Final Thoughts
Poker is a vast subject. Quite literally volumes have been written about it. Despite all these words, it is ultimately impossible for any poker player, even a champion, to say “Do this and you will win.” Even so, studying the art of the game will lead to improvement. There is no end to strategies you can apply because there will always be someone new facing you across the table.
Poker is a game that you must play with a multifaceted approach that weaves together many possibilities all at once. The cards, the players, the money, and your personal needs all factor into the outcome of every hand that you play. These are the elements that create the situations in which you are playing. When you play poker, you need to keep a realistic mindset. Yes, it is possible for you to win, but it is not easy. You will need discipline and strategy. You will need to blend daring with caution. You will need to judge your opponents. The more you can figure out and predict the behaviors of your opponents, the better you will be able to win.
This book has set down basic principles for you so you can begin to seriously play poker and become a consistent winner. The people skills that you develop as a poker player will likely serve you well in many other aspects of your life.
Poker has become popular because it allows anyone to enter into a competition of skill within an arena of luck. Poker offers you a venue where you can attempt to control the outcome even as chance commands a central role. You cannot influence what cards are dealt but you can exert your individual powers upon other people and influence their behavior…and hopefully in the process charm their chips into your pots.
Best of Luck.
Works Cited
Practical Casino Math, Robert C. Hannum & Anthony N. Cabot, Institute for the Study of Gambling & Commercial Gaming, 2001.
Professional No-Limit Hold’em, Volume One, Matt Flynn, Sunny Mehta & Ed Miller, Two Plus Two Publishing LLC, 2007.
The Body Language of Poker, Mike Caro, Carol Publishing Group, 1994.
