Archive for the ‘Poker Strategies’ Category

Beginner’s guide for poker players

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Once you have that zeal for the poker game that most players have, you will definitely want to know the guidelines for how to win the game most often with poker chips. It is the fact that no one can win all the games and so you must be prepared for the losses too. There are many reasons of victory and one of them can be your luck or your component’s unluckiness.

No one can deny the fact that poker is a game of luck but smartness and quick decisions and right calculations can help you win even with not so good hands. There are two things that you must keep in mind while playing. It is important to know about holdem poker chip sets if you are playing Texas Holdem.

One is that you must be quick to judge your component’s strategy of playing and at the same time you must decide quickly yours. You must calculate on the poker table fast. The second thing is that you must be good at mathematics, as that will help you a lot.

Poker - The Preparation depends on the game

Sunday, April 19th, 2009

When it comes to poker play my personal belief in terms of how much preparation is required depends on the context of the next game that I know I’ll be playing. The biggest determining factor for me is whether I am playing in a texas holdem poker tournament or a poker cash game where you will find each poker chip set at a monetary value that will not change. Also, if I’ve done something like planned a big trip to Las Vegas chip values go up across the board and I am more likely to spend more time prepping.

I find a specific poker tournament is more likely to get me into preparation mode. The reason for this is it is more of a structured event. From my point of view a poker tournament is more like a set game similar to something like a football game. There is a predetermined beginning and end. There are predetermined blind structures where the cash value per each clay poker chip will change. So, therefore you have a general idea going into it a structure, which is always easier to prepare for.

I read a great article about poker the game of preparation which better explains poker preparation strategies.

Aggressive poker Play to Push Other Players Out

Sunday, March 29th, 2009

As the title suggests, sometimes you can turn on the aggression more than you might usually to force other players to make harder decisions. Frequently, when you are at the poker tables, this will lead to players waffling and folding because many players err on the side of being conservative. This works especially well when you have a larger stack than those you are trying to push out of the pot.

It doesn’t take a mathematician to realize that your odds of winning a poker hand and raking in those valuable world tour poker chips increases with each player that folds. Naturally, you have better odds of taking the hand when there are only 2 players as compared to 5 or more players. Therefore, if you can be aggressive enough to force other players to make hard decisions and force them out of the hand, your overall odds, regardless of your cards, will improve.

It is important, however, to remember that being over aggressive can leave you vulnerable to getting trapped in a pot when you clearly don’t have the nuts. So make sure to be careful and pick your spots that you wish to be bold and make something happen. So next time you sit down to the poker tables, keep this in mind.

Building on what you learn on the flop

Friday, March 6th, 2009

At the poker tables, the theory of watching players’ eyes as the flop comes down should also be carried forward to the turn. Watching players’ eyes give you insight into what they are thinking and feeling. It also gives you the foundation for reading what their cards are when combining this information with what you learn on the turn.

This is a much simpler to accomplish to accumulate a nice stack of poker chips then most would think. Just start out by applying common sense to what you derive. Like anything, it’s almost inevitable that the learning process will cost some chips. Find comfort in that the knowledge gained will make the loss of each casino chip at least a good investment.

A simple example follows. You have pocket Aces with a heart and a diamond. I use Aces for an example because this is a hand one needs to learn to fold if necessary so you don’t lose every last clay chip. You watch your opponent’s eyes as an all spade flop drops. File that reaction in the memory banks. A spade falls on the turn as you are once again watching the same pair of eyes. File that reaction also in the memory banks. Compare the two reactions. All of the information you need has been provided to you on a silver platter.

Read my article on poker made easy to learn more about this wonderful game.

In poker your eyes can say it all

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

Body language, facial expressions, or nervous habits of any kind are key factors in the game of Poker. Whether you realize it or not, these tiny details can make or break your hand. If you have become “readable” to any other player at your table, it can end up costing you not only the poker chip lead, but depending upon how much you give away, quite possibly the very shirt off your back.

It is of utmost importance to be aware of everything that you do. The way that your body reacts to a hand can be a dead giveaway to the other players involved. For example, when you have a bad hand, if every time someone raises you a chip you pause to long between moves, this can be a “tell” to the other players that you are bluffing. You must learn the art of deception to avoid being read by other players.

