Poker Strategy

Poker Strategy

Poker is a popular card game that incorporates both chance and strategy. Know the best poker tips to rock the game!

Poker has won hearts all over the world because it’s a fairly easy game to learn. Most players can pick it up with a few practice games. However, mastering poker is a whole different ball game. Poker is a game of not only skill but also strategy. So, you need to develop your basic poker strategy and keep improving it with the lessons of every game you play. There are different poker tips of which beginners and advanced players can both make use.

Poker tips can fall under two broad categories; particular tips for a certain type of poker game and general tips for poker to improve your overall gameplay. Since each player prefers a different variation of this rollercoaster of a game, discussing a particular game that may not be up everyone’s alley does not make much sense to get into the nitty-gritty of each game. We will instead discuss tips to improve your gameplay across poker variations for both beginners and advanced players. Once you have a good firm hold over these aspects of your game you can dig in deeper to improve the poker game that you are fond of the most.

Poker Tips and Tricks

It is not simply luck that causes you to win at poker. It is knowing the best poker tricks and using the right poker strategy that will help you play poker better and win in the long run. 

Online Poker Tips

Here are five online poker tips and tricks you can use for a game.

• Avoid Limping
• Do Not Play All Poker Hands
• Play Against One Player And Not All Players
• Build Your Table Image
• Exploit the Weakness Of Your Opponents

Online Poker Strategy

Do you want to learn how to win poker? Read these five simple poker rules. Follow these strategies to win when you are playing online poker in India.

• Avoid Limping: Limping means just calling all the bets of the previous player. If a poker player just only calls a bet and does not raise a bet, then the opponents can easily make out that the poker player is weak. A smart opponent will play aggressively and make the limper fold their cards. The limper will lose all the money that he used for betting. This is why you must avoid limping.

• Do Not Play All Poker Hands: A good poker player will mostly use a combination technique of aggressive playing and folding poker hands. Your goal as a poker player must be to reach the last round of the game. If you play even when your cards are not the best, then you may finish your poker chips when you could have saved them. Therefore, a good idea is to play only the good poker hands and fold the weak hands. This is a good physical and online poker strategy.

• Play Against One Player And Not All Players: You cannot play against all your opponents. It is important to choose just one player who you want to play against. It is nearly impossible to play against all the players on the table because you will need a strategy against each one of them. Playing against one player at a time and making them opt out of the game should make the perfect plan for winning in poker. It becomes easy to play against one instead of playing against all the players. This is a basic poker strategy.
   
• Build Your Table Image: Your table image matters a lot in a poker game. If you do not have the best of cards and keep betting with these cards, then the other players will have the impression that you play even the bad cards with the same magnitude. On the other hand, if your poker hand had the best cards during a showdown, then other players will know that you are a serious player. They will take your strength of cards more seriously and will even take your bluffs more seriously.
   
• Exploit the Weakness Of Your Opponents: Actions help you in a poker game and not your emotions. You have to take certain decisions in a game of poker. Exploiting the weakness of your opponents is one such action. You should try to win their poker chips in the game to build your stack. This would not be called being mean but being practical.

These were the five-pointers to win online poker in India. Hope these points help you. You can play poker with your friends to understand how to win poker. The more you play a game, the better you will get in the game. So, play maximum games and practice as much as you can to win. Make sure you are having fun while playing poker.

Fundamental Theorem of Poker

David Sklansky is the man who defined the fundamental theorem of poker. He states, “Every time you play a hand differently from the way you would have played it if you could see all your opponents' cards, they gain; and every time you play your hand the same way you would have played it if you could see all their cards, they lose."

Pot Odds, Implied Odds, and Poker Probabilities

Pot Odds

The ratio of the current size of the pot, or winnings, to the cost of a call is known as pot odds. If the pot is $5 and your opponent bets $1, you will have to pay one-sixth of it. That is how you get a chance to win.

Implied Odds

Implied Odds describe how much you might win on future hands based on how much you need to bet next. Using Implied Odds is a method of determining whether or not placing the next bet against your opponent is a good idea. Calculating an Implied Odd in poker is similar to calculating Pot Odds, except that Implied Odds take into account any estimated future betting.

