Champion of Poker

Perhaps you are an anonymous online poker player and happy just to grind out your living playing your hands at home. For many players the anonymity of online poker games is one of the positive aspects of playing in front of your computer screen. Poker is very much a game of ego, so it is normal for players to want to massage this ego by becoming well-known as a player of skill and ability in the hope they can get sponsored and be able to leave the rat race forever.

There are various things you can do to improve your image as a poker player so if an opportunity appears you will be towards the front of the line to take advantage of it.

Win Something

Obvious? Yes. But winning a large poker tournament is THE best way of getting noticed. You will be interviewed by press; people will remember your name and see you as successful. The level of coverage you get depends mainly on the prize you win. So winning freeroll tournaments are good for practising but people do not view these tournaments with the respect of a tournament that offers a larger cash prize. This is why the World Series of Poker Main Event winner gets the most coverage, it is the biggest prize.

Start a Poker Website

Fame or notoriety is being associated with something; this is either a big win or skill. You can highlight your skills by being involved in a poker website or forum. Your posts or articles demonstrate to people your abilities in poker and your name begins to get linked to this ability. We have seen Tiger Woods playing Golf for many years and he has been so successful in earning money and winning tournaments that nearly everyone in the world knows that Tiger Woods is a golfer. The same goes for Roger Federer in Tennis and Stephen Hendry in Snooker. They are known for their ability. Phil Ivey is known for his poker abilities as is Tom Dwan.

You need to show your skills over time and prove them. Forums allow you to post your session graphs and talk strategy. Users then recognise you know what you are talking about and respect you. Being unknown means you could be anything in terms of ability, once people are confident you deliver results and are worth listening to then they make a permanent note of this and you have gained a level of respect within the community.

Be Helpful and Confident

If you are nasty to people, belittle them and do not respect others you will be noticed for the wrong reasons. People will want to interact with you if you are warm, welcoming and helpful. Poker players who are rude are known widely, but as someone to avoid rather than interact with. If you are confident about your own abilities you will instill confidence in others. Do not go too far and appear to have all of the answers for everything, it is important to remain humble, nobody has as yet managed to work everything out and be the fountain of all knowledge in any area of life.

A combination of achievement, writing, interaction with the poker community in forums and being a friendly face at live poker events will get your name known for the right reasons and ensure you are always welcomed whether online at bwin.com or at a live poker tournament. You never know who is looking for a known sponsored player and you want your name to be thought of when these opportunities come about.

By Malcolm Clarke