Online Poker tips
Though Poker is a very old game, it has just recently become the cultural phenomenon that it is today. Within the past few decades, the World Series of Poker has quadrupled in size and in prize money. If you are interested in getting in on the action, here are some poker tips that you should follow:
1. Fold often
Winners do not play every hand. One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a novice is playing too many hands. It is very common for beginners to think that in order to play poker, you have to throw your chips in on every single hand. That just is not the case. In fact, that is a quick way to lose your money. You should fold on average around 50 percent or more of the hands you are dealt.
2. Drunks lose
I can not tell you how many times I have been at a poker table and have seen a drunk man lose his shirt. When you are drunk, it is much harder to be patient. Patience is a large part of poker. You spend a great deal of time sitting on the side watching other people play their hands.
Being drunk makes it very difficult to sit and do nothing without falling asleep. When you are drunk, you fall into the same trap that beginners do. Your judgment slips, and you go into hands that you would not go into and make bets that you would not make if you were sober.
When money is on the line, never play while inebriated. A drink or two is fine as long as you have complete control of your faculties.
3. Don’t bluff to bluff
Many beginners know about bluffing, but fail to implement it correctly into their game. There are no rules requiring you to bluff, but a common part of the poker experience is the thrill of bluffing an opponent out of his stack of chips.
It is a fun part of the game, but when taken too far it can be ruinous. Bluffs are to be used in choice situations. The best bluffs not only win you the pot, but also play psychological warfare on your opponents. When you have them guessing at your next move, you have a priceless edge. But keep your bluffing in check.
4. Get out while you can
Another mistake rookies make is staying in hands far longer than they should. Get out while the getting is good, and before you get taken for any more chips. Chasing cards to see if you can catch something on the turn or the river can cost you a lot of money.
You must learn to see the signs of when someone has you beat. How are they acting as they sit in their chair? Are they betting aggressively or passively? Are they setting up a trap?
You have to constantly process these types of things. As soon as you see the odds of you winning the hand go out of your favor, it is time to call it quits. Do not stay in hands because you feel pot invested.
Those are just a few poker tips. There is a lot more information to learn if you want to master poker. But if you follow these suggestions, you should see a drastic improvement in your game.
