Poker requires more than just math and psychological skills. You also need to have intuition when playing poker. There are two ways to make decisions: analytical and intuitive. Analytical decisions are made when time permits and when the problem is complex. There is usually not enough time at the poker table to carry out lengthy analysis. When the choice of possible solutions is limited to two or three, reasoning is endless. Therefore, just as athletes train their body, you need to train your intuition. Here are five ways to get you started.
Some people have intuition so good that they don't need to train it. Intuition is an innate feature of them, and I would like it to be so. After reading this article, you will understand if you have an instinct and if you are developing skills that can significantly improve your poker instinct.
Experience.
Play, play and play again. Many hours. Lots of sessions. And, a huge number of lengthy sessions. No book or article will help you instantly improve your game. The best lessons are those that take a long time to learn, and like so much more, instinct is born with experience. You need to play as many as possible and with as many opponents as possible. Only by gaining experience will you begin to recognize your opponents' play patterns and recurring scenarios. The best players continually find themselves in situations that are similar or identical to those they have faced before. The accumulated information will eventually develop into an instinctive feeling, which is born only from experience. Have you ever seen a good player almost automatically call another player's hand? This is because he had experience.
Concentrate your attention.
Many people know that after they have folded, they have a convenient opportunity to watch the game progress. This is your invaluable chance to evaluate other players and the general climate at the table. I have always known this, but at the same time I constantly experience difficulties with it. As soon as I drop my hand, my thoughts fly away somewhere far away. This is because I cannot concentrate on something for a long time. Since I cannot pay due attention to the game without stress, I have to make an effort in order to concentrate on what is happening. When starting the game, tell yourself that you MUST constantly monitor the progress of the game. You MUST catch and return your thoughts to the game as soon as they head the other way. Just as you remind yourself to sit up straight, you should remind yourself not to lose concentration. For me, this is a continuous struggle, but it is precisely this that will help plug the cracks in my game.
Never make a decision right away.
Online poker rooms often offer buttons that you can use to pre-set the move that will take place as soon as your turn comes, for example, "Pass" or "Bet \ Raise" or "Check \ Pass". These buttons will prevent you from developing your intuition. You hardly need to make a decision before you get all the information about the course of the game. You need to make a conscious effort on yourself in order not to make decisions before it comes your turn. After all, all the advantage that a position gives is in obtaining as comprehensive information as possible. Be careful not to make decisions before you really need to. Instinct helps you make quick decisions. Although, I must admit that some decisions are so obvious that you take them before it comes your turn. For example, when playing online, I do not mind using the "Pass" button, because sometimes I get such a stupid hand that I pass, no matter what happens before me.
Analyze your losses.
The peculiarity of poker is that it is impossible to become the "perfect player" without experiencing difficulties. There are not so many ideal players, but becoming one is quite achievable. But until you become one, analyze all your losses in order to understand what their reason is - bad luck or a bad game. In every poker session we make a series of instinctive decisions, and if your subsequent reflections show that you are losing because of a bad game, you know what needs to be worked on. In the next game, you will take into account the mistakes made, and the lesson learned will become what makes instinctive decisions.
Relax!!!
The best I have prepared for last. You can't develop intuition if you don't learn to relax
play at the poker table. Have you seen how some players have shaking hands? And that doesn't mean they are bluffing or just have a weak hand. This means that they are too horny because they are participating in the pot. While some argue that this even gives some advantage, as it does not carry accurate information, I disagree with that. This is a sign that this player is too tense, and the player under such tension cannot rely on their instinct. I have met so many professionals who, in the midst of a battle, came across as relaxed (but focused). After all, this is how instinct is born. When you need to make a move, you always have at least two options for what to do. And if you consider the size of the bet as a separate decision, then you just have a lot of options. The relaxed player is so calm that he is able to evaluate each option and make the right decision. The advantage of a relaxed player is that he is much clearer about the options. And when you tense up playing, remind yourself to relax. After all, usually in order to relax, you just need to tell yourself to do it. Say to yourself: "calm down", and it will immediately put you in the right state.
Conclusion.
In short, play as much as possible, as only experience can give rise to instinct. From now on, always start the game keeping in mind the following:
- Do not be distracted from the game.
- Don't make premature decisions.
- Be relaxed, forget about stress ... you are in control of yourself.
After each session, be sure to carefully analyze your failures, especially if they were associated with bad play more than bad luck. Some do it even at the table. Others need time to consider the causes of failure. And many can only pay due attention to this analysis after the end of the session and provided that they have had enough time to reflect on losses outside the poker table.
Will your instinct improve by the next game? Of course not. Instinct will not appear instantly. No one can develop intuition without practice and without following those five tips for a good start.
Author: Marc wortman
English 
Russian