Reading Poker Opponents

There’s truth to the fact that reading your opponent in poker is one of the most important, if not the most important, part of the game. But what happens when you read your opponent perfectly bet accordingly and still can’t get your opponent off his hand?

The answer is simple: you lose a lot of chips.

Sometimes, amateur players (and even some pros) just can’t get away from big hands. And even if they’re convinced they’re beaten, they’ll make a call that puts their tournament life at stake. The ability to recognize these players is what makes a good player great.

So even when you’re convinced that you’ve read your opponent well, understand that reading sometimes goes well beyond knowing what they’re holding. Sometimes you have to read your opponent’s skill level to gain the upper hand.