Here are ten essential poker winning tips. While they do not guarantee you certain victory in every poker game you play, they may serve as your ultimate guideline to playing the game right.
Playing too many hands
Virtually all beginners play way too many starting hands. Most successful players usually play between 20-30% of their starting hands. It is more advantageous to focus on higher value starting hands to help eliminate the luck aspect of the game.
Know when to hold’em and when to fold’em
This is a very important tip. Learn when to fold a hand and avoid being a fisherman (i.e., making a call), thinking you are going to get what you want. Many beginners make the mistake of betting regardless of what’s on the board or what their opponents’ actions are suggesting. Poker pros always say it is the hand you can lay down that is often the key to a profitable game.
Choose to play against less skillful opponents
The reason is quite obvious, but you should also play at betting limits where you can beat the majority of your opponents. Adjust the limits if you are having a hard time winning. It is always best to leave your ego at the door before playing poker.
Keenly observe your opponents’ habits
This is more effective when you are not playing a hand. The best time to read other players is when you are not invested on a hand. You can be more discerning this way. Keep an eye on your opponents’ bets—how much they bet and in what position they are betting. Knowing how your opponents play is one of the keys to winning in poker.
Bet to gain knowledge
Betting should not happen only when you have the best hand. Pros use a variety of betting techniques to try and gain information about the other players’ hands. For instance, a defensive bet can be used early on to avoid calling a bigger bet in later rounds. A re-raise can also be done to scrutinize the credibility of your opponents’ hands.
Know how to put your opponents on a hand
After mastering tips 4 and 5, try to put everything you’ve learned to work. Put yourself
in your opponents’ shoes and learn to put them on a hand. Ask yourself questions like, “Why did he re-raise me with that amount?” or “Why did he call that bet in the previous betting round?”
Learn the art of bluffing
Know when to do this at the right time against the right players and at the right frequency. Bluffing is often a misunderstood concept, and most pros are disappointed at beginners on how they use this dangerous weapon sparingly. A bluff can be very effective tool when used rarely and where there is a low risk of being called by your opponent.
Changing gears
Unpredictability is a very advantageous quality in poker. Most pro players can spot a really loose player by being patient and waiting for the top hand or “nuts.” However, an even easier opponent to spot is a “rock” or a tight player. If you encounter this type of player, you need to up your game. Let them see that you can bluff and can play low- value starting hands. These changes should be subtle without greatly affecting the flop rate mentioned in tip #1.
Understand player positions
It is important to play strong hands, but it is critical what position you play them. For instance, the ideal position is the Button or the Dealer as you are last to act and have the fortunate advantage of observing all the betting action on the table before you make a decision. So if the action before you happens to be a bet, a raise and a re-raise, and you have pocket tens, you are in a position to make the right decision to fold.
Read up and take notes
Players can learn a lot of stuff if they really want to be very good poker players. A lot of free information is available out there. You should take note of the things that work best for your game. Eventually, you will come up with a playing style that’s uniquely yours.
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