Poker 101- Helpful Hints

[Kramer]

By Daniel Negreanu :

Some Reasons you may be losing at poker :

There's a quote I once heard that I thought was genius
" Poker is a lot like sex.Everyone thinks they are great at it but in reality most people don't really know what they're doing" .

Because of that truth , people generally blame their losing streaks in poker on bad luck .
Well , while bad luck can certainly play a role there can also be other factors causing you to lose .

BAD LUCK :

If this is your problem then ironically you are in luck.
WHY ?
Poker is a game where luck does play a part in how well you do , and bad luck could be a reason you're losing.

However the longer you play and play smartly , the less likely bad luck
will continue to be a factor .

Like all poker players you have to ride out the bad luck streaks and don't let it get to you.
Don't start playing hand you know you shouldn't when you are down

If you're losing after months and months of play chances are bad luck isnt the key factor.

HEre's a suggestion-chart your results after 1000 hours of play.

If your still showing a loss you may have a problem that isn't luck at all.

[JoeyOh]

These are some general poker tips not knowing the circumstances of the game you might be playing, or whether you are playing a tournament or ring game.

Always know what the best hand is at the time you make a bet

If you don't know what the best hand is, stop and think it over for a few moments until you do. You should never put money into the pot before you know where you stand.

For example, if the board shows three cards, Adiamond Kdiamond Tdiamond, and you hold Qclub Jdiamond, you may have a straight, but someone holding 4diamond 7diamond has you beat with a flush. You might draw out on them if a fourth diamond hits giving you a Jack high diamond flush, but you must realize that your hand is not the best hand at the time if you are going to bet your straight.

By taking a moment to look at the board and determine what is the best hand, you also begin the habit of trying to put your opponent on a hand. You should always try to figure out what your opponent may have before you committ any money to the pot.

In other words, if you're going to play strong don't back down if someone wants to play stronger. You may or may not re-raise, but that's not the point. You have to be able to handle being re-raised.

The idea here is that you should only be playing hands when someone else bets where you think you have the best of, and you want to make others pay to draw out on you. Meaning they have to pay for the privilege of beating you.

The trick here is to be in the best of it odds wise more often than not because you will not win all of the time. Learning what the odds are can be a tricky thing, but that comes over time. (The percentages they display on the World Poker Tour are the odds.)

Part of playing poker is to have people gamble. If no one gambled, there would be no point to the game. Since it takes no skill to get dealt two Aces, no one would play unless they had the best hand all the time. Therefore, the game would always be determined by the luck of the deal.

That's not poker. That's a game called Bingo.

So pay attention to what people gamble with and use that to your advantage.

No one likes to give their money away to a show-off. Basically, give them some sugar if you are going to punish them.

If you catch a lucky card that gives you the best hand, simply say, "Yup, I got lucky. You had me the whole way. I can't believe how I lucky I got." All the while thinking to yourself, "Yeah! That was a huge pot! I rule!"

If you're playing a tournament, know that as time passes and the number of players dwindles, it becomes more important to play hands that are less than optimal.

Basically, don't get fancy. If the pot's big enough and you think you have the best hand, go ahead and push as big a raise as you can into it in an attempt to take it down at that point. Don't feel bad about not making as much as you could have had you let people stay in with weak bets.

The more often you let people stay in by not making strong bets, the more often they will suck out on you, destroying you as you lose big pots.

If you are playing Hold 'Em, here are my recommendations for playable starting hands -- the two cards you are dealt before any betting occurs in a hand. You should muck (fold) the hand if it does not fit this criteria.

* From either small or big blind: Ace King through Jack Ten or any pocket pair if no one raised.

Examples: ADiamond KHeart | 5Club 5Diamond | KClub QHeart | JDiamond TDiamond | 8Spade 8Heart.

If it was raised, only Ace King, Ace Queen and pocket pairs higher than Tens.
* From under the gun (first to bet before the flop, and directly next to the big blind): Ace King, Ace Queen and pocket Tens or higher only. This position is where you must play the tightest.
* From any middle position: Pocket 5s or higher. Any Ace plus any other face card. King Queen on occasion. King Jack and Queen Jack rarely.
* From last position, the dealer button: Everything above, but also add "connected" cards to the mix. Connected cards are two cards with rankings within a range that can make a straight. In this case, only concern yourself with two cards that follow each other by one rank.

Examples: 8Diamond 9Spade | 5Heart 6Heart | QSpade JClub

[JoeyOh]

Playing too many hands

Most beginners play way too many starting hands, in fact top players typically play between 20-30% of their starting hands. Concentrate on higher value starting hands and help remove the luck element of the game.



Know when to hold’em, and know when to fold’em

Learn how to fold a hand, and don’t be a calling machine. Many beginners keep betting regardless of the board or what their opponent’s actions are suggesting. Top players frequently say it’s the hands you can lay down that are often the key to profitable play.



Choose less skillful opponents

...if you want to win money. Sounds fairly obvious, but you should play at betting limits where you can beat the majority of players. Move down in limits if you are having difficulties winning money. In poker, always leave your ego at the door.



Watch your opponents habits

Especially when you aren’t in a hand. The best time to study is when you aren’t emotionally invested in the hand, and you can make more prudent observations. Watch how opponents bet, and how much they bet, in what position are they betting. Learning how your opponents play is key.



Betting to gain knowledge

Betting is not always because you have the best hand. Top players use various betting techniques to try to gain information. For example, a defensive bet is one that you can use early on to avoid calling a bigger future bet. A re-raise may be used to probe the credibility of your opponent’s hand.



Learn to put your opponents on a hand

Once you have mastered Tips #4 &5, it is time to put your knowledge to work. Try putting yourself in your opponents shoes, and learn to put them on a hand. Ask questions like “Why did he re-raise me that amount?”, and “Why did he only call in the previous betting round?”, “Maybe because he only called me, he has a kicker problem?”



Learn how to bluff and semi-bluff

...at the right times against the right players, and at the right frequency. Bluffing is often a misunderstood concept, and much to many beginner’s dismay most pros use bluffs quite sparingly. A bluff can be very effective when used rarely, and where there is a seemingly low risk of being called by your opponent.



Changing Gears

Unpredictability can be good. Most pros can figure out a really loose player by waiting for the nuts and being patient. However, an even easier opponent is a tight player or “rock”, who plays only the Group 1 type hands. You need to change your game up, and let them see that you can run bluffs, and can play some lower value starting hands. These changes should be subtle and shouldn’t dramatically affect the flop rate we mentioned in Tip #1



Understand player position

...and how it is critical. Not only is it important to play strong hands, it is even more important in what position you play them. For example, the ideal position is the Button (the Dealer), as you are last to act, and have the advantage of watching all of the betting action before you need to make a decision. eg. If the action before you consists of a bet, a raise, and a re-raise, and you hold a pair of Tens, you might think that folding is the right decision.



Read books and take notes

Players can always learn more if they want to be a better poker player. Keep notes on what works and doesn’t work for you, and eventually you will come up with a style of play that works uniquely for you and improves your game. Please see our list of Top Poker Books if you want to see some good selections.