Poker Strategy Many people over the years have tried to develop poker strategies that help them to play poker better and win consistently. To be honest there is no proven way of doing this, but there are certain skills that you can teach yourself, and certain things it’s worth remembering which between them will help you to play a more enjoyable and skilled game of poker.

Psychology plays an important role in playing poker because how you are viewed and how you view your opponents can affect how both you and your opponent play the game. One of the biggest elements of the game of poker, and a big part of most poker strategies is the concept of bluffing. This is where a person pretends to have a stronger hand than they do in order to try and convince other players to fold their hands and therefore allow them to win the pot. When a person bluffs they can give themselves away by subtle changes that they make to the way they sit, or talk. They can also give themselves away when they have a particularly good hand by similar changes that can come over them. Some people will become faster talkers or drink more, or develop a look of intense concentration when a particular situation occurs. If you play with them regularly then you can to a certain extent learn their give away gestures to help you to know when to keep betting against them and when to fold and not bother. Of course they will be trying to do the same with you too!

For most people, playing poker isn’t just about the money, it’s also about having a bit of fun, and it’s important to not take things too seriously for this reason. Set yourself an amount of money which you are willing to lose and if you reach it, don’t keep playing. Smile and bow out gracefully. There will be other days and other games after all. For the same reason it’s not a good idea to play poker when you are upset or angry as you really do need a clear head for poker and you’re likely to find yourself making bad moves if you do.

Mathematics also plays an important role in poker of course, and learning which hands are the best, and knowing the odds of getting them is very helpful indeed. If you’re going to study something thoroughly within the game of poker then this is a good thing to make a study of.

Think! Take time to look at your cards, to look around the table at any open cards that are available for you to see, and to decide before you act. Think through the odds of getting the card you need, think about how your fellow players have bet or not, don’t try to play every hand good or bad, bluffing only works sometimes, and folding isn’t something to be ashamed of, if your gut tells you that you’re likely to be beaten then it’s probably right. Listen to it!