Top 10 Poker Tips to Make You a Better Player
& Improve Your Poker Game.
Want to become a better player, fast? Follow
these 10 tips to boost your poker performance
& profits. While geared to beginner players,
there's poker tips that even seasoned pros should
remind themselves of once in a while.
1) Don't Play Every Hand/Do Fold MoreProbably
the number one mistake beginning poker players
make is that they play far too many hands. When
you're just starting out playing poker, you want to
play poker, and that means staying in hands that
aren't very good just to be part of the action. But
playing more doesn't mean winning more, it usually
means losing more. If you find you're staying in half
or more the hands you're dealt, you need to upgrade
your starting hand requirements.
2) Don't Play DrunkCountless nights have I sat across
a table from someone & watched them get plastered
silly and throw away their entire stack of chips. I've
been that person too - and there are nights where
you're just playing with friends for low stakes and it's
more about the fun than the poker - but if you're in a
casino, watch the alcohol. The truth is, while you may
be more relaxed after 2 drinks, it may lead to you playing
looser and less sharply, even if one's not 'drunk.'
3) Don't Bluff Just For Bluffing's Sake. A lot of beginner's
understand that bluffing is a part of poker, but not exactly
how. There's is NO rule that one must bluff a certain
amount or at all during a poker game, but many players
don't feel like they've won unless they've tried a poker
bluff. Bluffs only work in certain situations & against
certain people, and if you know a player always calls
to the showdown, it is literally impossible to bluff that
player. It's better never to bluff than to bluff "just to
bluff."
4) Don't Stay in a Hand Just Because You're Already
In It. Another common mistake beginners make is to
think that "Well, I've already put that much in the pot,
I have to stay in now." Nope. You can't win a pot just
by throwing money at it. There may be cases when pot
odds warrant a call, but if you're sure you're beaten,
and there's no way your hand can improve to be the
best hand, you should fold right away. The money
you've already put in the pot isn't yours anymore,
and you can't get it back just by playing a hand all
the way to the end.
5) Don't Call at the End of a Hand to "Keep Someone
Honest".This one follows the last tip. I see a lot of
players look at another player's final bet, look at the
hand, & say "I know you've got me, but I have to
keep you honest," as they throw in a final call. It may
be worth it to see if a player really has the hand if
you're not sure & you're gaining information that
will help you later on, but if you really feel a player
has the hand he's representing & you're beat, why
give him another pile of your money? Those bets
will add up over an evening.
6) Don't Play When Mad, Sad, or in a Generally Bad
Mood.When you play poker, you shouldn't do it to
escape from being depressed or having a really bad
day. You start out on tilt -- playing emotionally, not
rationallyand you won't play your best. Likewise, if
during a poker game, you lose a big hand or get
sucked out on and feel yourself going on tilt, stand
up & take a break until you feel calm later on. Fellow
players will sense your mood & take advantage of it.
7) Do Pay Attention to the Cards on the Table. When
you first start playing, it's enough just to remember
how to play and pay attention to your own hand. But
once you've got that down, it's incredibly important
to look at what's going on at the table. In Texas Hold'em,
figure out what the best possible hand would be to
fit the flop. Make sure you notice flush & straight
possibilities. In 7-card stud, pay attention to what's
showing & what people have folded when you consider
calling opponents.
8) Do Pay Attention to the Other Players.As you play,
one of the single best things you can do is observe your
opponents, even when you're not in a hand. If you know
if one player always raises in a certain position, & another
has a poker tell when he bluffs, & a 3rd folds to every
re-raise, you can use that information to help you decide
how to play against them. Once you know that player
3 always folds to a re-raise on a river, that's when you
can bluff & steal a pot.
9) Don't Play at too High Limits There are many reasons
people move up to a higher limit game than they usually
play. Good reasons like they've been winning consistently
at a lower lever & are ready to move up, & bad reasons
like the line is shorter for higher limits or you want to
impress someone. Don't play at stakes that make you
think about the actual money in terms of day-to-day
life or with money you can't lose. Even if you had one
super-good night at $2/4, resist the urge to play $5/10.
The next tip explains more why.
10) Do Pick the Right Game for Your Skill Level &
Bankroll. One of the reasons you shouldn't jump into a
$5/10 game after winning a huge bunch of money at
$2/4 is because as the stakes rise, so does the average
skill level of the players sitting there. You want to be
one of the best at the table, not the fish who sits down
with sharks. If you're making stacks of money at a
lower level game, why move? You're winning stacks
of money. The swings up & down at higher limits are
much bigger, and one big night's win won't last long
at a high-stakes game.
