Want to improve your poker results in 2009?

Whether you're a beginner or a pro, a great way to become a better player is to learn from the best. So, with a fresh year of poker in front of us, here are a few tips I picked up in interviews with some of the game's biggest stars.

From Chris Ferguson — World Series of Poker main event champion in 2000, holds five WSOP bracelets, 2008 NBC National Heads-Up champ, $7 million in tournament winnings:

One mistake that many beginners make is they play too many hands. Think about it. If you come into a pot from first position in a nine-handed game, you're basically saying you have a hand that can beat eight opponents. Make sure you have a strong hand to enter a pot from early position.

Another beginner's mistake is not understanding the concept of position. When a player raises from early position, he's saying he has a strong hand. But if everyone folds to the button player and he raises, he only needs a hand that can beat the two blinds, plus he has position (acts last) in the hand. Be aware of the position of a player who raises.

From Chris Moneymaker — won the WSOP main event in 2003 in his first live tournament, a victory that sparked the modern-day poker boom: Wait until it's your turn to act to look at your cards. That way, no one can read you as strong or weak because you don't know what you have yet.

Once you fold your hand, make sure you stay engaged. Try to guess what your opponents have, even when you're not in the hand. If you continue to do that, you'll start getting better at it.

From Jennifer Harman — only woman with two bracelets in WSOP open events, only woman who plays regularly in the largest cash game in Las Vegas:

I think it's really important to stay focused on your opponents when you're not in a hand. You actually learn more when you're out of a hand than when you're in one. You're going to have decisions against your opponents later, and you'll have more information to be able to make better decisions.

The same is true for small-limit games. Everybody's in there gambling. If you want to beat a $3-$6 limit game, I would suggest that you play really tight up front (early position) and play pretty loose in the back (late position), where you'll be able to see what people are doing.

From Greg Raymer — WSOP main event champ in 2004, nearly $6 million in tournament winnings:

You need to practice, and you need to learn more. To practice, you need to play, so you need to find casinos in your area or home games with friends if those are legal where you live.

I always tell people who are brand new to the game to start with the play-money games online until you understand the rules, then play the penny games. Until you can win money in the penny games, don't play any higher. That way you're always playing with someone else's money as you move up in limits.

From Tuan Lam — runner-up to champ Jerry Yang in the 2007 WSOP main event, good for $4.8 million:

Tournament players should play more aggressively and try to pick up the blinds more often.

Also, don't risk your whole stack by going all-in too often because if one thing goes wrong, you don't have a chance to stay in the game. Be aggressive, but make sure you always have chips.

From Dennis Phillips — chip leader of the "November Nine" going into the final table at this year's WSOP main event, finished third for $4.5 million:

I recommend tutoring, whether you're an amateur or a pro. A coach provides two more eyes watching your play and your moves. Every player can benefit from just talking on a higher level about poker and the moves and intricacies of the game. It's great!

Finally, don't be that player who gets drunk at the table or makes inappropriate comments. Poker has evolved away from its reputation of smoke-filled back rooms and shady characters. We need players today who will draw it even further away from all of that.

And, from Ol' LuckyDog — Play well in 2009, everybody!

E-mail your poker questions and comments to [email protected] for use in future columns. To find out more about Russ Scott and read previous LuckyDog Poker columns, visit www.creators.com or www.luckydogpoker.com.