If you’ve been flicking through the channels on late night TV over the past few years, you’ve probably bore witness to the rise of popularity and interest in the game of poker. This is mainly due to large sponsors getting involved and TV networks picking up on the buzz, but whatever the full reasons for this explosion in gambling, there can be no denying that poker is one of the most thrilling and exciting card games in the world. Always has been, always will be.
With this in mind, I thought I might spend a bit of time this morning explaining the path you should take when trying to gain notoriety and become an internationally respected poker player. Obviously, you’ll need to understand the rules first, so take a few days to read through online guides and learn how to play poker properly. Once you’re happy with your skills it’s time to start working your way through the steps I’ve included under the paragraph. With a lot of skill and a little bit of luck, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to realise your goal.
Entering Tournaments Online
This is usually the best place to start, as you won’t have to sit face to face with your opponents, and that will reduce the chances of them shaking your confidence. If you live in the UK you can select your competition from hundreds of different websites, however, if you live in the US it might be worth checking http://www.usaaccepted.net/ because different state laws can affect your ability to play.
Visiting Your Local Casino
Next, you’ll want to head down to your local casino and start playing poker face to face with real people to get a feel for what’s in store. In most instances, you’ll probably do quite well from the game at a small casino because the others players are unlikely to be experts. Either way though, this will give you some valuable experience and teach you how to hold your nerve. Continue doing this until you win more often than you lose.
Competing In National Tournaments
Once you’ve mastered the tables at your local casino it’s time to start entering national tournaments. Most of these competitions will require you to pay an entry fee, and so you need to be pretty confident with your abilities. That said; even some of the worst players win at tournaments from time to time, and an early score like that could give you the confidence boost you require.
Traveling The International Circuit
Presuming you’ve been to numerous national tournaments, and you now tend to come away with much more than your initial investment, it could be time to start traveling the world in search of the best players. This is the stage where you might start getting phone calls from your family saying they’ve just seen you on television. If you do well internationally, you’ll gain lots of respect and thus become one of the greats.
Good luck with your new venture into poker, and don’t let anyone tell you it’s blind gambling; because it isn’t. Poker is a game of skill and as such the odds can be greatly tipped in your favour. Just work on your techniques people!
