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Poker on TV – what you can learn from the pros?

January 28, 2025

Playing poker online is one of the top ways to play the game. But if you’re looking for some valuable knowledge, some of the best ways to pick up top tips is to watch others play.

We’ll be looking into what you can learn from watching others.

What can you learn from watching poker players?

As humans, we are mostly visual learners. It’s how we learned to do a lot of things from when we were babies. We would watch our parents and mimic their movements as well as their speech patterns to learn how to talk.

Well, that skill didn’t just go away. We still learn a lot of things from watching others which is why you can learn a surprising amount about poker from watching other people play. Observational learning is something that has been looked into by scientists for years, and there’s plenty of concrete evidence that it is how lots of people learn.

There’s nothing out there that says you’ll become the next pro poker player just by watching other people, but there’s a high chance of you learning quicker by watching the pros. It would be no use watching someone who is still a novice player as you need to be watching the people who are at the top of their game. Those are the people whose skills you need to be replicating in order to do well.

We’re going to be taking you through all the skills you could learn when you watch professional poker players and how to put those skills into actions.

● Thinking analytically

One of the most important lessons to learn for playing poker well is to have an analytical train of thought. This isn’t something that comes naturally to some, but it is something you can learn to do.

Being able to read other people, read how the game is going and guess what people are going to do next are imperative to playing poker well. These are all key skills in being able to think with an analytical mindset.

Being able to make rational and measured guesses will determine what you’re going to do next in the game. Making sure these decisions are based on facts rather than feelings are what can make the difference – but do always trust your gut instinct if it’s steered you correctly in the past.

Watching the pros both online and in person means that you can start picking up on their thought processes. Learning to decode what their train of thought is can help you dictate your own moves.

One thing to pay close attention to is how they handle their bet sizing. This is vital when it comes to playing the game strategically.

● Build up your mental strength

Playing poker online requires some mental strength. You are going to lose a few hands, but it’s important you don’t let it get you down. One of the key advantages of playing online is the amount of free tournaments available, so you can play risk free while you’re getting to grips with it.

This is particularly true with poker as there are a lot more rules to remember and it takes a lot more practice to get good at it. You also need to be able to stay on track if you hit a streak of losses. These can be difficult for anyone, but especially if you’re trying to get to a pro level of poker.

Being able to handle loss well is imperative to doing well in poker. You need to practice finding the strength to bounce back and keep pushing towards your goals, even if it feels like everything is against you.

Watching others handle these losses is a great way to stay determined and try and learn from them. You can take a look at any of the pros losing and learn from their mistakes and from their strengths.

● Keeping a cool head

Poker can mess with even the strongest of heads because of all the uncertainties involved in the game. If you’re not careful and don’t know how to handle the pressure, you could end up making some serious mistakes.

Watching poker players in tournaments can help you learn how to stay calm even during the moments of intense pressure. Poker players who are able to stay calm under pressure are always going to have the upper hand.

● Being able to adapt

There are lots of different poker games out there to choose from with variations of the rules. You can get a good idea about what these variations are by watching people play.

One way to get some inside knowledge is to use platforms such as Twitch. These platforms often allow viewers to chat with the streamer who is playing the game and it’s a great chance to ask questions, talk about strategies, and gain insights.

Being able to play poker takes a lot of time and practice, but learning from the pros can help you. What tips have you taken away from the pros?

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