Which Pro Poker Player Are You?

If you are like many poker players today, you may dream of someday being a professional. With so many televised poker players appearing on television, you also may have some favorite professionals, players whose style or attitude or ability you particularly admire. These professionals have distinctive ways of playing poker, and while they play that style a lot better than most of us do, you may still see yourself in some of these players. If one of these types seems familiar to you, you may want to follow the player more closely, and see how they use that style to its fullest effect.

Are You a Gus Hansen?

If you like to play a lot of hands, and play them very aggressively, you may be a Gus Hansen. Gus is the type of player who is not afraid to move all his chips into the middle of the table at any time. He is a player who is great at sensing weakness and pouncing, and able to get away when he senses strength. If you are this type of player, you will have to be incredibly confident and gifted in your ability to read opponents. Playing too many hands and being randomly aggressive results in an immediately decimated bankroll for most players. You must be able to get away from trouble hands and have excellent control over your opponents to be consistently successful with this style.

Are You a Dan Harrington?

If you are constantly calculating at the poker tournament table, continually taking in and integrating new information to determine your decisions, you may be a Dan Harrington. Dan is a former World Series of Poker main event champion, and has made the final table three times. He has written three of the most insightful books on tournament Texas Holdem. Harrington's nickname is .Action Dan,. a supposedly ironic name because of his tight play. In fact, televised poker has revealed that Dan is as capable of making a big move as any pro, and uses his tight image to make his bluffs and power moves highly effective when he chooses to employ them.

Are You a Phil Ivey?

If you are a cash game player who always knows where you are in a hand, who combines the ability to read opponents with an unparalleled understanding of the concepts of the game, you may be a Phil Ivey. If you are a Phil Ivey, you probably don't need to take lessons from anyone. Phil has proven what can happen if you are a smart, disciplined poker player who knows how to use every edge to get all the chips on his side of the table.

Are You a Phil Hellmuth?

If you are an accomplished tournament player who is capable of making tremendous lay downs, but isn't afraid to put his chips in the middle when the time is right, you may be a Phil Hellmuth. Phil has established himself as one of the greatest no limit tournament Texas Hold'em players of all time by employing a tight aggressive style that enables him to trap overconfident opponents. Any question that no limit Texas Hold'em is more skill than luck is dispelled by the success of Phil Hellmuth.

You may be like one of these players, aspire to be like one of them or have another player whose style you emulate. The best thing you can do for yourself as a poker player is watch how these pros make their decisions at the poker table and understand their thought processes, so that you can learn to do the same when you are at the poker table yourself.

Poker Articles