Being a better board gamer or how to win more board games

With board games being a big part of my life I have had a lot of time to work on becoming a better player. I have learned (mostly the hard way) that there are a few core concepts that a player must understand in order to become better at playing games.

Respect the other players. Everyone at the table has set aside time and is putting forth the effort to have an enjoyable game. Everyone at the table has as much of a right to be there as you do. Treat them with respect and it will be returned. The current novice or bad player can end up being your future rival for best player. How you treat people now will be returned later. This is the most important rule.
 

Play the game not just your turn. Everything that happens during the game is changing the course of the game. Every other player is affecting the game therefore you must pay attention to the entire game. By keeping up your level of involvement you will be better prepared to predict the plays of other players and have a better understanding of everyone’s position in the game.

Engage in the social atmosphere. Still pay attention to the game at all times but engage in the socialization. This keeps the other players lighthearted and prevents them from actively preventing you from winning. It throws off the less serious players and they will play less agressively. This limits competition and makes game night more fun.

Be flexible. Be prepared to change your strategy at any time. Many players look for that one winning strategy and when think they found it they stick to it. Unfortunately every strategy has holes and eventually an opponent will find a weakness. Be prepared to change your strategy based on what your opponents are doing.

Re-evaluate the other players. Get to know the other players’ habits, strengths and weaknesses. As players gain more experience they will build their strengths and eliminate weaknesses and in turn will change their strategies. Be open to other players surprising you.

It’s okay to lose. This may sound counter-intuitive when talking about winning but it’s very important to understand. Most players who are afraid to lose a game will end up playing conservatively. By doing so the player is never open to making bold moves with high risk but potential big payoffs. If you never make these risky moves you will never get the big payoffs, nor will you get to witness other players shock and awe when you make the big plays. There is a great deal of excitement to be had while your opponents sit forward and sweat over your current move. Even if your move doesn’t pay off and you don’t win you will have fun and the other players will remember how you played.

You are the one who made the mistake. Don’t think in terms of how your opponent beat, cheated or deceived you. Think in terms of how you let your opponent beat, cheat or deceive you. By figuring out how you provided your opponent the opening to take advantage of you, you can close that gap in your strategy. You can't change how your opponents play but you can change how you play. Learn from your mistakes.

Take it in stride. If an opponent makes a play that royally fudges your chances of winning don’t let it get you down. Most games have mechanics that allow you to make up the loss or a rematch may be in order. Either way you will get a chance to beat that opponent in the future. Respect their play and allow it to motivate you to do better.

Curb the table talk. If you spot another player preparing to make a move that gives them a clear advantage think twice about announcing it to the table. Not only does table talk give that player a reason to hold a grudge, you might be harming your own advantage. Look at that play and think of how you can benefit from or avoid the costs of that move. By allowing a player to make a move that you are prepared for it might catch the rest of your opponents off guard. The others will then focus on that opponent leaving you an opening to take advantage of.

Read the rule book. I've encountered so many players who never read the rule books for the games they play. By doing so these people are relying on another players interpretation of the rules. Whoever taught you the game may misunderstand some rules or may have forgotten (or "forgotten") to tell you something which will allow other players to take advantage of your lack of knowledge. Most game groups treat such issues as they are treated in real life- ignorance of the law is not a legitimate defence.

Play more often. The worlds greatest anything isn’t the person who did that thing once and gave up. The worlds greatest gets there through practice and determination.

Play a variety of games. While practice makes perfect sticking to one game can cause an issue. To draw a parallel, sure i can spend the rest of my life eating nothing but bacon wrapped bacon, but it sure won't be a long life. I find if I'm having an issue beating another player it's caused by my becoming hyper-focused on the problem. By changing the games up a little I refresh my mind, and force it to become more creative. I can return to the previous game with a new outlook.

Expect your opponents to play with similar concepts. At least until they prove otherwise. I feel that my best opponents, the ones that are the most challenging, follow a similar set of concepts. If I expect an opponent to be meticulous and mindful of the game I gain an edge when the opponent misses something. Keeping this concept in mind I become more mindful of how I am playing and what I am revealing to my opponents.

Well I hope this post helps you improve the way you play and more importantly lets you gain more entertainment value from the games you play. Remember the point of playing is for everyone to have fun.