Poker strategy

While the rules are simple, poker is a game which allows very complex situations. You will therefore need good strategies to be successful. Here follows some good hints to start with based on the experience of expert poker players.

• Choose the right poker table. There are an uncountable number of online pokers tables, and you can easily find one with weak opposition, and avoid the ones with aggressive, experienced players.
• Do not play every starting hand. Make sure you have a strong hand before proceeding to the flop. In Texas hold’em, about a quarter of all starting hands are worth to play with.
• Do go on to long after the flop. Many beginners make this mistake. Fold if your hand is weak.
• A golden rule for beginners in poker is “If you think someone has a better hand, he probably has”. Be prepared to fold, even if it hurts. This is true even if you have a lot of chips in the pot, and feel that you are “pot commited”. But if you have a losing hands, it doesn’t matter how much is in the pot.
• Do not play on emotion. Some players think they can feel that they have a good hand. Poker, however, is a game of mathematics and probability.
• You may make all the right decisions, and still lose money. Do not start rethinking your strategy for this reason. Because of chance, you will always lose money sometimes. It is your long-term strategy that is important, not short term losses.
• Play aggressively, bet and raise. This forces the other players to make hard decisions, and increases the chance that they will make mistakes. They may fold even if they have a better hand, or make bad calls. A good rule is to raise if you are unsure whatever to call or raise, and fold if your are unsure if to fold or call.
• Study the other players. A bet or raise can mean anything, but a call will give you more information. Usually, he calls because he has a good hand, but one not worth a raise. He may see the chance of getting a stronger hand in the next round.
• You can also take advantage of your position, in particular if you are last player in the game. You will then be able to study the other player’s decision before making your own. If other players show the interest in the pot, you may want to go for it, even if your hand is weak.
• Don’t try to bluff, unless you really know what you are doing.
• Don’t expect other to bluff, most poker player rarely do it. Respect bets and raises.

Finally, the most important hint is read about the game, discuss it with other pokers player and play a lot of yourself. Only then will you be able to apply the strategies in real life. A good book is David Sklansky’s "The Theory of Poker", by many considered the bible of poker.