Poker has a lot of different poker strategies that are up to various levels of play. Up to skillful play, which requires a lot of skill and not necessarily luck. When it comes to beginners, most will tend to use the same basic poker strategies I’m about to present to you, which is pretty common sense, but not necessarily the best strategy. There is a lot of very good strategies out there, most of which come from books and movies. Learning those is definitely a good idea, but you will have to accept that the strategies themselves will not make you money. You can still learn how to play profitable poker, but you will have to accept a lot of things to make you a professional.
- How many players can benefit from your hand? -Situation dependent, always play in tight seconds and always play aggressive. Make sure you have enough money behind you, because if you play tight and you still get callers, you will definitely lose the hand. Always make sure you have enough money to play with, and sit back and wait for a great hand.
- How big the blinds are -Get your blinds up high enough and your in the pot when you need it. When you’re getting near the money, get your bets up. It’s bound to happen that you will have a monster and keep getting bets. That’s OK.
- Start playing aggressive -Most players are scared of betting too early in an unfamiliar game. They would like to see a flop and be involved, but they don’t want to risk a lot of money. All you have to do is get into those pots. Bet three to four times the big blind. That will show the players in the blinds that you have a hand. They will lower their guard, which will allow you to win small pots off them, and eventually take them out.
- Know when to play tight and when to play aggressive -Playing tight is OK. When are your opponent in the blinds and have been making it relatively cheap to get into the pot, take slightly longer than normal to get your chips into the pot. This is because you want to have good cards and want to get paid off.
- Have a solid bankroll -Now this is the golden tip. You need a lot of money behind you, so you can play a lot of hands. The general rule of thumb is two to three times the size of the big blind. For example, if you have $1,500 behind you, you would want to be in a hand worth $2,000 or more before you get involved. This general rule of thumb is a good guideline.
- Know which players call your bets -There are generally two types of players that will call your bets. They are your “constant losers” and your “raises.” Your constant losers will play just about anything, but your raises will play strong hands, especially when they are folded to you.
- isolation yourself -If you think someone is chasing and beating you, and you have a reasonably strong hand, don’t hesitate to put them all-in. You’re losers will still be playing, so at least you have the money in the pot.
- Increase bets -You want to win more than you lose. Gambling is a game of chance. You have to be lucky to win, and unlucky to lose, no matter how much money you put behind your bet. Never go on tilt.
- Know when you’re beat -If you’re certain you’re beat, and you have minimal chances of winning a better hand, don’t make it an instant decision. Consider your options and slow down to a grind. Take some time to really think about it. My fastest response to a “I’m beat” decision is “What do I have?” This is usually followed by a short discussion of hands of varying quality and value. You can also indicate you’re beat and I’ll explain my thinking process and I encourage excellent critical thinking. Winning hands are often screaming “I’m beat” but your immediate response may not be that you should fold, rather that you have a strong hand versus your opponent’s hand known as “The Pokerlounge99.” Let’s say I have Q-9 and the maniac calls me a big $1,000 bet. I have at least a subtle upper hand, such as a pair of tens. If the maniac has less than a pair, I’ll make a $1,000 bet on the flop. The maniac knows I have the monster, and folds. The turn is a 6, and I pull a set. I Undo everything that the maniac did, and I reveal my set. He has a decent hand, but will fold if I give him the same answer, which is not a set. I Undo everything, and the maniac calls.