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.
