Top five poker strategy tips

Poker may involve luck, but it’s far from being a pure game of chance. The right poker strategies can make all the difference. Check out our poker strategy tips to give yourself the best chance of a big win.

How do you maximize your position in poker?

One quick and simple way to improve your poker strategy and boost your poker winnings is to play more hands from the positions where you get to act last. More specifically, this means playing more hands from seats such as the button (where you’re the dealer, and last player to act), the cutoff (immediately to the right of the button), and the hijack (two seats to the right of the button).

This gives you an advantage in how you call, and how much control you have over the size of the pot, as well as allowing you to bluff strategically. Playing from a strong position allows you to tilt less because you act after all, or most, of the other players and therefore have a much better idea of what is going on around the table. Maximizing your position is a basic poker strategy that you need to always have in mind when you sit down to a game.

Is poker strategy or luck?

It’s both. Luck dictates the cards you’re dealt, of course, but how you play them is where strategy comes in. Developing a basic strategy for poker is something that even a beginner can do, and the more you play, the more you’ll learn about how different poker strategies can be used in different situations.

Your strategy will depend on a lot of factors, such as your position, the hand you’re dealt, and how the other players are playing, but poker is certainly different from lots of other casino games. As you slowly learn how to play poker, you’ll realize that there are plenty of games of chance that come down to pure luck. However, poker definitely combines luck and skill, which some would argue is just another word for strategy.

Aggressive poker play

One of the common poker tips you’ll hear is not to be afraid of using aggressive play. In many casino games, aggression is seen as a bad thing, and we’re encouraged to be disciplined in the way that we wager. Poker, however, can really reward players who are willing to take risks and play aggressively. This doesn’t mean that players should always go into the game aggressively and bet everything they have. However, new players shouldn’t be afraid to take a few risks if they want to secure a big win. 

Playing cautiously might save you money at first, but it also seriously limits how much you can win. It is fine to play fairly aggressively when you have a solid starting hand. Aggressive play doesn’t guarantee you a win, of course, but your chances of securing a win do increase when you start off with a great hand and commit to playing aggressively. 

So, what exactly does aggressive playing look like? It generally means pushing your advantage and forcing players with weaker hands – or nerves – to either fold or bet more to stay in the game. Again, only do this if you have a strong hand to start with. Some of the best poker tips and strategies center on knowing when to take a risk and when to hold back. 
If your hand consists of high pairs or is made up of A-Q or A-K, it’s a good time to play aggressively. Bet high, show confidence, and play like you know that you are going to win. This type of play is the best chance you have of pushing the non-serious players out of the game as soon as possible. 

Patience 

While aggressive play is a smart poker strategy when you have a strong hand, patience is also needed when your cards are weak. The best poker strategies for cash games revolve around having the patience to wait to push an advantage. It’s fine to fold on more hands than you play. Being picky about the type of hand you play can really pay off over time.

Remember that most hands will not be winning ones, and that’s okay. You won’t win every game, so instead of fighting a losing battle, it can be good to be patient and wait it out until you have a stronger hand. 

Observe your competition 

If you fold early, use the time to study how the other players are playing that hand. Advanced poker strategies are not just about how you play the game. Many of them are about understanding how your opponent plays the game. Fold early on a weak hand and use the downtime to see how other players bet, study their tells, and craft a winning strategy for when your hand is right.

Stay calm 

As a regular poker player, one thing you really need to do is develop your ‘poker face’. If you’re folding on weak hands to study the other players and work out their tells, you can bet that they’re also doing the same sometimes. Staying calm and maintaining that poker face at all times is actually a poker strategy in itself, as it will mean that other players will find it hard to predict your play or know when you’re bluffing.

Bluff 

Knowing how and when to bluff is essential and is one of those poker tips that is not discussed enough. New poker players think that it’s important to bluff, but in fact it can be a far better strategy, as a brand-new player, to simply play the good hands and fold on the bad ones. This can work better than trying to introduce a bluffing strategy while you are still learning the game.

Until the basics are second nature to you, trying to achieve an effective bluff is often a mistake. Keep your mind in the game and worry about your cards rather than impressing other players with your bluffing prowess. As your skill increases, and you perfect your poker face, you can start trying out poker bluff strategies.

Practice poker play

Ultimately, success at poker comes with practicing your strategies and getting experience of the game and all its nuances. Try our poker games for free to fine-tune your poker skills.

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Author: Darcie

Title: Resorts Live Project Manager Length with RC: 4 months Favorite Casino Game: Jersey Devil Background in iGaming: Primary background is in live streaming. Introduced to iGaming through ResortsLIVE. Location: Based in New Jersey at the Resorts Casino HQ