08-10-2014, 11:00

Paying attention in poker means a lot more than just remembering past hands. From the moment you sit down you need to be watching everything.

From the way a player buys in to the way they're dressed to the way they play hands, you need to gather as much information as you can and process it into good decisions that will help you win more money.

One way that beginners miss out on a lot of information is by only paying attention to the hands they're involved in.

You need to be paying close attention to every hand that's played at the table, whether you're in it or not.

Classify Your Opponents

Pay attention to how much each player is raising before the flop, and from what position. When they get called, how often do they continuation-bet after the flop? Are they capable of bluffing all three streets or do they shut down after one call?

Do they like to semi-bluff with their draws or play passively and only bet and raise when they have a made hand?

Right away you want to start classifying your opponents as aggressive or passive, loose or tight.

There's an old saying that if you can't spot the mark at the table in the first 10 minutes, you are the mark. You need to figure out who the weak players are and paying close attention is the easiest way to do it.

Check out the latest episode of our free beginner poker strategy video series How Not to Suck at Poker to learn how to stop sucking and start winning, fast.

More How Not to Suck at Poker Strategy Videos:

Pay Attention - How Not to Suck at Poker Episode 5