Poker Strategy

Poker is not a hard game to learn how to play. It is however, a difficult game to master.

In poker, for the most part there are only a few rules to the game, so playing 'perfect strategy' in terms of what hands to go for and whether or not to stay in on a pot really isn't the hard part. Getting good at poker means learning how to use the intricacies of the game to your favor, like reading your opponents, using your bluffing skills and knowing when to cut your losses or feed the pot.

This might seem like common sense, but it's surprising how many people sit down at a real money table and aren't even sure what a hand is worth. It's also surprising how many people have no idea how to play a particular type of poker, yet happily lose money at it without knowing the rules in full. If you need help with hands and/or game rules; read up first:

• Poker Hands in Order

• Poker Rules for Different Poker Types

Make sure you know not only what hand beats what, but how likely a hand is to come up at any given time. It's one thing to know that two pair isn't as good as a Flush - but it's just as important to know what the chances are that your opponent actually has that Flush dealt. This will help you read a bluff.

You should be able to determine the likelihood that you will improve your hand (before it's completely dealt) and the chances of your opponent having a hand that beats it. If you don't, how do you know when to stay in the round and when to fold?

Every time you're required to feed the pot you should be asking yourself - what's the pot value versus how much money I have to put in? It's simple risk management - if you have a 1 in 10 chance of taking a pot, but a 1 in 20 chance of having the winning hand on the table - fold!

Over the long run, you'll win more money if you stay in on games where the chance of taking the pot outweighs the risks.

It goes along with assessing the pot amounts, but starts earlier than there. If you're dealt a hand full of crap - fold! Provided you're not bluffing, why put in any more money than you have to when the odds are against you. The reason most people stay in on a bad deal? 'Because it's boring to fold and wait for the next hand.' That's not something you'll hear a professional player say, ever.

The exception to this is the occasional bluff. It's still not wise to stay in without a decent hand if someone else has initiated the raising and appears to have a hand. However, if you never put any money on the table without having 4 of a kind first, people will eventually figure it out. When that happens, the pots will be small on your winning hands because people will know to fold.

It's simple, there are people at different skill levels for every game - why play against the pros? If you can find a table full of people that you can beat - play there! Poker's about winning money, not trying to match your skills for the biggest challenge.

• Don't be too predictable. In some cases you'll want to appear predictable to get players doing what you want, but if you don't change your habits from time to time you'll start losing fast.

   

• Bluffing doesn't usually work when there's a packed table of people still in on the hand. Don't expect 5 other players to fold on your pair of 2's, chances are someone has a good enough hand to stay in.

   

• People are less likely to fold in split pot games like Hi/Lo because they've got a better chance of winning half the pot than they would in a 'winner takes all' game. This is especially true for Hi/Lo, when many players will qualify for a low hand. Bluff accordingly.

   

• Know when to fold 'em. It's inevitable that you won't win every hand that you've bluffed on - sometimes your opponents will have strong enough hands to stay in no matter how much you raise. It's a bad habit to fold every time a player raises your bluff (unless you want people to know every time you're bluffing). At the same time, it's bad for your stack of poker chips to follow all your hands through when it's obvious you're going to lose.