Poker is a game that appeals to a large spectrum of personality types that have quite disparate attitudes towards the game. Some people treat it very casually, and some take it very seriously indeed. Of course there are many people in the middle. An examination of poker playing stereotypes reveals four major categories. These are:
The Casual Player: The casual player treats poker just like any game; one day he might play online poker, the next another computer or online game. Poker is just part of his online repertoire, and although he enjoys winning, he is not willing to put much effort into honing his poker playing skills.
The Poker Head: The poker head considers poker to be a deeply intellectual game akin to chess and other games of strategy. He will study poker intensely, and will know by heart all the statistics and computing things such as pot odds will be second nature. Although he prefers to win, he will not be too bothered about losing as long as he has played at the top of his ability and has gone away from that game having learned at least something. He often replays past games in his head.
The Champion: As in the case of the poker head, the champion will know a great deal about the intricacies of the game and will be fast in his calculating and logical skills. However with him winning is everything. He hates to lose and will do anything to avoid it. Unlike the poker head who thinks mainly in terms of the cards, the champion thinks mainly in terms of the people playing the game.
The Loser: The loser is a player who overestimates his ability to play poker. He thinks that he knows enough about the game and is unwilling to put much effort into learning any more. He sometimes has wins, which he thinks are down to his abilities, but are really down to a combination of good fortune and the fact that his playing style is so bad that it puts off other players. Once seen through, he will lose big. You can always spot this kind of player; he will open Hold’em on 10, 4 unsuited.
By Benjamin Stringfellow
The type of poker player you are depends on your personality. Some players will take risks others will think more strategically and take specific players out at different points during the game. Poker does depend on luck initially when the cards are dealt, however, it does require players to try to bluff their way into winning.