Top 5 best poker tips
Looking for the most important strategies for enhancing your poker game? Improving at poker is something that requires an investment of time and energy. Although there’s no magic list of surefire ways to become a professional, here are some fundamental poker tips that will get you started on the right track.
Be selective
Let’s start with one of the most common rookie mistakes. Don’t let yourself get carried away by enthusiasm when it comes to deciding what hands to play. New players who have just gotten past the step of learning the rules are often eager to play as many rounds as possible. That leads them to play hands that are likely to be less than ideal, just so they can get in on the action. The problem is that playing more frequently will almost inevitably lead to losing more. You should be playing less than half of all hands, so if you notice that you’re playing more than that, it’s time to readjust. Don’t just choose at random based on how you feel in the moment – set some specific requirements for what you play and what you don’t.
Manage your bankroll
This is a general guideline for all games that involve gambling, but with poker in particular, learning to bet properly is a huge part of strategy. That means picking the right games for your skill level and bankroll – usually there’s a pretty direct relationship: the higher the stakes, the more advanced the opponents, in which case you should feel pretty comfortable with your own abilities and start with a hefty bankroll. When it comes to spending, treat it just like a budget you’d have for other expenses. Set and follow rules for yourself that don’t change or get affected by any winning or losing streaks.
Keep a clear mind
Poker requires skill, and improvement takes work. If you’re serious about playing well, stay relatively sober. American poker player Dan Colman, who won a WSOP bracelet in 2014, said, “I don’t understand why people drink alcohol? It does nothing for you. An acquired taste? Why would you want to acquire a taste for something like alcohol?” Whether or not you agree with his views on alcohol in general, you have to admit that he makes a good point when it comes to professional poker. No one would recommend getting trashed before going for a drive or any other performance-based activity, and playing poker requires you to be at your sharpest.
Stay off tilt
Another state to avoid is emotion. If you’re feeling negative, it’s not going to go well. It’s called playing “on tilt,” and it happens to the best players. Something happens and it throws you off, you get frustrated, anxious, angry, whatever. Every player of every skill level has experienced this, and it can affect even the best player’s ability to play well. While there’s no way to predict when it will hit, you can avoid getting into games if you’re already feeling off. And, you can learn to recognize your own “tells” – what you do that might make it clear that you’re not feeling great or playing at your best. When you notice these things, it means that it might be time to either recalibrate your mentality or walk away.
Find a balance between confidence and humility
You work on choosing the best starting hands, reading other players’ tendencies and predicting moves, maintaining your bankroll. You learn to stay in control of yourself and play smart. That’s all important, but this last approach is vital. It’s a special balance of confidence and humility that’s required in any learning situation.
When you’re sitting at the table, and you go to check or raise or whatever it might be, be confident. You’ve made a judgment; be strong and don’t back down. Part of this is working on a poker face. However, the key to this method is what comes after this. You need to be willing to look back at decisions and view them flexibly. Analyze your moves to improve them. It’s a tricky balance – you don’t want to second guess yourself during the game because it will only get in your way, but you don’t want to be so arrogant that you never try to develop as a player.
The best way to make the most of these tips is to analyze where you are in your journey. Different players have different strengths and areas of growth, so it’s best to identify what you want to work on next. Good luck!
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