that are most often hired for events where adults are in majority.

Close-up magic (the most popular choice for people hiring magicians)

Cabaret shows

Drawing room shows

Close-up magic is often seen at cocktail parties where magician mingles amongst guests performing miracles with borrowed objects and simple objects he has on him. He works without a table and uses people hands when he needs to. This is an excellent choice if all guests will be standing with drinks and eating finger food.

Another type of close-up magic that is closely related to strolling magic is table magic. Table magic is performed between courses at dinners, wedding breakfasts, balls and banquets. You are more likely to see a short (between 3 – 8 minutes) mini cabaret act that has a structured feel to it. The magician may use table but it will be as unobtrusive as possible because at banquets there is a premium on table real estate.

Close-up magicians are being hired more and more for Trade Shows to draw people to stand with customised magic presentations. Presentations are designed to showcase features and benefits of stand they are representing but with amazing magic and not just dry sales pitches.

Cabaret Shows are a great way for a lot for people to see some great magic in a relatively short space of time. Often a close-up magician who has performed strolling/table magic before hand will also do a 20 minute cabaret act after dinner.

There are many different styles of cabaret magician - comedy, traditional manipulation act to music, mind reading etc. The type of event you are organizing will dictate type of cabaret magician you will require. If you would like lots of audience participation and laughter go for a comedy magician, if there will be lots of non-English speakers present then go for a visual act like manipulator and if it is a very business orientated environed maybe a mind reader would be more suited.

You also see cabaret magicians at comedy clubs, cruise ships and also occasionally at motivational events where magic is combined with a motivational speech.

Drawing room shows were almost a dead art for nearly a 100 years. They were immensely popular with Victorians where gentry would all gather to watch a conjurer perform magic. In recent years it is coming back into fashion at private parties where a magician may perform after dinner for 30 minutes or so. This is a taste of days gone by and is close enough for apparently no shenanigans to be going on yet far enough away to use larger effects for everyone to see. This kind of show is most related to a cabaret show but effects are smaller and it is more interactive as audience in only a few feet away.