List Of Poker Tips
Poker is a game that many people would view as purely luck based. However, that is not true, as poker professionals do not do well just because they are lucky. These professionals win through a combination of tricks, experiences, and taking calculated risks that allow them to succeed. This list will give some of those biggest tips and tricks that allow these professionals to succeed, and will help you play better also.
List of Poker Tips
- Know the poker hand rankings before you play
- Understand the positioning on the table
- Think about poker ranges not poker hands
- Don’t go on “tilt.”
- Know when to fold a good hand
- Don’t have a favorite hand
- Always play with a consistent strategy
- Only play in poker games with people of similar skill levels
- Play fewer hands, but play those hands aggressively
- Play aggressively if other players are playing weak
- Only play poker if you want to
- Semi bluffing effectively
Know the Poker Hand Rankings Before You Play
This may seem extremely obvious, but besides knowing the rules of the game, knowing the hand rankings in poker are the next most important thing. This is because being unsure on poker hand rankings in a game is one of the worst things you can do. As you will either be spending valuable time thinking about what your hand beats, or you will mistakenly think your hand is worse or better than it is, messing up your logic and decision making ability.
Understand And Take Into Account Positioning At The Table
Positioning on a poker table is where everyone sits and in which order everyone is going. Positioning is important as if you have “position” on a player that generally means you are acting after that player. This allows you to gain valuable information, as you can see whether they bet, check, or call, and watch to see how long it took them to make the decision. This is useful as if you see someone do a quick check it most likely means they don’t have anything and could open the door up for a bluff. On the other hand, if the opponent quickly raises, that could mean that the opponent has a good hand, which could indicate that you should fold if you don’t have a good hand.
Think About Poker Ranges, Not Poker Hands
In a game of poker one of the most important things to do is try to figure out what hand (cards) that the other players have. The best strategy is to think about the range of hand your opponent may have. This basically means instead of saying that person has a pair of Aces, you think about every single hand possibility for the other person (pair of aces, two pairs, straight, flush, etc). This allows you to then play more based upon probabilities and frequencies than gut feelings.
Don’t Go On “Tilt”
”Tilt” is a term in poker that refers to when a player keeps on getting bad hands or gets beat on good ones. This causes people to start betting when they shouldn’t, and not play with a strategy. This is one of the worst things any poker player can do, as no matter what happens the second you give in and start playing without a strategy, you will lose money. This will happen especially if you are playing against experienced players who will be able to see you getting emotional and take advantage of that.
Know When To Fold a Good Hand
A common reaction a person will have in poker when you are dealt pocket aces is to believe that hand is theirs and that they should stay in it to the end, because they will most likely win with such a great pocket. In reality though those “pocket rockets” (pair of aces) or pair of kings may not be enough to win the hand. So a good poker player needs to have the awareness of being able to still read the other players poker ranges, and recognize if they are beat on the hand and fold.
Don’t Have a Favorite Hand
While poker is at least partially luck based, the main part of poker is always using strategy and probabilities. So don’t ever get attached to a hand dealt to you because you think that it is lucky. For example, if you have won multiple hands in a night with a 8 9 suited pocket, you shouldn’t just bet again because you think it is lucky. Instead always read the table and play based on the probabilities like you would any other hand.
Always Play With a Consistent Strategy
One of the most important things to remember while playing poker is to always have a consistent strategy, and to not let a big loss or win impact how you play. This is similar to the idea of not going on tilt, but it applies to every hand. No matter what the situation is or what has happened on previous hands, changing up how you play will generally never go well. Experienced players can notice your changing of strategy and it will open you up to more chances to lose hands.
Only Play In Poker Games With People of Similar Skill Levels
One of the easiest ways that a beginner poker player can lose money, is to play at a table with people of a much higher skill than them. While you can’t always avoid playing with good players, playing at a table with all good players is always a bad idea. Instead, try to play with people who are at a similar level of skill or worse then you. That way you can play and become better as you create your strategy and improve your understanding of the game.
Play Fewer Hands, but Play Those Hands Aggressively
When playing poker you don’t want to go in on every hand. You want to develop some type of pre-flop strategy that relies on thinking about your own preflop range, and not going in on bad hands. However, for the hands you don’t fold on pre-flop (good hands) you should play those hands tight and aggressively. By betting aggressively on the strong hands you get, you will be more likely to win those hands, as people with nothing will be more likely to back off.
Play Aggressively If Other Players Are Playing Weak
Most times, players will not check on a hand if they believe it is good. So when a player checks multiple times on a hand, especially in a heads up matchup (only you and the other player left), you should bet aggressively and even bluff if you have nothing. Most likely, the opposing player with their weaker hand will fold at your bluff. If the opponent is doing this then bluffing is acceptable though you should always try to have some outs to your hand if possible.
Only Play Poker If You Want To
Poker is generally a mentally intensive game so don’t play if you are already frustrated or angry as this will make it that much easier for you to go on tilt. Additionally, a good tip for anyone that is about to sit down and play a game is to imagine losing all the money you are going to buy in with. If that thought doesn't bother you that much then you should sit down and play. However, if the thought of losing that money sounds unbearable or would make you really upset then don’t do it.
Semi Bluffing Effectively
In poker one of the biggest parts of the game is bluffing, as consistent bluffing can make an opposing player unsure what you have on any given hand. That is why becoming a good poker player requires you to learn how to effectively bluff. Smart bluffing generally is when you “Semi Bluff;” semi bluff is what the pros refer to as bluffs that still have outs, which is the potential to get a better hand later in the game.
An example of this would be if you have two diamond cards in your pocket and two more diamonds come out in the flop. If that happens your “out” is the potential to get one more diamond later in the hand to give you a flush. This is your backup plan if your bluff gets called. At the same time though, some players may just fold at your bluff thinking you have something which further increases your odds and potentially gets someone to fold their own good hand. Bluffing effectively like this then helps you later in the game as someone may call your raise when you actually have a good hand.