Finding your game

There’s a huge difference in how to play fixed limit, no limit and pot limit poker. Find the game that suits you. You may stink at one, but rule at another.

The “nosey bastard” fallacy

Curiosity is a curse in poker. If you keep paying to stay in pots you will have little chance of winning. Do not stay in a hand just in case a miracle card comes up, or you will go broke faster than a Star Trek fan on a sci-fi convention.

Tilt!

Tilt is the poker equivalent of going bananas and playing like a madman. Poker is an emotional game and you will feel the urge. Fight it, or it will ruin everything. And, if you can, make others tilt.

It’s all about the odds

Don’t play against impossible odds! If there’s just one card in the entire deck that helps your hand, well then you’re screwed 51 out of 52 times.

The rule of pot odds.

When faced with a tricky should-I-call-or-not decision; consider how big the pot is. A really big pot might make the call worth it. Always weigh THE odds of the winning hand against the size of the pot.

Read your opponent

Figure out your opponents hand by noticing his style and his strategy. Is he aggressive? Or is he tight and folds a lot? When he thinks, is he actually hesitating, or does he just want you to think he’s hesitating? Poker is a true game of treachery.

Winner takes all

In poker there is no prize for having the second best hand! Second, in this case, is all about being the biggest loser. Not much strategy really, but one helluva good reminder!

Commit!

The ace, ace (AA) and king, king (KK) are typical starting hands that very seldom should be played passively. They are at their best early in a hand, so don’t hesitate to commit. Be aggressive!

Analyze the board

It is important to consider how the board can affect your opponents cards. If he raises for example, what could he have? Is the board set up for a flush or a straight? Analyze and learn.

Make them pay

If you think your opponent is drawing to a hand be sure to make him pay for the draw! Don’t be scared and wait for him to hit the draw. If you do, he will run you over like a monster truck in a crowded car park!

All-in, all the time?

Every time you go all-in you risk going bust or being eliminated from a tournament. You often don’t have to go all-in to bluff. You may simply scare or counterattack you opponent. A large raise or reraise will do just fine.

Faking your Poker tells

You know by now what your opponents are watching out for. By faking your tells – maybe thinking a while although you have the nuts – you may trick them into making really costly moves – for them.

Don’t fall in love!

Even though two aces is the best hand to start off with, the board may kill them. If you suspect that all the other players now have better cards, you’re probably right. Learn to drop them, or it will cost you.

Bring enough chips

A big stack gives you a psychological advantage over small stacks. Always bring a minimum of 50-100 times the big blind to the table when you buy in. This ought to cover for any bad luck streaks.

On bluffing

As a general rule, don’t try to steal a pot by trying to bluff a poor player, a heavy winner or a heavy loser. They will either figure you out or just get lucky. Either way you lose.

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