Only Three Days

Soon all the Christmas hustle and bustle will be over. But not the hustle of your game. My Christmas present to my readers are the very best poker tips I can give from my own experiences. My Five Best Tips....Merry Christmas

1. Take your time. When figuring your odds or the pot size or how many outs you have to get there, take your time. Don't take so much time that they want to put the clock on you BUT take a reasonable amount when you have a crucial decision. I have made mistakes in the past by acting to automatically. Always double check your hand.

2. Drive alone when gambling. If you are with a bunch of friends and everyone wants to go to a casino then it is o.k. if you go there to have fun. Take in a show or have a nice dinner BUT there is no such thing as hurry up and play a poker game. Do something else besides play poker because you are not giving yourself a chance. When you want to play and a friend wants to play with you then take two cars. Nothing is worse than being stuck in a game that warrants a play and friends keeps asking if you are ready to go.

3. Keep a record of your wins and loses. You will be surprised how your brain keeps you out of the red when you keep an honest record. Why lie? Who would you be lying to? It is quite common for a player to write nice and pretty when he/she wins but for some reason the losses don't make it to the page. I know, it has happened to me

4. Don't play sugar with your "friends". Of course there are quite a few really nice players at the club but they are not your friends. Play to win and you will gain respect and money. If you soft play someone in a game then someone else will ask you for that same break and it will go on forever. Treat everyone the same and play your hand for maximum value.

5. Remember playing your position is crucial. You can get creative and push a hand once in a while in back position when you have the reins.

Of course you may now say. "I know all this, I've read it all in books". It's a game and the poker books have already covered it all so nothing anyone can tell you will be new. Every losing hand that you don't play makes you the money that you would have lost. A penny saved is a penny earned. I said 5 tips but I will give you a bonus and this one is the BEST-When you play be lucky