The most commonly asked poker questions usually take the form of ‘How do I play A-Q suited when I get re-raised?’ Or ‘What do I do when I flop top pair and get check-raised?’ All too often the professional/ analyst/bloke on the rail is ready to jump in with a full-blown, definitive answer. The problem with that is although poker is often taught and learnt in a vacuum, it isn’t played in one. Poker is a game about people played with cards, not vice versa.

It’s played by individuals making their own decisions. Your job, when you’re playing, is to try and understand how your opponents think – about the game in general and the hand they’re playing.