Poker Tips

If you are a beginner, the tips below will make your first steps in poker simpler and will significantly reduce the risk of bankruptcy.

Poker tips

Manage your bankroll – never sit down at a table with your entire bankroll. Even the best player can go bankrupt this way. The luck factor is high in the short run. Having a sufficiently big bankroll (compared to the stakes) will let you avoid the risk of losing everything.
Do not play drunk, tired or stressed - it degrades your thinking process. You will not be able to make quick and optimal decisions, which can lead to big losses you will regret afterwards. If you still need badly to play, try practice mode or freerolls.
Play aggressively – aggression is the key to becoming a winning poker player. Whenever you have a strong hand, bet and raise. Thanks to that you will always have two chances to win - either by making your opponents fold of by having the best hand. If you play passively by checking and calling, you can win only by having the best hand and you also let your opponents to draw to better hands for free.
Select the right tables – always look for tables with weak players. Your advantage will turn into bigger winnings.
Observe you opponents – by observing your opponents, you can get a lot of valuable information about their play, which can be used against them.
Pay attention to stack sizes – usually players with small chip stacks are weak. If you choose tables with such players, you will boost your winnings in the long run. Observe also your chip stack. Optimally, you should rebuy each time when your stack gets below the table maximum, which is 100 times the big blind most of the time, to maximize your advantage.
Be patient - haste is a bad advisor in poker. Patience and discipline will let you always clearly assess situations and your chances to win. It will lead to making better decisions.
Do not rely on luck - luck influences winnings only in the short run. In the long run it is completely eliminated and the skill is everything that matters.
Leave at the right time - when you see that you have little chance to win, fold. Continuing with weak hands up to late betting rounds will ruin your bankroll. Also, if you notice that all players at the table are better than you, leave as soon as possible.
Focus on the game – Eliminate all the stimuli that may distract you. Switch off TV, radio, instant messenger, do not watch movies and do not check your mail inbox. You will be surprised with the concentration growth and increased winnings in the result.
Do not bluff too often – especially at lower stakes or against weak players, bluffs are called too often to be profitable. In such situations, reduce bluffing to the minimum and bet your strong hands hard at the same time.
Limit chatting – you can unconsciously reveal some information about your play to your opponents by using chat. You will also get distracted. If you can, completely stop chatting while playing poker.
Do not brag – save the knowledge about your skills for yourself. You can only hurt yourself by bragging - either by discouraging weak player from playing with you or by attracting better players to your table.
Do not criticize your opponents – by judging loudly your opponents play, you can reveal some knowledge to them as well as discourage them from playing with you and lose potential winnings.
Be a gentleman – remember that many weak players play for entertainment. If you insult them or swear loudly, you can spoil their fun and you risk that they will leave the table sooner.
Do not be too greedy – generally, greed is good in poker. We play to take chips from other players. However, excessive greed may cause you to stop making optimal decisions.
Do not stall for time – make your decisions quickly and efficiently. Nobody likes to wait long for his turn to act.
Wait for your turn – do not reveal information about your hand and planned move until it is your turn to act. Other players can use it to your disadvantage.

Poker Tips

Poker tips

More articles on general poker: