Skill #1 – Looking For Tells

The best poker players do not play their own cards – they play those of their opponents. To do this reading body language and preferred patterns of play to reveal when an opponent is weak or strong is an essential still. Likewise when dating, an self-centered approach – thinking only of your self – will often miss essential information about your date. Be aware of body language, and use this information to assess what your date thinks of you.

Skill #2 – Accepting Some Losses Along The Way

No poker player can win every hand. In fact a key aspect of the game is to get away from a loser as quickly and cheaply as possible. Dating is the same, it is simply not possible for every single date to be a resounding success. Accepting that you will face some losses (inappropriate dating partners) along the way will help you stay in a positive state of mind for when your ideal partner appears!

Skill #3 – Learning How To Spot A Bluff

Bluffing is a key poker skill, involving betting when you do not have a strong hand in the hope that you will win the pot. Unfortunately, the dating scene attracts a proportion of bluffers – people pretending to be something they are not in order to deceive unwitting dates. Like in poker, the best way to spot a dating bluffer is that the story does not add-up. Inconsistencies in both betting patterns and dating behavior can often reveal a bluffer!

Skill #4 – Getting The Most From A Winning Hand

Gamblers know that truly big hands only come around every so often, and ensure that they play in such a way as to maximize their returns when they do get dealt a monster. Singles likewise need to be aware that it is easy to let that ideal partner slip away in the hectic nature of today’s schedules. Play it like a poker-pro and ensure that you make an extra effort to bag that ideal partner, even if taking the lead is not usually your style.

Skill #5 – Finding A Game With Plenty Of Fish

An old poker adage says that if you can not spot the fish (referring to a bad player) within 20 minutes of play – then it is you who is the fish in this game. From the perspective of a dater it is the number of fish (as in potentially suitable dates!) which matter. If your site has few options which meet your criteria it may be time for a change of venue. After all, there may be the perfect catch waiting for you in a different pond!.