Eyes are usually the first to show reaction in any given situation. In order to avoid this altogether, professional players have begun utilizing mirrored sunglasses at poker tables all across the globe. This allows them to hide a tell that they may have otherwise given away. Giving them that extra second to think without being scrutinized and figured out. Managing your mannerisms, and being aware of your body language and what it might be saying is the key to owning this game.

How to use art of deception in poker

Friday, January 30th, 2009

Most of poker players agree that body language is an essential tool to win the game at the poker table. A player can win the game by thoroughly observing the body language of their opponents as well as hiding their own or expressing misleading body language to the opposing players. The through study of body language needs lots of observation, patience and time. Maintaining an expressionless face which is unreadable is called a “poker-face” in poker terminology is a great asset.

A player can learn more about the body language of opposing players at the poker table, if he carefully observes them. Since there are some certain patterns of body languages that most of poker players give away, it is easier for the player to easily grasp the things that are going on in the minds of their opponents during the game. Even if the player is new to the betting systems of the Texas Hold’em chips, he can make a good impression on others through the application of the art of deception. Besides, the amount of the poker chips which are being raised will also give an idea about the opponent’s strategies. However, it is not easy to successfully apply the body language tactics against the experienced players since they are adept at deception.

If a player is expert in manipulating the opponent players through body movements, the poker game is already half won.

Winning Preflop Strategy in Texas Holdem

Sunday, January 11th, 2009

The style of the players in the game should always help determine your strategy. For instance, suppose you have a wild player 3 seat to the left of the poker table. If your turn is before him throw away your weaker hands. Anything that isn’t a big pair means a weaker hand! He or she will probably raise and there may be a re-raise before it gets back to you. However if he acts before you then you can assess the situation and can probably call a single raise even with the draw hands (65s, 33 etc) assuming there are several callers. Always keep in mind your drawing averages and your pot odds, though — even pre-flop. And they had better be decent drawing hands.

The key is that the stronger the absolute value of your hand the more you want to get chips in the pot pre-flop. Where as, with the draw hands, you want to see the flop as cheaply as possible and do your betting on the flop if you hit. Sometimes a raise before the flop can keep people from raising after the flop, in essence buying you a free card. Free, except for the price of a poker chip, that is.

Taking Advantage of Conservative Players in Poker

Friday, January 2nd, 2009

Seat position is important in the game of poker especially when you are sitting at the table with conservative players. If you understand where the conservative players are at the table relative to your position you can take advantage with more aggression. Conservative players at the poker tables are likely to only play when their hands are at least moderately strong.

The faster you realize the betting patterns of conservative players, the more easily you can semi-bluff or bluff your way to improving your stack of poker chips. For example, if you notice that there is a conservative player behind you betting aggressively, chances are he/she has good cards and you should only stay in the hand if you do as well.

On the flip side, if you have a conservative player only checking or passively calling smaller chip bets to catch cards then you have the green light to bet aggressively. If you do not notice these tendencies and simply play the cards as they are dealt to you without respect to your position, you are missing a great opportunity to make money.

One has a better chance of winning at poker if they keep up with poker strategies.

Beating the poker champs and the clowns

Sunday, December 21st, 2008

Whether you’re playing against some of the greatest poker players in the world or just another Average Joe, you can’t let anyone get in your head. Once you get the chip lead at the table, someone will constantly be trying to get in your head. You have to keep playing your game, because your game got you that chip lead, and your game can keep it too, no matter what anyone is saying to you. Keeping a cool head is one of the most important things you can do at the table, no matter how much money you’re playing for or who it’s against.

A lot of times you’ll run into the professionals and at first, they can be a little intimidating. You have the same chances as they do as long as you don’t let them break down your game. It’s the same with the hecklers of the game; you have to keep your cool. Frustration will set in on them, because they’re not pulling you out of your comfort zone, getting your chips, and if they can’t pull you out of your zone, you can beat them. Poker is a game of numbers and judgment and as long as you don’t break down, you have the same chance of winning as the next guy, let the cards decide.