Tag Archives: poker strategy

A Beginner’s Guide to Poker Strategy

When you’re new to poker it can be difficult to know what to do. Once you’ve learned the basics such as how poker hands rank and how to bet, it’s time to start thinking about your strategy.
Here are a few simple tips about poker strategy for beginners to the game:

To play or not to play?
The first thing you need to decide after receiving your two cards is whether or not to play. It can be tempting to play every hand as there is always a chance that the cards dealt on the table could give you a winning hand, but it’s advisable to be more selective. Some combinations of cards have a better chance of winning than others. A pair obviously has you at an advantage from the start, but statistically speaking the best hand is an ace and a king of the same suit. This gives you a chance at high pairs, a high straight, high flush or even a royal flush! On the other side, a two and a seven of different suits is the weakest combination as they are the lowest cards that give you no chance of getting a straight or a flush.

When in doubt, ‘check’ it out
Don’t be too quick to rush in and bet when you’re still getting used to the game. If you don’t know what other people have got or you’re unsure of your hand, ‘check’ instead of betting to see what the other players do. This will give you a better idea of who has a good hand and could also let you see another card without betting more money.

Hand to hand
Don’t just think about the hand that you have, look at the cards on the table to give you an idea of what other people could have and whether their hand is better than yours or not. For example, if there are four spades on the table and you have the two of spades, then you’ve got a flush. In a lot of situations this would be a winning hand, but in this case, if anyone else has a spade in their hands, they’re hand is stronger than yours since they’ll have a higher spade.

These are just a few basic tips to get you started. Keep practicing your strategy to develop your own style of playing.

Poker – 4 Steps to Pull off a Successful Check-Raise

 

A check-raise refers to the process of checking a bet knowing full well that if another player raises you will re-raise. Check-raises are a common occurrence in poker matches as they can be very effective. Check-raises help to lure in other players, to throw them off the scent, and then get maximum value for your hand. We reveal four things that will help you to pull off a solid check-raise.

 

1. Right Frame of Mind

Start your hand off on the right foot by ensuring that you are in a good position to play. If you have recently lost a big bet and feel like you may be on tilt then you should avoid playing that hand and instead wait until you calm down. Also go easy on the alcohol; booze will make you miss vital hints during the game.

2. Read the Other Players

A check-raise works well if you are confident that the other players hold marginal hands that they can easily fold. Make sure that you study players when they look at their cards to see if you can spot any tells that they are actually holding a monster hand. If you suspect they may have a great hand then you might want to take another approach.

3. Small Pots

This is not always the case, but check-raises typically work best with small pots. This is because of the amount that your opponents must call after the re-raise will often give them terrible pot-odds making it not worth their while.

4. Make a Strong Re-Raise

Once you have checked and the action has come back round to you, if you want to force them to fold it is important that you make a very strong re-raise. Typically at least double the amount of your opponent’s bet. On the other hand if you have a strong hand you may want to play it cool in order to keep them interested to see another card.

Follow the above steps and you will be well on your way to using a check-raise effectively. Avoid overusing this move in a single game though as other players will cotton on and it will lose you some credibility. Good luck!

How to Survive Bad Hands in Poker

 

Poker is one of the most popular online casino games played worldwide. Like most other casino games, there are good days with a streak of wins and then there are a few bouts of misses.

Beginners often believe the game of poker to be largely based on luck. This is the first mistake that many make; the actual truth is that good and bad hands figure in every deal. Simply put, poker is a bit of luck and a lot of skill. The experts are those who know how to make the most of a good hand and how to survive a bad one, rather than blaming things on luck alone.

With a bad hand, the main aim is to survive the game and maintain your stack of chips, trying to lie low while calling the shots. Soon, the tide is bound to turn and you can stack up high when a good hand comes.

It is also important to remain focused in the game. Instead of cursing your ‘bad luck’ and whiling away your bad hands hoping to see some good cards, you should be completely focused on avoiding further mistakes that could make the situation worse.

Of course, one of the most important parts of poker is bluffing. Keeping up your ‘poker face’ can save your hide in a multitude of bad hand draws. That’s not to say that keeping up a good poker face is easy. A player’s face, if untrained, can give away their hand quicker than shoving their cards into their opponents faces, especially if the player is nervous. The tell-tale signs of nervousness and apprehension can help a clever opponent take advantage and cash in on the situation. A weak and intimidated opponent is everyone’s target.

A periodic self-analysis is imperative if you want to excel in the game. Experts evaluate themselves critically to figure out mistakes and areas of improvisation. This helps in determining whether the outcome was due to a bad hand or a badly played hand.

It’s also important to take breaks in between games. Spend your break pumping yourself up and come back to the next round with a bang!

The most important tip; have fun! Don’t turn poker into a chore, keep it your passion and even when you’re getting bad cards, you won’t be having a bad time.