Poker is a test of mental strength and strategy, that takes a lot of time and patience to master. Whether you’re just playing as a hobby, or have hopes of becoming a professional poker player in a high-stakes tournament, it’s a fun challenge to learn a new skill and impress other players.
The only issue with poker is that it can be an exceptionally difficult game to learn. As a beginner, you may think that you’ve got the hang of the different hands, how to keep a poker face, and how to avoid making unnecessary bets, but as in every poker guide, here we’ll share with you some more advanced tips and tricks that will take your gameplay to the next level. From how to fold when you’re unsure, to how you can ‘semi-bluff’ your opponents, here’s everything you need to know.
1. Improve Your Understanding of Pot Odds
If you want to make a profit each time you head to the poker table, you need to have an in-depth knowledge of how pot odds and equity work. This is all about determining the ratio of the pot size to the cost of a move you’re about to make. Similarly, equity refers to the chance of you winning a hand against your opponents.
Before you make any move in poker, you need to think of these two things. Ask yourself, “Do I have a good chance of making a profitable move?” and “Is my next move worth the returns that are available?”
When you’re able to think your decisions through in terms of profitability, you’ll find that you make clearer decisions that provide the optimal outcome almost every time.
2. Learn How To Semi-Bluff
Bluffing is a technique that any good poker player needs to be a master at if they want to successfully outwit their component. If you learn how to bluff effectively, you could wipe the table with the other players but, if you bluff ineffectively, it’s an easy way to lose any money you’ve got.
Usually, the safest way to bluff without causing too much suspicion among your other players is something known as a ‘semi-bluff’. This is when you only bluff when your cards allow you to; for example, if you have a set of cards that could potentially turn into a winning hand later on, like a straight draw, this is a great time to do a semi-bluff as you know your cards have some potential.
As many poker players quickly find out, bluffing with nothing is an extremely risky game – which is something the best, glamorous poker TV programs will never show you.
3. Make Use of Exploitative Plays
If you want to win big in a game of poker, you’re going to have to take your opponents down which means getting familiar with exploitative plays.
While you’re playing a game with others, try to keep an eye on players that seem to not be as experienced as you. Once you start to notice particular weaknesses in your opponents’ gameplay, you can start to use these to your advantage in your future moves.
Adjusting your strategy to exploit the weaknesses of your opponents is a good way to keep yourself two steps ahead. It could involve doing things like overbetting or making well-timed bluffs to make them question everything they’re doing.
4. Don’t Be Scared of Folding
When you’re just getting into poker, every time you fold may feel like quitting – but that’s not the case.
One of the key skills that sets professional players apart from amateurs is having the confidence to know when things aren’t going your way and not being ashamed to give up. If you’ve been dealt a bad hand with no potential for improvement, there’s no point bluffing your way through the round, just fold. It’s easier said than done when you want to win big, but it’s better to fold than lose all of the money you’ve put in.
Listen to your gut when you’re playing poker, if something does not feel right, or you have a feeling that things aren’t going to go your way, there’s no harm in waiting for the next game for another chance.
5. Never Think You Know Everything
Even the top poker players think they know everything and will continually do what they can to improve their gameplay and keep up with the latest poker news – and you should be doing the same.
Every time you’ve finished a game of poker – regardless of where you ranked on the table – should be going over all of your decisions and identifying areas where you made mistakes, opportunities for improvements, and moments when you made the optimal move.
If you can, you should also ask for feedback from other players, dealers, or poker mentors, to have an outside perspective of how well you played.
When you regularly review and analyze your performance as a poker player, you’ll be able to refine your poker strategy and become more experienced.
