Don'T Send A "Telegraph"

The worst thing you can do, whether you're a beginning amateur or an experienced player, is to "telegraph" your play.

It's not just a matter of reading opponents' "tells," but reading the patterns of play - such as the kinds of hands they raise on, or the kinds of hands they'll fold on. It is entirely conceivable that the most savvy pros could beat inexperienced, error-prone players without even looking at their own cards.

Your opponents will be studying YOU, without question. You have to be nearly impossible to read, or at least very difficult.

So once in a while, you may have to lose with a hand that is competitive but not necessarily a winner - of course minimizing your losses at the same time. Give opponents the impression that you'll put money onto the table with something that is less than outstanding. That way you stand a better chance of being able to take down a bigger pot - one that means more - when DO have the cards, by letting your earlier "tendencies" work in your favor.

Caution: This kind of subtle technique generally works in a game with more experienced players who are trying to read you, or at least who know what that concept means. In games against novices, it may not even be worth it because those players wouldn't know enough to read you effectively.