For those of you that are new, or even experienced in Poker, here are some beginner poker tips to help your play and improve your skill:
Beginners Poker Tips
First of all, learn what hands are best to play, and learn that not every hand is going to win. When you first join a Poker table, it’s easy to get carried away and think that playing hundreds of hands is going to make you win hundreds of times – it isn’t.
Obviously, if you are wanting to start from scratch and build up your knowledge, my advice would be to not play for real money at first, get used to the game, get used to losing, because it is going to happen, even the best Pro Poker Players lose.
If you’re playing land based games, practice your Poker Face, the key is to show no expressions, especially when you are dealt cards. The one thing that other players can see at a table is your face, if they look at you when you pick up your cards and see a big cheesy grin, they know you have a good hand. Alternatively, if you are dealt a rubbish hand, DO NOT sigh or show that you are disappointed, because this will only cause other players to raise their stakes, forcing you to fold. If other players think they have as much chance at winning the game as you, they are going to be more cautious, and play less aggressively.
Don’t get too hung up on this though, bluffing is only a minor factor of how to be successful at poker, and for the most part, you wont even use it (especially if you’re playing online).
At first it is definitely better to concentrate on playing better hands than bluffing, as you need to keep your head in the game and not let anything distract you.
One of the most obvious, but not often put into practice rules is to play against people that aren’t as experienced at poker as you. Much like taking candy from a baby, if you play on lower stakes tables where beginners are playing, they are less likely to have an upper hand on you, and can often, but not always, lead to a victory for you. Of course, if you are a beginner yourself, playing on the lower stakes tables is a must, and concentrate on the game until you know how to play. Don’t worry, not everyone you are playing is going to have more experience than you, as often, when people play lower stakes tables for more frequent wins, they often get bored and go on to the higher stakes to win more money.
Another point to consider when learning, is that other people on the table are also playing poker, and think they are going to win just as much as you. This is when you should start to take notice of opponent’s cards and how they are playing. If they appear to be playing aggressively, they probably have a strong hand, and chances are, if you aren’t playing aggressively, it is stronger than yours. Beware though, because this could be bluffing too.
If you do have a weak hand though, it is wise to fold, especially if other players are playing hard and raising large amounts of money, remember, you aren’t always going to win.
How To Play Poker
Something that comes before all of this though, is that you need to know how to play poker. Sitting down and playing random hands without knowing the strength of them, or what it is you’re trying to achieve, is not going to get you anywhere. There are various different places you can visit to read up on poker, obviously there are many books out there such as “The Virgin Guide to Poker” by Alex Tanner, and obviously there are some good quality websites out there that will teach you in the form of an online course.
Finally, play it safe. If you are still at the table with all but one or two other players having folded, chances are, they are just as likely to have cards as good as yours, if you’re not confident you are going to win, play it safe and fold, unless you’re feeling lucky!
That Poker Guy 