Observation is one of the most important poker skills to possess.  It is said that you don’t play the cards, you play the man.  Being aware of your surroundings can give you many signals as to how to play each hand – online or in a casino.  Observation helps you pick up reads or tells on other players, can help you see what type of hands your opponents play, and can even provide information on the emotions of the competition.  

 

Being a perceptive poker player gives you an edge over the other players at the table.  It will aid in decision making by letting you know how each player acts and reacts in certain situations.  It is important to listen to what other poker players are saying and doing while comparing it to the cards they show and their overall objectives.  Many times you will see players make the same type of bet when they have a great hand, and a different bet when the only hit a small pair.  Other times you will notice a player talk more if he has a good poker hand, possibly another player talks more when they are bluffing.  Keeping track of these mannerisms will give you the extra information needed to know when to stay in a pot, and when to fold.  
Studying yourself is just as important as studying the other players.  Being aware of your table image and your own mannerisms will give you the ability to limit the amount of information you give to other players and can also help you give false information in a more credible fashion.

Lastly, being observant doesn’t only apply when you are directly involved in a hand.  You can gain valuable information about other players while you are waiting to be dealt a playable hand.

Observation can help take you from being a good poker player, into a winning one.

Poker Skill 2: Discipline

In the short term, poker is a game of luck, but only skilled poker players win consistently in the long term.  The biggest mistake most beginners make is playing too many hands.  Discipline means that you wait for a good hand before playing, but it also means much more.

Discipline includes staying away from games where you lack the edge to win, keeping your emotions in check, and knowing when to walk away.  Before playing a hand, you need to make sure you are emotionally ready to play.  Playing in games that are over your poker skill level can make you the fish at the table and the acute sharks will take advantage. If you aren’t mentally prepared to play, you will make bad decisions that will lead to losing play.  Finally, if you don’t know when to fold or walk away from a game or table you can’t beat, you will lose in the end.

 

Maintaining control of yourself and the situation will allow you to play your best game at all times.  
    
Poker Skill 3: Math

 

Math is an important part of a poker game.  Math in poker isn’t just counting out how much you want to bet – it is about calculating your chances of catching the card needed to make your hand, it is about computing how much your willing to bet or call based on those chances of making your hand, it is a key area of poker that will help give you statistical advantages to be a winner.

To be a successful poker player, you need to have, or learn, the math skills required to play poker.

Poker Skill 4: Memory

 

Have you already forgotten the other poker skills needed to be a winning poker player?  If not, congratulations, you possess one additional skill that will allow you to have an edge over the other players at the table.

 

The better your memory, the more you’ll be able to remember the types of hands your opponents like to play, any tells you’ve picked up from previous poker sessions or hands, and other important pieces of information that you mentally keep on every player you come up against.
    
Poker Skill 5: Adaptability

 

Every hand in poker can be played differently.  The best poker players are unpredictable and are able to change the way they play at any moment.  Being able to adapt to different situations is important when deciding how to play, bet, and win.

 

If you come to a table and sit to the right of a loose player who bluffs a lot, when you have an unbeatable hand, you will know to check to him and let him bet into you to extract the most money out of him.  However, if you are sitting to the right of a very tight player who only plays the most premium of hands and will only stay in a hand if he has the nuts, then you should adapt and play more aggressive against this type of player.

 

Changing your playing style not only works after seeing how others play, but it also works when other players get used to your own style of play.  If you have been playing and advertising a tight game all night and the other players at the table know this, you can switch it up and start to play looser.  Many times this will throw off the other players and you can surprise them by turning over winning hands they never expected you to hold.

 

Adaptability comes with experience and skill.  Once you have a solid understanding of the game and have been able to see and play a lot of hands, you will be able to know and feel when to change your style of play.

Poker Skill 6: Money Management

 

Money management is just as important as any other poker skill.  This is mainly because if you can’t manage your bankroll, then you will end up with no bankroll to play with.  Money management includes knowing what games you can afford to play in and knowing how much you can expect to win in the long run.  

 

There are many swings in poker where even the best players can get an unlucky streak.  You need to be able to make it past these low times and still have enough of a bankroll to continue playing – otherwise, you will eventually bust out.

Conclusion

 

The poker skills above are the fundamentals needed to start learning how to play poker.  Almost everything else that you learn can be trailed back to the above basic poker skill set.

 

Having the above poker skills can make you a good poker player, having all of them and knowing how to use them will make you a great poker play, and mastering them will make you a winning poker player.