Poker is one of the most popular casino games of all times and has been around long before official licensed casinos were created. Initially created in the 1800’s, it is believed that today’s modern day poker derives from an old game called Poque, which was brought to New Orleans by French traders and sailors.
The game revolves around a group of players trying to build the best hand, according to the rank it is worth in the game. The game works in a clockwise motion where each player takes a bet based on what they think their hand is worth compared to other players. Each player must either match or call the previous bet. If this does not happen, the player must fold, losing the amount bet so far and ceasing any further involvement in the fame.
Poker online is highly popular today and is almost a different kettle of fish entirely. Online poker happens at a much quicker pace and as a result, can be a lot more exciting. In addition, players who play online poker can play in multiple poker rooms at any one time, increasing their chances of winning. However, caution must be exercised as this can be challenging for even the most experienced of poker players to do.
Below, we’ll take a look at some of the top poker strategies you need to memorise in order to improve your chances at winning more games.
Bluffing
Bluffing is a key skill that is mainly used in the physical poker space, although you can still apply the same principles as you would in live poker. In online games, bluffing is harder to pick up on and there is also a lot more of it going on as you can’t physically see your opponent. Without being able to pick up on physical queues, it becomes much easier for players to bluff – a lot.
The best way to manage this is by making notes on the hand of your opponents so that you’re more easily able to track their moves and smell a rat.
Additionally, if your bluff comes off then be open to showing your hand at showdown. Not only does this give you credibility at the table, it sets the scene for what kind of hand you’re happy to bluff with. Now that players expect a certain strategy from you, you can either play to this, or make a move that no one will expect.
Folding
(Man’s hands at a poker table)
As the saying goes “You got to know when to hold’em and when to fold’em’. While it’s an underrated move, fold poker can be an essential part of any strategic poker players strategy. While many players focus on the confrontational approaches including bluffing, raising and firing bets – and this is usually a good strategy that allows you to win the pot, a well-rounded player is also ready to cut their losses in order to improve their overall win rate.
Some aspects you should consider when making the decision whether or not to fold include –
- Your position
- Your opponent’s position
- Starting stack sizes
- The size of the open
- Tendencies of your opponents
- The skill-set of the opponent you’re up against
Value Betting
Value betting works in the same way with physical and online poker. The idea is to try to get called by worse hands as these players think they have an edge on you. You should only go for a value bet when you think your opponent will have a worse hand 50% of the time or more though in order for it to be profitable. In this sense, you need to be patient and wait it out.
Some of the top considerations for when placing a value bet include stacking ratio (you want the stack to pot ratio to be smaller), your opponents tendencies and the likelihood that they’re going to bluff and the opponent’s hand range.
Understanding risk vs. reward
Poker is a high stakes game and the more skilled you get at it, the higher the stakes will be in the games you play. As such, in order to stay on top and not become a victim to the game, you need to be able to understand the worth of the risk in relation to the reward.
Good poker players are excellent risk assessors and understand how to make the right decision in a tough situation. As you become more skilled, it’s also important to make the decision whether the pot in the game you are playing is too small to be worth the game too.
Overall, having a strategy is vital when it comes to being successful at poker. Poker is one of the most highly strategic games in the casino, in which there are many skilled and highly experienced poker players in the world. By being armed with the above tips and strategies, you are much more likely to succeed.
