Nine Top Poker Tips to Make You a Winner

Who doesn’t sometime fantasise about pulling off a great poker coup? Defying the odds to land a major win, best of all if you’ve managed to bluff your way into the winning position.

We’ve seen it in movies hundreds of times with everyone from James Bond to Cool Hand Luke pulling off the impossible.

But let’s not ever forget that these are movies, not real life. Yes, there are a few genuinely brilliant poker pros who can earn millions each year from the game. But, for the rest of us, it’s just not going to happen.

However, there are some tips that can help to raise your game whether you’re playing for cash or just for fun – and here are nine of them to start you off.

1. Learn some basic math

Poker might seem like it relies on the luck of getting a good hand, but it’s far more complex than that. Like all gambling games, success lies in being able to work with the information that you have to calculate the probabilities of certain outcomes. So if you can school yourself in some basic calculations about the likelihood of certain scenarios you’ll be at a distinct advantage.

2. Start small

Every player on Earth started out in games where the stakes were relatively small, even if they’re one of the game’s superstars today. You should too. It’s the best way to build up your skills and knowledge at a time when you’ll be losing a lot more than you win. One of the benefits of playing online poker is that many sites let you play games for free while you’re learning. You can then graduate on to playing for gradually higher stakes.

3. Relax

The very best players are the ones who can keep their cool even when the stakes are at their highest. It might seem counterintuitive to relax when so much might be on the line. But it’s certainly going to make you a better player. While you do need to be present in the game and not drift off into meditations about the life and the universe, there are certain breathing exercises that you can practise to relax and relieve stress. Use them and it will help.

4. Analyse opponents’ betting patterns

A great deal can be gained by matching up the hands your opponents are holding and the way that they bet on them. In the broadest sense, it can give you some clues to show when they might be bluffing. But as you become more adept at studying and analysing it, there are invaluable insights to be gained.

5. Be ready to change your style of play

Remember that in any game of poker your opponents will also be watching you very closely too. The best way to throw them off the scent is to change the way that you’re playing and betting so no patterns are formed. Of course, much of this will be dictated by the strength of the hand you have, but you can still be unpredictable.

6. Don’t play every hand

It can be tempting, especially as a beginner, to see where every hand takes you, But if you’ve done the math you’ll soon realize that relatively few hands are genuinely winning ones. The skill is to recognize fairly early on in a round when you’re on a hiding to nothing. So don’t be afraid to fold – you can still be picking up valuable information by watching the players who are still in the game.

7. Never over-bluff

We’ve all heard the story of the boy who cried “Wolf”. The same principle, flipped on its head, applies when to start bluffing too much. Other players will become wary of you and believe that you’re bluffing more often than not. So when you do genuinely stand to gain from doing it, the chances are that you’ll have severely compromised its effectiveness.

8. Operate just outside your comfort zone

Once you start playing with some confidence then it’s really time to kick on. Like any sport or game you’re only going to improve if you’re playing against opponents who push you to the limit, and maybe a little bit beyond. So choose tables where you’ll come up against more experienced and skilful players. Soon you’ll be playing at their level too.

9. Enjoy yourself

Last, but not least, make sure that you actively enjoy playing poker. Not only will this put you in a positive mindset to learn more about the game, it’s also sure to enhance your performance too. Yes, there will be lows when you’re losing but if the overall emotion is one of enjoyment it’ll see you through these times.

So there you have them. Nine great tips for any budding poker player. Now it’s time to put them all into practice.