Everyone plays poker to win, however it takes some time and patience before anyone finds themselves winning. That is why most people recommend that you start playing online to get the feel and to develop the patience that is required for poker in order to win.
The first way to begin making sure that you are playing poker to win is to make sure that your face does not reveal anything about your hand. Too many times people smile or frown if they get a good or bad hand. Doing this, automatically tips off your opponents as to what type of hand you have. You will want to work on your poker face, and make sure it is devoid of all emotions. Once you have this down, you can experiment with facial expressions to throw off your opponents, however, it is not recommended until you have really learned the ins and outs of poker.
Secondly, you will want to observe the people who are playing against. Do they do facial motions at certain hands, does their hands tap on the table nervously? Any and all of these clues can help you determine if the person has a good or bad hand. From there, you can make your move.
Once you have won a few hands, it is time to try out your bluffing technique. Since you have won the past few hands, the people at the table are more likely to believe that you have another winning hand, however, you have to make sure that your bluff is believable. If not, and you do get caught, more than likely that bluff is going to cost you dearly.
