Want to go from amateur to pro status in 2013? Set 5 goals for yourself that will get you closer to those big games, and give you the skills you need when you get there.
Setting Goals
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If you want to become a professional poker player, start acting like a pro now. Set goals for yourself, and stick to them. Simply by doing this, you’ll be preparing yourself for pro play and becoming more disciplined.
5 Poker Goals
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Stay focused on your big goal of becoming a pro by working on a series of smaller goals.
- Play online: Play more often by playing poker online. Playing online exposes you to players of all skill levels, and truly tests your ability. You cannot see “tells” when you play with online gamblers, so this is a challenging way to practice your game. Down load online poker US to start playing now.
- Play offline: Whenever possible, try to get to the nearest casino or home game and practice your skills in a real-world environment. Save money, and schedule your vacation to one of the world’s top poker-playing cities. Las Vegas, Barcelona, Los Angeles, Dublin, Paris and London are all among the top poker cities in the world.
- Specialize: To really hone your craft, focus on just one type of poker game. You can begin to master other types of games later. For now, stick to specializing in one type of game to really focus on the craft of playing poker, instead of bogging yourself down with a bunch of different formats and rules.
- Study: If you want to master the game, study the game. Get books on poker, read articles about poker and look for online interviews with real pros. Watch televised poker tournaments and study past victories. The more you know about the game, the better you will become as a player. Spend as much time studying the game as you do playing it to become more skilled. When you do become a pro, you can spend less time studying.
- Compete: Competition brings out the best (and worst) in people. It generates an exciting atmosphere and makes people a little more alert. Put yourself in a competition setting by joining poker tournaments, whatever you can afford. The competition setting of a tournament will give you a taste of what being a professional poker player is like, and gives you a chance to play against skilled players.
Tips for Poker Success
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Following goals and sticking to them will help you learn the skills and discipline you will need to go pro. But the most important skill you’ll need to master to become a professional poker play is patience. It takes a lot of time to learn the game and fine-tune your skills, to master a poker face and learn how to read others.
When you do start competing at high levels, you may compete in long tournaments that give you little time to rest. Build your stamina and your patience while you work on your poker skills, and make your game that much stronger.
