This excerpt is taken from “Winning Blue-Collar Hold’em” by Daniel L. Cox. Available at Amazon.com.

Attitude Adjustment

Once you think you can’t win, you’ve lost. - Pokerism

Attitude is an important factor in playing poker. Knowing that you are good enough to win is the first step in winning. This does not just concern every hand you play, but every session or tournament you enter. How you portray this attitude to others is equally important. Self-confidence does not have to translate into overt cockiness.  

A player with too much cockiness becomes a target for other players at the table. It is easy to recall the joy of watching an obnoxious player when they get taken down, especially if you are the one to show them the felt. Self-assurance is key to maintaining a winning attitude, but going beyond confidence into the realm of conceit can drive players to try to take you out. 

An obnoxious player can also cause other players to make it personal, which you must avoid at all costs. When it becomes personal, it takes away from your focus and concentration. It is especially important to realize that some players use the obnoxious persona for the sole purpose of disrupting other players. This is especially true at online sites, where there is less retribution by casino staff to unruly behavior. “Tony G” Gouga, the Australian version of “Mike the Mouth” Matasow, is proud of his ability to needle players into making mistakes. Letting it become personal is a form of tilt that is hard to overcome. The best way to handle obnoxious players is to bide your time, get a great hand and take them down.

Chip Stack Size

The guy who invented poker was bright, but the guy who invented the chip was a genius. - Pokerism

In limit ring games, keep your stacks to around a rack . Color up if the stacks get too large. Some players like to have the appearance of a huge chip stack, since it gives them a feeling of power they can use to bully other players. This is not as effective in limit games, since every round has the same fixed betting amounts. In a casino, buy a $100 chip to be the base of your stack. In a limit game, this provides you with enough money to keep from going All-in, while not emphasizing your true financial strength.

Players often begin to play a big stack differently. Though trying to disguise the size of your stack can be advantageous, flaunting a big lead can also have positive consequences. Other players often become scared of bigger chip stacks. If you are at a no-limit ring game or in a tournament, the power of a large chip stack can help. More information on how to play both the large and small chip stacks is in Chapter 10 – Playing Tournaments.

Once your winning play negates the image of an unskilled player, you can change it to take on the persona of a winner. Having the table presence of a winner can help you when it comes time to bluff. Other players become more hesitant to play against you for two reasons. First, they are aware that, because of the size of your stack, you can bust them. Second, they are now aware that you do play well, and they are probably facing the hand you are portraying.

This article is an excerpt taken from “Winning Blue-Collar Hold’em” by Daniel L. Cox. Available at Amazon.com.