Is there a talent you must have to be a successful poker player. The answer is yes. In fact there are quite a few, but there is one that is a complete must if you want to be a pro! Even if you don't want to be a pro, you still need this talent to be a winning player. The ability to size up a game and the players sitting at the table is a must. The very nature of poker requires this. There is a saying that I love. 'If you look around the table and can't spot the fish, then you are the fish.' So when you sit down, you had better cut bait or fish. I suggest you fish. Because if you don't then you are going to do nothing but throw chum into the green felt water and the sharks sitting at the table are going to eat you alive.
That goes for whatever game you are playing. And at whatever level you are playing. Also it doesn't matter whether you are playing in a live game or a tournament. Actually it's probably more important in a tournament since if things aren't going your way, you can't just get up and cash in and walk away. Well you could, but you'd be an idiot since you most likely had to pay to get into the tournament in the first place.
In a live game you at least have the luxury of getting up and cashing out, or asking for a table change. You can even move to a lower limit game if the table or game is not to your liking. Far too many times players get disgusted with the game they are sitting at, and instead of getting up and leaving or looking to take a break, they continue to sit and play and stew about how terrible things are going.
What usually happens is the player's disgust level continues to rise and a mild case of tilt sets in and the chips that are laying in front of him begins to slowly disappear. While his attention is focused on how much he is aggravated with the game, the little round chips in front of him just rolls slowly, or even quickly away and ends up resting with another player.
We have the overall answer, but not the details. I like to think it's like having the answer, but not the formula that brought you to the solution. So what is one to do. First of all a player has to take stock of himself/herself and form a realistic assessment of their prowess as a poker player. Then based on that information, he has to assess the abilities of the other players. One way is to look at size of chip stack, and depending on the game, decipher how the player amassed those chips.
Was it lucky play, did he buy them and then play like a rock or is he/she a really dominating player. That goes for every player at the table. Then, again based on the game, what is the flow of the game. Is it really slow and boring, fast and loose, slow but loud and obnoxious or any other possible Combinations.
After forming an opinion concerning the state of the game and the players, a player must decide if it is worth it to stay seated in the game. If not, then the best thing to do is get up and do something else. Get something to eat, go get a drink, pinch a waitress on the butt. Something, anything other than stay seated at that table. You can not win overall when you are not comfortable. It's hard enough to win under the best circumstances, but when you are distracted, a blind monkey could be beat you.
It's all in your hands. It all sounds easy, but believe me, staying too long at a table is the downfall of many a player. And not just bad players, but good ones too. It's your money. So do what you want with it, but if you decide to stay, I hope you are sitting at my table!
Milford Walton
