There are some things that make good poker players. Those things are often not what you think. Often you might think that poker players have an inside secret or a holy grail that make them awesome.

There are some things that make good poker players. Those things are often not what you think. Often you might think that poker players have an inside secret or a holy grail that make them awesome.

I am here to tell you that this is not so. Poker is like any other hobby you've learned. If you've learned an instrument you know it takes time to hone your chops.

Time is a huge part of learning anything. As you know! There are no quick fixes when it comes to becoming an expert poker player.

This can sound disheartening, but let me reframe it. How fast does time go when you have fun? Pretty fast, doesn't it? So who cares if it takes time to get good at poker if you're having a blast doing it? When you become too serious about anything you will not have a good time. Set a primary goal of having fun, everything else comes second.

Here's a small list with the most important poker concepts, enjoy!

1. The Strategic Part - Of course you need to know how to play the game. You have to learn what to do, when to do it and why to do it. You also need more than this as you will see in the next concepts. There are many pillars that hold up the precious house of cards, if one fails, they all fail.

2. Emotional Control - If you do not use discipline in your poker game then you are missing out. This concept will make or break your success as a poker player. You can be the best hand reader in the world but if you play bad when you are running bad then you will never win.

3. Managing Your Money - You have to manage your poker bankroll so you do not go broke. If you don't have money you can't play. You are your own boss. I use the rule of 30 buy-ins for each level I play. If I play $1,000 NL I want $30,000 minimum. And this is because I am a winning poker player since 2004. If you are a novice and learning then you should have a lot more. You should begin at micro-stakes where you can afford to lose a lot without caring. Have fun and learn first.

4. Game Selection - You need to select good games to play in! There is no reason to play in a game where you are a loser when you can play in a game where you are a winner. Pretty logical, huh? :) I see many professional players play day in and out with other professionals, all because they are too lazy to select good games.

That's it! Pretty simple when you look at it like that, isn't it? Now all you have to do is start learning and having fun. You can also read my poker website for more elaborate explanations on these concepts.

May your pots be monsters and your cards suited!

Do you crave to discover more? Visit Henri's Holdem Website. There you will find things like a Beginners Guide to Poker, Strategy, Discipline and Money Management just to name a few topics.