Poker Probabilities

The number of possible outcomes when dealing with a deck of cards is much greater than in the coin example. Each poker deck contains 52 cards, each of which is labeled with one of four suits (Clubs ♣, Diamonds ♦, Hearts ♥, and Spades ♠) and one of thirteen ranks (the numbers two through Ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace). As a result, the chances of getting any Ace as your first card are rare. Same way, getting royal flush as a poker hand is rare. Getting a high card like a poker hand is common. Knowing probabilities is a good poker tournament strategy.

Deception and Position

There are three types of poker positions

• Early
• Middle
• Late

Having a late position on the poker table is a privilege. A late position means the last seat on the poker table. Anyone who is seated in the late position is the last to act. You can bluff your opponents into folding their cards if you are seated in a late position. Bluffing is a technique of deception. If a player bets a high amount of money for weak cards such as 2 and 3, then it is called playing a bluff. When you are playing a bluff, you manipulate other players into folding their cards with deception.

Reasons to Call and Raise

Reasons to Call

• You are starting the betting round.
• Everyone on the table is limping.

Reasons to Raise

• You want to take control
• You want to increase the amount of money in the pot
• You want other players to fold
• You want to make your opponents bet with weaker cards

Gap Concept

The term "gap concept," coined by renowned poker author David Sklansky, refers to the idea that a player needs a better hand to call a raise as compared to raising a bet. 

Sandwich Effect

The sandwich effect, which is related to the gap effect, states that a player needs a stronger hand to stay in a pot when there are opponents yet to act behind him. Because the player has no idea how many opponents will be in the pot or whether he will have to call a re-raise, he has no idea what his effective pot odds are. As a result of this uncertainty, a stronger hand is desired.

Loose/Tight Play

Loose Play

A loose player prefers to play a large number of hands without emphasizing their pre-flop value. 

Tight Play

A tight player plays a limited number of hands. He doesn't play as many weak or marginal hands post-flop as a loose player does. In general, his play is more conscientious.

Aggressive / Passive Play

Aggressive Play

An aggressive player is not afraid to take chances and raises more than calling. The betting and raising strategy is part of an aggressive poker strategy.

Passive Play

A passive player avoids confrontation and plays with a fear of losing. Checking and calling are part of a passive poker strategy.

Hand Reading, Tells, and Leveling

Hand Reading

Hand reading refers to guessing your opponents’ cards based on the betting style in the pot. Amateur players use this technique. They judge the poker hand of players based on the sequence of betting actions in the pot. 

Skilled players are not into hand reading. Instead, the skilled players find out the possible hands that their opponent is holding based on his playing style in the current hand and previous hands both. 

Tells

Poker tells is a technique used to guess your opponent's poker hand based on his changing behavior in the game. It means reading your opponent's cards by observing their behavior during the game. This is a popular poker cash game strategy.

Leveling

Leveling means thinking from multiple perspectives during an online poker game. You level up by thinking beyond your cards.

A skilled player looks beyond their cards and levels up by thinking about their opponent's cards. 

• Guess what cards your opponents are holding.
• Figuring out why he called or raised a bet.
• Thinking about the possibilities of best poker hands of all opponents, and so on are examples of leveling.

In short, you level up in making guesses during the game with not just your poker hand but by continuous evaluation of the overall table situation. 

Equity

In poker, equity is the portion of the pot that is yours based on the odds that you will win the pot then. After each street – pre-flop, flop, turn, and river – equity changes. The strategy for poker equity is quite simple. Betting will cause players with weaker hands to fold, allowing you to win the pot.

Short-Handed Considerations

Players must loosen up their play (play more hands) when playing short-handed (at a table with 3-6 players) for two reasons:

• Because there are fewer players, there is less chance of another player having a strong hand.
• Because fewer players are contributing to the forced bets, each player's share of the forced bets increases, making waiting for premium poker hands more expensive.

