It doesn’t matter whether you’re just getting into poker, or have had a little success and want to go to the next level, it takes a lot of patience and dedication to play like a pro. Here we look at a few tips you can use to get you there.
1. Play Fewer Hands and Play Them Aggressively
A common mistake new players make is playing too many hands. Poker is a game about knowing when to play and when to lay your hand down. You should study preflop charts to help you determine when to play which hands and from which positions. In addition to entering too many hands, players will play those hands timidly. Playing timidly lets your opponents take advantage of you with weaker hands. You need to play aggressively, so you can potentially take down pots when you do have the weaker hand.
2. Keep up with New Strategies and Innovations
The best way to learn is to follow the pros and see what they do. The best players in the world are constantly innovating and applying new strategies. You can keep up with the game by watching professional matches. Fortunately, you can easily monitor the latest news at Realpokernews.com and even earn some no deposit chips for poker too.
3. Semi-Bluff Aggressively on Your Draws
Another common mistake that new players make is that they do not know when to bet. They know to bet when they have a good hand, and they know that they sometimes need to bluff. However, most new players are not familiar with the concept of semi-bluffing. Semi-bluffing is when you bet with a draw because your hand has good equity. For example, you might bet on the turn when all you have is Ace high, but you have the nut flush draw. In that situation you probably have at least 20 to 30 percent equity to hit and have the best hand. Additionally, there is a decent chance that they could fold, and you do not need to go to showdown. Some of the top poker players even play chess, which might help them learn how to set their opponents up.
4. Fast Play Strong Hands
New players sometimes bet small when they have strong hands because they are scared that players will fold. However, you want to play fast, bet big, and build a pot with your strong hands. If they call that is fine, but do not give your opponents a chance to flop two pair for free when you have Aces. Sometimes you will take it down pre-flop with your good hands and you will be a little sad that you could not win more, but that is the optimal strategy.
5. Defend Your Big Blind
When you have the big blind you have already invested some of your chips, and as a result, you should play a little wider, especially if the table folded to late position. If the bet is small and you are only against the button, consider calling with your off-suit Aces, small pairs, and suited connectors.
6. Play Wide (but not too wide) on the Button
The button is the person seated the right of the blinds, and it is the best position in poker. You are the last to play in post-flop play, and you are in the best position to steal the blinds for free. You should be playing your buttons aggressively, but not too aggressively. Do not play hands like 2/7o, but you can bet more aggressively with weaker hands in this position, especially if you have a large stack.
7. Do Not Worry About Survival Early in Tournaments
Finally, do not worry about survival early in tournaments. You will never make it deep by playing cautiously at the start of tournaments. You need to play smart poker and focus on building a stack. Part of tournament play is taking risks early on so that you have a chance to make a deep run later on. That being said, play smart, not recklessly.
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