Be Observant at the Table

The number one important thing in poker besides skill boils down to how focused you as a player are at the table and the level of your concentration. You could have superior psychological skills then anyone else at the table and yet they are rendered useless if you are not paying attention.

Top reasons you will be distracted at a poker game:

1. Table Chat

2. Attractive dealer/player

3. Too much to drink

4. Something on your mind

We already know from the opening paragraph that concentration is vital to being a winning poker player. After all, you need to know how each player treats different hands, whether they are tight or loose, passive or agressive.

Now we will deal with the reasons you can be distracted individually. First is table chat... this can easily be avoided - simply do not talk with others unless it is specifically increasing your knowledge of them for this game. The second reason, if you are paying attention too much to a good looking player or dealer then stop and go back to concentrating on
your game. If not, then take a break and go introduce yourself!

The third reason is easily avoided, don't drink too much as it would mess up your game, know your limits. And the final reason , if you have a family or personal crisis on your mind, worried about anything, you should not be playing in the poker game at all.