Structure Considerations

Blinds/Antes and Table Stake Limits play a major role in deciding the overall nature of a poker game. Understanding the structure and making your decisions is the best poker strategy. It is easier to manipulate the pot odds in No-Limit or Pot-Limit games. Manipulating pot odds means increasing your winning odds by:

• Playing a bluff.
• Making opponents bet with weaker cards so that their chip stack gets over.
• Intimidating other players to fold during the game.

Playing a bluff is an ultimate Texas Holdem strategy. Whereas, bluffing does not work very well as an Omaha poker strategy. This is because Texas Hold’em Poker is played at no-limit and Omaha Poker is played at Pot Limit.

Basic Poker Strategies for Beginners

1. Make up your mind:

In poker, it becomes exceedingly important to know the reason behind you choosing to play poker. If you want to play poker to make consistent money, you need to put in the time and effort to achieve the required level of proficiency. Of course, you can also choose to play for entertainment purposes, in this case, make sure that you are setting aside a fixed amount of money for it. Even if you do

choose to play for recreational purposes, there is no reason why you cannot make some extra bucks at the tables and graduate to a professional poker player. Many of the most famous players have climbed their way to the top of the ladder using this part-time strategy. Have a clear idea as to why you are playing poker does help you make decisions regarding your poker strategy easier.

2. Know your odds:

When it comes to poker, you as a player, need to keep making good decisions and wait for them to bear fruit. Poker demands a level of patience and maturity from its players. A good poker strategy is to know your odds. It is not sensible or realistic for you to expect to win every game that you play. Since you cannot control the hands that you are dealt, the only thing for you to do is play your best in every game. Your best in each game will differ, sometimes playing your best may mean folding early and other times it may mean staying in the game and raising the bets. Knowing your odds and choosing which hands to play will help you go a long way in poker.

3. Avoid Emotional Plays

This is an extremely important part of poker and probably the single most important poker strategy that separates beginners from professions. Emotional plays are often used by players at the table to the advantage of others and this would lead to huge losses for an unversed novice. The good news is that your opponents can only use your emotions against you if and when you let them. Avoiding an emotional take on a game will help you avoid any tilt in your game. Stay focused, confident and be prepared to take risks, or fold your cards, as and when the situation demands. Getting bullied or baited into raising stakes on a bad hand or folding on a perfectly decent one is all a part of the emotional play. Always remember to keep your steady eyes on the big prize.

4. Think far

Starting hands are a good place to start building your poker strategy, but they are not the end-all factor in deciding your position in a game of poker. After gaining a strong enough grasp on the basic guidelines surrounding starting hands, it is time for you to move on to the rest of the game. Playing well in the remaining hand is equally, if not more important than having a solid entry hand. The decision that players make at the end of each hand is important. Learning how to calculate the pot’s odds, recognise the patterns of the bets, bluff and use your position to your advantage are all skills that play a major role in improving your poker strategy.

Additional Poker Strategies for Advanced Players

1. Know your playing style

Each poker player, over time, develops their playing style which affects their basic poker strategy. There are an endless number of takes on poker, but they all boil down to a few styles.

• Some players are aggressive in their play and bet a lot, increase the stakes and are the first ones to open a pot. These players like putting others under pressure and ramping up the pace of the game.
• Others follow a more passive approach, sizing players up and following the lead of the aggressive players.
• Yet others pay heed to caution and follow a tight approach to poker. They play a few calculated hands and take minimal risks.
• The last category is the opposite of the previous one, these players have the tendency to play lots of hands and love risk.

You must figure which of these approaches describes you. A good approach would be to have a bit of all and keep tweaking your approach according to the situation. If you are a beginner go in with a little bit of aggression but have tight control of the risks, you take.

2. Bluff with Brains

Bluffing can win you a pot that is about to slip from your hands completely. This is true but only when they are well-timed and well planned. If you are holding some marginal hands and are hesitant to invest too much in them then bluffing can come to your rescue. It can act as a lifesaver with a second chance at the pot. So, make sure you think through the whole hand and build your bluff convincingly enough from the get-go. Throwing in a rogue bet at the end moment with the hopes of winning the pot will serve you at all. Your opponent will see right through you and you will be in hotter soup than before the bluff. So be cool and collected and get your poker face on before you bluff.

