Top 8 Tips to Improve Your Poker Game

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Are you a beginner, intermediate, or advanced poker player? It really doesn’t matter - keep these 8 tips in the back of your mind at your next poker game. I am here to help you be the better player at the table. Boost your poker performance and rake in the winnings that you have always wanted! Although beginners may find this more useful, I encourage you advanced players to also consider the following:

1. Don’t Play while Drunk or Emotionally Distracted

Sure, being drunk can spice up the game to be that much more exciting. But really, how exciting is it to throw away your stacks of chips? If you’re playing in a high stakes game, avoid the alcohol. If you’re with friends, then sure a drink or two is great. Remember that alcohol can impair your judgement, which is an essential skill to possess when it comes to poker. Similarly, you shouldn't bring your emotions to a poker game. If you’re at the poker table, then your only emotion needs to be your desire to increase your chip count, and not the things that have lead you to having a bad day. If you’re in a bad mood, then don’t play poker, because your rational thought processes will be disrupted by emotions. Similarly, if you lose a big hand, stand up, take a breather and calm down. Your frustrations will spiral out of control just like your chips will spiral down the toilet if you’re not focused.

2. Don’t Always Stay in the Hand Until the End

Just because you’ve dumped a truckload of chips into the pot, it doesn’t mean you have to see the round to its end! A huge mistake that players make is that because they have put so much money into the pot, they decide that they can’t fold or else it will be all wasted. Countless times I have seen players put themselves in the feeling of a point of no return, where they simply depend on pure luck with low probabilities that they can win the pot on the river. If you have a bad hand, it’s best to fold or else your opponent may very well push you to dump double the chips that you’ve already put into the pot. Avoid the temptation to see your hands until the end, and fold! You’re losing more money that you think!

3. Don’t Bluff Without Any Kind of Hand

Bluffing has always been viewed as a risky move. It takes skill and precise execution to master the art of bluffing. Therefore to you beginners, don’t try this bluffing tactic. Chances are, your opponents will have you beat. They may very well pick out the flaws in your betting techniques that may uncover a wrong bluff from a right bluff. Play your cards as you see them. If you have a high hand, then it’s okay to raise since your opponents can never really determine your play style until your cards are revealed at the end of the round.

4. Don’t Always Be Aggressive

Aggressive betting can backfire on a player, and this ties in with the bluffing idea. Again, play your cards as you see them. Remember that it’s not about the number of hands you win, but the number of chips that you win. In that regard, if you flop a solid hand (flush, straight, or full house), then you are in great shape to win the pot. If you aggressively bet early in the round, it will cause other players to fold, and the pot will not grow as much. The objective is to keep your opponents in the pot early on in the round, then weed them out as the round continues to the point where the pot has become large for you to win. However, consider that other players can get lucky to get a better hand on the river, so balance aggression with conservation.

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 User Comments:

Terry Johnson

Jul 7, 2010 7:48 AM

Thanks for the great tips. Since I recently started playing, I keep on searching the web for more tips and startegy info. I cam across this site that offers plenty and I'm sure more beginner players, like I, will enjoy it: http://pokerworld.pacificpoker.com

xendependant

Nov 5, 2008 10:50 AM

These tips are helpful - for a beginner. There is nothing in here for an intermediate to advanced player, unless you're talking about the kind of people who only play home games over a couple of beers.

pkrstar

Sep 19, 2008 7:42 PM

i fold.

quizzy

Sep 16, 2008 5:56 PM

i am the master at bluffing.
i get alot of practice lying to my gf hahaha

tonyTp

Jul 15, 2008 2:05 AM

LOL unfourtunatly i only play when im emotionally distracted.. sucks to be me.

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