Reading your opponents in Poker Tournament
The opponents you face in poker can be more of a worry than the cards themselves, so therefore it is important to know how to read your opponents as well as your cards. The first thing you should do (obviously) is learn poker ...aside from the game itself, you should learn to PLAY poker...after all there is a difference. To start you should know the coats, nothing says weakness like calling a straight with multiple coats. In order to exploit an opponents weakness, you must remember not to be weak yourself. A good way to improve your skills is to play a friendly game of free poker with your buddies in the neighborhood, this way the stakes are low and you are in a risk free environment to hone your skills. Remember that the stakes are high when playing in poker tournaments so if you plan on getting into playing professionally you need to know how to play your opponents as well as the cards.
A good example of a useful technique is basic physical presence, pay very close attention to a suspected weak players brow, this is because when an opponent is nervous, there can be a small trace of sweat on their forehead and since it is hair it tends to show up better. Another way is to toy with your opponents emotions, pick an emotion and stick with it intentionally...this is to force judgment calls from your opponents, those who act brashly can be labeled weak at the start of the game ( and can be used to draw some quick cash to get you rolling with ). Tips and tricks you use on your regular tournament style poker games are a basic necessity, but be aware should you sign up to play poker online, your best psychological warfare will be nothing more than a waste of time and much needed brainpower.
When playing poker against a player better than you ( this is if you have seen it proven many times and not just "beginners luck, or something along those lines ) that's when you should not bother trying to "psyche" your opponents out as this ( or these ) person will use this as an opening to tear you down and label you as a weaker target, but generally these are for people you are used to playing with as you probably know each others strategies. Remember that poker can be a great sport or a deadly addiction so play sparingly as most players simply appear new to draw weaker opponents out to take their money. Beware of hustlers and if you sense there is one in your game, simply fold until you are sure you have just the right hand to deal with this person.