Now to some people, developing your own strategy may sound tiresome and lengthy so we are here with some poker tips that will have you on your way to becoming a better poker player in no time!

Poker Tips & Tricks

There are a few poker tricks which can steer you in the right direction when it comes to this simple but elusive game. Regardless of whether you are a beginner wanting to get your basics right without much complication. Continue reading to find out the five best tips that can help anyone get better at poker with a little practice. Keep these up your sleeve and watch your winnings grow.

1. Play for the long haul

So firstly, if you are playing poker, take it up as a long-term practice of a skill that you can hone over time. Every player learns through experience, you may go all-in on cards that are fantastic but give up on you at the river. It is better to accept that in a game of poker the table can turn at any time. This also means that they can turn in your favor and your skill and practice will have a lot to do with this. There is no exact science to poker. Having said this, the more you play the better you get. Read on to find out when to be aggressive, when to hold yourself back and how to get in on the psychology of a player.

2. Know when to be aggressive

Poker is not a game for the faint-hearted. When you have a good hand don’t be shy to get some skin in the game. The only way to win big is to bet big and force the other at the table to do the same or fold. So, ¬¬¬when you are dealt a pair of kings or aces, basically a strong, solid high hand, make sure you milk it till you can. It is not often that you will get a chance to do this confidently, as we have discussed, you need to know your odds. When the odds are in your favour, an aggressive play can buy you your next international vacation or maybe even a new house. So, better get your head in the game right away. As a novice player, you may be a little hesitant when it comes to betting. You may choose to check when you should ideally bet and call a bet when you should be raising the roof of the stakes.

When you do this the other players at the table will take you to be a weaker player and get into your head. Underplaying your hand is a sure shot recipe to incur some losses that may dent your bank balance. Once you are tagged as a player who hardly ever bets or raises you will be bullied at the table by the more aggressive players. Choose your playing style according to your hands and be prepared to be aggressive.

3. Know when to be patient

In poker you have to strike the correct balance between the times to be aggressive and times to be patient. Knowing the difference between these times is a fundamental skill in poker. This point brings us back to the basic poker strategy of knowing your odds. You will have to fold multiple hands before you play one and that my friend, requires patience. Aggressively betting on a dead hand hoping to catch a good card at the river will not help your case. In general, a player will get dealt more losing hands than winning ones so be patient, pay your dues and sit tight while you wait for your golden hen.

4. Play the player

Poker is a mind game as much as a skill or luck-based one. The situation rules supreme in poker and you need to know how to use that against your opponent in the most effective way possible. Poker is based on relativity, that means, hands are only good or bad in comparison to other hands. You need not have aces and kings to win a hand. Of course, a Royal Flush is never a bad hand, but you can win with just a better hand than the other players at the same table.

Consider this, a pair of kings is a great hand, but only compared to a queen or lower. If your opponent is holding a pair of aces your kings are mostly bound to lose. So how do you know what the other players are holding? This is where you need to play the player. Observe your opponents, learn their traits and adjust your play accordingly. Poker will teach you to have confidence in yourself, learn endurance and manage your stress right and these will also ultimately improve your game.

5. Read. Read. Read

Yes, this is probably the best tip that we can give you. Reading books or articles or blogs, whichever you prefer, will greatly help you no matter what your proficiency level in poker is. Make use of the bottomless pile of information at your disposal. The masters of poker have a lot to share about the immensely popular sport. Keep upgrading yourself at the game just like you would any another skill. Stagnancy should be your enemy when it comes to poker. As you keep learning you can play games online to quickly test out your strategies and make notes.

Keep these tips in mind and master your poker game with your new and improve poker strategy. At Spartan poker, you can play for real money or practise your game till you are confident about playing at the hottest poker tournaments out there. Huge rewards await you at the Spartan Poker website.