Poker is a game that requires a mix of skills. A player must be more than a lucky novice who catches an occasional break. That will not take you to the final table. There is a lot to the game, and most players do not properly analyze it. The first skill one must possess is the ability to judge a persons character. Next, a player must understand the odds of making a hand. Then comes intuition, as a poker player has to develop a sixth sense that enables him or her to sniff out the next card that will fall. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, a player must be a good actor. If a poker player can perfect these skills, then they will be able to effectively bluff an opponent when necessary.
The first skill I mentioned was the ability to judge a person's character. This is the main key for effective bluffing because if you are not able to read a player you may find yourself bluffing against an opponent who has the best hand. This skill is not only important in poker, but in all of life's ventures. The ability to look at another person and see into their thoughts will always give a player the upper hand. Not only will this allow a player to bluff, but it will also keep that player from being bluffed themselves. So how do you read a player? First you have to watch them for a while. Look for tells, or hints they give about their actions. Tells can be anything from a twitch to talking too much. One tell that is easily identified is a players betting habits. Some players bet big when they have nothing hoping to push other players off of a pot, while others bet low or even check with the best hand. They do this hoping to get raised or called. Professionals often refer to that as setting a trap. The ability to read a player's actions is arguably the most important skill in poker.
Next, we discuss the odds of making a hand. This is not a difficult skill to sharpen. It is basically a matter of knowing the ranking of the cards, the number of each type of card in a deck, and watching how other players react to their own hands. The first two parts of this are self explanatory, hands are ranked according to poker rules, there are fifty-two cards in a deck, four suits containing thirteen cards each, and there are four of each type of card (aces, kings, queens, etc.)
The third part is a bit tougher, and goes back to reading an opponent. If you can read their actions as they collect their cards and make their actions, you may be able to figure out what cards they were holding. Raises usually indicate high cards or pocket pairs, quick folds indicate lower cards, and slow folds may tell a player that their opponent had a high card with a low kicker. Once a player determines what an opponent holds in their hand, they can calculate the odds of the card they need being in the deck.
That of course leads to the next important poker skill, intuition. If a player becomes an expert poker player, that player can learn to predict what the next card may be. A big part of doing this miraculous forecasting is what was just discussed, knowing what the other players are holding. If a player sees their opponent is holding an ace, then it is less likely an ace will fall on the board. Another part of developing intuition is watching the way the cards fall. Often times high cards will hit the board for several hands in a row, then low cards may fall for a while. Intuition is the ability to distinguish the patterns and predict the next card.
Finally comes the most important part of playing an opponent, rather than simply playing the cards as they are dealt. Many poker hands are won by a simple low pair, or even high card. This should never happen. If a player reads their opponents right, this is when that player should bluff at a pot. A players acting skills come into play here. It is important not to be readable by changing habits throughout the game, and knowing how to act as though you have nothing when you have the best hand, or act as if you have the best hand when you have nothing. That is what effective bluffing is, milking pots when you are in control, and stealing pots when you have nothing.
So there you have it, the basics of becoming a better poker player. If one can perfect all of these skills there is a lot of money to be made. A player must remember however that their opponent may be using the same tricks and skills, so be careful not to walk into traps. It is critical that a player always keep their cool, and not get tilted when taking a bad beat or being called on a bluff. It is important to immediately forget a loss, and move on to the next hand. Poker is a game of skill, luck, and is supposed to be fun. Good luck!