& Improve Your Poker Game.
Want to become a better player, fast? Follow
these 10 tips to boost your poker performance
& profits. While geared to beginner players,
there's poker tips that even seasoned pros should
remind themselves of once in a while.
1) Don't Play Every Hand/Do Fold MoreProbably
the number one mistake beginning poker players
make is that they play far too many hands. When
you're just starting out playing poker, you want to
play poker, and that means staying in hands that
aren't very good just to be part of the action. But
playing more doesn't mean winning more, it usually
means losing more. If you find you're staying in half
or more the hands you're dealt, you need to upgrade
your starting hand requirements.
2) Don't Play DrunkCountless nights have I sat across
a table from someone & watched them get plastered
silly and throw away their entire stack of chips. I've
been that person too - and there are nights where
you're just playing with friends for low stakes and it's
more about the fun than the poker - but if you're in a
casino, watch the alcohol. The truth is, while you may
be more relaxed after 2 drinks, it may lead to you playing
looser and less sharply, even if one's not 'drunk.'
3) Don't Bluff Just For Bluffing's Sake. A lot of beginner's
understand that bluffing is a part of poker, but not exactly
how. There's is NO rule that one must bluff a certain
amount or at all during a poker game, but many players
don't feel like they've won unless they've tried a poker
bluff. Bluffs only work in certain situations & against
certain people, and if you know a player always calls
to the showdown, it is literally impossible to bluff that
player. It's better never to bluff than to bluff "just to
bluff."
4) Don't Stay in a Hand Just Because You're Already
In It. Another common mistake beginners make is to
think that "Well, I've already put that much in the pot,
I have to stay in now." Nope. You can't win a pot just
by throwing money at it. There may be cases when pot
odds warrant a call, but if you're sure you're beaten,
and there's no way your hand can improve to be the
best hand, you should fold right away. The money
you've already put in the pot isn't yours anymore,
and you can't get it back just by playing a hand all
the way to the end.
5) Don't Call at the End of a Hand to "Keep Someone
Honest".This one follows the last tip. I see a lot of
players look at another player's final bet, look at the
hand, & say "I know you've got me, but I have to
keep you honest," as they throw in a final call. It may
be worth it to see if a player really has the hand if
you're not sure & you're gaining information that
will help you later on, but if you really feel a player
has the hand he's representing & you're beat, why
give him another pile of your money? Those bets
will add up over an evening.
6) Don't Play When Mad, Sad, or in a Generally Bad
Mood.When you play poker, you shouldn't do it to
escape from being depressed or having a really bad
day. You start out on tilt -- playing emotionally, not
rationallyand you won't play your best. Likewise, if
during a poker game, you lose a big hand or get
sucked out on and feel yourself going on tilt, stand
up & take a break until you feel calm later on. Fellow
players will sense your mood & take advantage of it.
7) Do Pay Attention to the Cards on the Table. When
you first start playing, it's enough just to remember
how to play and pay attention to your own hand. But
once you've got that down, it's incredibly important
to look at what's going on at the table. In Texas Hold'em,
figure out what the best possible hand would be to
fit the flop. Make sure you notice flush & straight
possibilities. In 7-card stud, pay attention to what's
showing & what people have folded when you consider
calling opponents.
8) Do Pay Attention to the Other Players.As you play,
one of the single best things you can do is observe your
opponents, even when you're not in a hand. If you know
if one player always raises in a certain position, & another
has a poker tell when he bluffs, & a 3rd folds to every
re-raise, you can use that information to help you decide
how to play against them. Once you know that player
3 always folds to a re-raise on a river, that's when you
can bluff & steal a pot.
9) Don't Play at too High Limits There are many reasons
people move up to a higher limit game than they usually
play. Good reasons like they've been winning consistently
at a lower lever & are ready to move up, & bad reasons
like the line is shorter for higher limits or you want to
impress someone. Don't play at stakes that make you
think about the actual money in terms of day-to-day
life or with money you can't lose. Even if you had one
super-good night at $2/4, resist the urge to play $5/10.
The next tip explains more why.
10) Do Pick the Right Game for Your Skill Level &
Bankroll. One of the reasons you shouldn't jump into a
$5/10 game after winning a huge bunch of money at
$2/4 is because as the stakes rise, so does the average
skill level of the players sitting there. You want to be
one of the best at the table, not the fish who sits down
with sharks. If you're making stacks of money at a
lower level game, why move? You're winning stacks
of money. The swings up & down at higher limits are
much bigger, and one big night's win won't last long
at a high-stakes game.
posted by intpoker | 8:39 AM
|
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