Not all players are born with an aggressive disposition, but to become better at the game, they must learn how to become more assertive as they place bets.
You can't be too timid when visiting online and offline venues, as a passive approach will prevent you from making the most of poker welcome bonuses.
Playing it safe in poker won't always work out, as there is bound to be a player willing to take big risks at the table – thus getting you to fold more often than you'd like. Therefore, if you want to master the game, you need to be able to make bold choices without thinking twice about it.
But what do you do if you are naturally timid and somewhat indecisive? How can you rein in your aggressive side to help you get better at poker? Find out the answers to those questions NOW!
How to be More Aggressive When Playing Poker
Whenever a poker session might require the use of gutsy moves – which you're not accustomed to making - you should try to wake up your inner badass by following a few rules.
- Get rid of all negative thoughts – Self-doubt is often the main thing that stops us from making risky moves, even though they might pay off big time. Before you start playing a poker game, clear your head and get into the right frame of mind that will allow you to make tough decisions. And if any negative thoughts creep into your brain, don't let them control your actions!
- Have the money to back your moves up – Many players often fear that making drastic moves will cause them to lose all their money. Statistically speaking, you can't win all the time, and if you go all-in or raise the stakes time and time again, that means the loss can be spectacular. But if you don't take risks – you will also miss out on the chance to win big! To feel more secure in your ability to make bold moves, you need to have the money to back it up. If you build a decent bankroll, you might feel more relaxed when playing aggressively.
- Learn poker strategy – An aggressive attitude at the poker tables has to be accompanied by enough confidence to help you pull it off. If you don't believe in yourself 100%, you won't be able to convince your opponents that your daring moves are backed up with great hands. To believe in yourself and feel more capable as you play poker, you should learn as much as you can about poker strategy. If you have the required knowledge to play better, taking risks won't look as scary!
- Take things slowly – If you've never played poker aggressively, you can't just jump into it and change your tactics overnight. Letting your aggressive side loose means raising at the pre-flop stage, avoiding calling as much as you can, and make other risky moves. If you're not accustomed to using those poker strategies regularly, you might overuse them – or employ them too rarely. Take things slowly, try to raise more often than before, and see how it affects your poker play. Once you feel more comfortable with aggressive play, changing your tactics and making riskier choices might lead to better results.
In Conclusion
There are many ways in which you can approach playing online poker, but if you want to become a poker pro, you need to be able to make aggressive moves from time to time. Do you think you have what it takes to become a more aggressive player?