Poker is by and far the most popular card game. Every year, millions of people tune in to watch the World Series of Poker, and you can find it played everywhere from college dorm rooms to family dining rooms and in every corner of the world. What makes poker so popular is that is a thrilling combination of both luck and skill. It also the perfect combination of a luxury game that anyone can play. Now where it may be hard to predict success, we do have some incredible poker strategies to make sure you can get an edge over your opponents and take all the chips home for yourself.
1. Take it Easy
This is one of the poker strategies that is more easily said than done. New players will get tempted to throw in on all the action early in the game. The beginning of the game is an essential time for you to learn about the other players and see how they work. Pay attention and notice who is easily knocked out of hand by a high rise, see if you can recognize people’s tells and experiment a little with your chips. More than anything, try to be sure you are not giving away your strategy.
2. Know When to be Aggressive
When it comes to solid poker strategies, now that you have become to understand the dynamics of your opponents, it is an excellent time to consider increasing the aggression of your playing strategy. This doesn’t always mean bluff. You may have a pretty solid hand like a three of a kind or a full house, but be sure you don’t give this away. You don’t want to scare everyone out before they put a good number of chips on the table. Lure them in, and then capture on the river card.
3. Know When to Fold Them
You might be riding high after your last hand when you collected everyone’s chips. When you’re up, it is easy to get reckless and go in on and hands that you maybe shouldn’t. Knowing when to fold them is a critical element of poker playing strategy. This is again where it becomes essential to control your emotions. Remember, probability will always control poker, there’s no such thing as a hot or cold streak. Every hand is a new opportunity, and you have to remember that.
4. The Tricky Pair
Every so often you might receive a pair of the same cards on the initial deal. What do you do with these? Sometimes, you can play all the way to the end, and your pair can beat them all. A general guideline is that if you have a low pair and you don’t see another of your friends by the flop, you need to pay attention to the betting. If people are raising stakes, you might want to consider backing off because there is only a small chance of you getting the three of a kind.
5. Be Consistently Inconsistent
This is one of the most advanced poker strategies. Just as you have been watching other players the other time so too have the been watching you. They have been trying to figure out what is your tell when you do go all in and so on. You need to make it so your opponents cannot guess your next move. Mix it up a little especially if you have a fair amount of chips. Go in on some hands randomly, fold and so on. The more you shake it up, the less your opponents can read you and the more they will be surprised when you drop that flush.
Poker Strategies All Come Down to Having Fun
At the end of the day poker is all about having fun. If you are gambling, be sure you are playing with money that you are comfortable losing. Maybe you will win the whole pot or maybe not. Either way, just have a good time. And if you are looking for more game skills, be sure to check out our incredible backgammon strategy page!
