I’d like to start by admitting, I am not a great poker player.

It pains me to say it but I really must face facts on the matter.

However, I do know many quality poker players. They take my money regularly and during my expensive lessons I have made several observations on what qualities separate those who ‘have it’ in the world of poker from, well, me.

The most important asset of any great player is experience. There’s no way to get around it and it is the same in any sport. Nobody is born great, to become great you need a wealth of experience to draw upon.

You can have all the potential in the world but it will count towards nothing without the experience to back it up.

Intelligence is a second vital quality. At the top levels everybody’s experience will be similar, it is those players who can adjust to the nuances of their opponents game that will come out on top.

The third essential quality follows on from intelligence but is nonetheless an intregal component.

A willingness to learn is vital, whether it is learning new strategy or being able to recognise exactly why you are being beaten by an opponent.

If you’ve ever watched any professional poker player you’ll have noticed an ‘ice-like’ quality in their display.

Top poker players keep their emotions in-check.

If emotions are kept under control then you will play the logical hand and not be reacting to the last good or bad one.

A rarely mentioned quality of a great poker player is that of social networking. This will allow you to make connections in the game, helping you learn from the best players.

The final quality in the list may seem obvious but it is an area that separates the men from the boys.

A great poker player is a great gambler.

Taking the big gambles is the only way to reach the highest plateaus in the poker world, however, this is a double-edged quality that must be controlled, otherwise it has the potential to undermine all the aforementioned ingredients of a winner.

If you have ever visited an online poker forum, you will be greeted with discussion of various styles of player, described using terms like loose passive, tight aggressive etc

But what do these terms mean? And what do they mean for your playing style?

Basically, players can be grouped into four categories: Tight aggressive (TAG), Tight passive (TP), Loose passive (LP), and finally, Loose aggressive (LAG).

Tight aggressive players can be noted as playing relatively few hands in relation to those they are dealt, typically this will be in the region of around 20% .

This style of play is utilised by the vast majority of long-term and profitable players.

Tight aggressive players are often considered the sharks of the poker ocean.

Tight passive players are characterised as having a great deal of patience, they are also usually classed as a profitable kind of player, making money from the weakest players in the game.

This is considered a weaker style of play than tight aggressive and the usual strategy against this play-style would be to bet and raise them out of contention.

Loose passive players are often considered to be the prey of the tight aggressive players. Poker is a game in which patience and and aggression are rewarded, the loose passive player has neither of these qualities.

A steady, relaxed game with no particular special tactic is considered the best method of dealing with a loose passive player.

It is a safe bet they will haemorrhage money for other players at the table.

Loose aggressive players are also the loose-cannons of a poker session. Characterised as being wildly aggressive, they manage to win big hands and steal pots with no hand whatsoever.

Aggression is indeed the loose aggressive players greatest asset, however, they lack the other vital quality of control.

Loose aggressive players are often undone by their desire to bet and usually lose big pots at a higher rate than they win them.

These styles of play are considered the extremes of the spectrum and most players will usually fall somewhere in between.

Learning a opponent’s playing style is the first step to beating them, so it is important to take notes and stay observant.

When talking about poker, the discussion will never be completed without talking about Doyle Brunson. Known as the godfather of poker, Doyle Brunson is definitely one of the world’s most famous poker players in history. You will recognize him instantly if you have read his superb book on poker playing, “Super System” or also titled “Doyle Brunson’s Super System: A Course in Power Poker”.

Doyle started his poker career in Fort Worth, Texas. As he progresses through the world of poker, he traveled with fellow poker player Dwayne Hamilton across the nation for the single purpose of making money at poker tables. Poker was not a legal game at that time, so pursuing a career as professional poker player was not really Doyle’s choice at the moment. He began his career as one of the most successful poker players in the history of the game when he settled in Vegas.

Doyle Brunson wrote one of the best poker books in history. The Doyle Brunson’s Super System: A Course in Power Poker is definitely a poker book every player should read. Even today’s best poker players and World Series of Poker winners admit to the fact that they are inspired by the book; some even formulated their strategies by using tips and information found on the book.

Doyle Brunson is also the first poker player ever wins $1,000,000, and his 10 World Series of Poker bracelets are definitely worth bowing down to. He had gathered a total amount of over $2,500,000 in WSOP winnings, more than $5,800,000 from all live tournaments until 2009. He may not be the best poker player in the world or the one with the highest amount of tournament earnings for that matter, but he is definitely one of the most respected ones in the world of poker.