The first idea one must learn before even looking at the cards on his table is that poker is not a game of luck. It's a game of skill. This explains why at the end of the game, the last players are always the same. From time to time even the best can make mistakes, but this won't count in the long run.

I started playing poker a few years ago when a friend of mine received a poker set. A few months later each of us had his own set. We spent entire nights with this game and became very attached to it. Soon it became clear who the lucky ones were. From eight players the last three were the same at every game. I first thought they were cheating but the only thing they did was to learn how we were thinking.

So I searched the internet to see how to "read" other players. Here are a few tips:

1. Always take time to study your opponents. I'm not talking about losing an whole hour just to see how the others play (like Mel Gibson in Maverick ).You must pay attention to their gestures and the most important ones are the hand gestures. They can express anger, nervousness and excitement. Every person has a different way of expressing his emotions through body language (hand scratching may mean either excitement or disappointment).

2. Learn to be patient. You must feel when the time is right to bluff, raise or fold.Patience is very important in every sport especially poker. Don't rush things because you risk very much and gain little in the long run. Don't over bet before the flop just because you've seen professionals doing it.

3. Don't act predictable. Predictable players are always easy to read and usually don't last long. There is a 42.3% chance to receive a pair, 2.11% chance to receive three of a kind, 0.14% chance to receive a full house and so on. I once played poker by myself with 8 hands just to see how the cards are coming. It's easy to figure out the system once you have some experience, Practice is the key.