The popularity of watching poker on tv has grown immensely recently. This is partly due to the amount of non-players drawn in by the people and the psychology of the game, rather than the cards themselves. It has become the latest reality tv show.

The ease of understanding the rules of Texas Hold’em draws in an audience. After all, everyone can understand that three of something beats to of something, and the rest of the hands can be quickly picked up, though in reality it is a difficult game to master.

The factors that draw people in to other shows, also apply to TV Texas Hold’em. People warm to certain players more than others, and in some cases become fans, following their progress. Once you start watching at the start of a tournament it is easy to get hooked, as you want to stick with it until the end.

What does this have to do with your poker game?

Well, a number of these people, who use to just be tv watchers, watching poker purely for entertainment,will have realised something. Something that effects your poker game.

They think they can play poker too.

To them it looks easy when a professional raises all-in with a Jack high and steals the pot by bluffing competely against two pairs. What they do not realise is that the professionals have spent years developing the instinct to know when they can bluff, and when not to. The other thing that they do not realise is that TV will edit out a high proportion of the hands played and so present a disjointed view of the play, showing bluffs being pulled off every three or four hands.

New players are also unaware of the importance of position at the table. A disproportionate amount of heads up play is shown on TV to help create a more exciting show for the viewer. This creates false impressions for the viewer, the first, that in almost every hand you should see the flop, the second, that in any circumstances, a good heads up hand is a good hand.

With high expectations, these non-players then decide to play internet poker. They come to the tables thnking that if Phil Hellmuth was able to win a big heads up pot with pocket Queen Seven, then they can too, and so call with it when they are in the early position in a 10 player tournament.

All of which is good news for you. Anyone who has been playing internet Texas Hold’em for a while will find it easy to make money off these novices that are now playing on tables on a daily basis, eager to try out the skills they think they have learned from the TV.

And it’s a phenomenon that is growing rather than slowing down. Poker coverage on TV is constantly growing, and therefore the audience, many of who will now think that they can play poker too.