At whatever level of poker you play, it can sometimes be difficult to not become intimidated at the table.

If you are a beginner, the focus is mostly on the flop and winning from pot to pot. In poker, the way that you play the game is arguably just as important as the cards in your hand – so keep this in mind when you are bluffing.

Intimidation does work, and is often used by the big players. Just perhaps not in the way that you think.

And by learning to master your fear of intimidation from the other players at the table, without breaking any poker rules you can beat pot after pot and get some big wins under your belt.

The problem with panic

If you get into the situation where you are intimidated or panicking whilst in the midst of a poker game, it can cause for you to make unnecessary mistakes and rash decisions.

This can mean that you lose a fair amount of money by making silly moves that you would not usually make, just because you have been put in a pressured situation.

Remember – the way you present yourself at the table is completely relevant to the kind of game that you play. If you exude confidence and experience (or even wealth), your fellow players will believe you are this character.

For the online poker game appearance is less important, but do not make the mistake of turning up to a tournament and thinking that you will not be judged for how you look – you will be.

Know your limits

As a poker player it is important to have a base knowledge of yourself, as well as a having an idea of your own individual poker level.

It is ill advised to sit and aim for big win bluffs – this may pay off but it is not a good long term poker strategy. Especially if you are a beginner.

Look out for intimidation techniques that other players use. Some send out hostile vibes by their speech and body language, and others (typically in online poker) just bet fast and hard to try and bully the other players out of the hand.

Once it has happened a couple of times, you will become knowledgeable to the scheme and will be able to pick up on many examples that are right in front of you.

Becoming the Shark

Intimidation can be a valuable part of poker game and can be a sure way of throwing other players off their game.

The more experience that you gain from online poker, the easier it is to spot those that are less skilled and especially those “fish”.

If you are able to intimidate your fellow poker players at the table, the pressure can sometimes get to them. In this state, it is easy to make futile mistakes and eventually there is the chance that they could crumble under the pressure.

Try not to get too into in and overdo the act, because that can mean that you end up making silly mistakes and frenzied decisions, and the plan will backfire.

Photo credits: TF2 Poker Night by silver-ruby