
Learn Best Poker Strategies To Level Up Your Game
Most people think that you can win poker only if you are lucky and get good cards. But it’s not true because every poker game like Texas Hold’em, 3 Card Poker, Omaha or 7 Card Stud requires a lot of practice and strategies that can make you win. I have collected some best winning Poker strategies from my 5 years of Poker experience and the top Poker Players in the world for Beginners, Intermediate and Experts.
But if you are a beginner and want to play or learn some poker strategies, you must first get WSOP free chips to play and learn about Poker Hands, Poker Rules and Poker Terms because you will need all of this knowledge to understand these strategies and to make your strategy.
Why do we need a Poker Strategy?
A good Poker strategy plays an important role in increasing your chance of winning the Poker games because poker is not just a game of luck, but it requires a lot of practice, tips & tricks and a good strategy to start your game. Like every sport, you need to make a strategy, and the same applies to poker, too, and if you don’t have a strategy, you will end up losing every game.
Basics of Poker Strategy
I have mentioned some basic points that you must learn before even playing a real poker game.
Hand Rankings
In order to make a decision, you must learn all the poker hands and their rankings from top to bottom because if you do not know about poker hands ranking, you will not be sure what to do, whether to play or quit. Before playing, you must know the poker hand rankings from highest to lowest:
- Royal Flush – A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit (e.g., A♠K♠Q♠J♠10♠).
- Straight Flush – Five consecutive cards of the same suit (e.g., 9♦ 8♦ 7♦ 6♦ 5♦).
- Four of a Kind – Four cards of the same rank (e.g., A♣ A♦ A♥ A♠5♣).
- Full House – Three of a kind plus a pair (e.g., K♥ K♦ K♠7♣ 7♦).
- Flush – Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence (e.g., J♠9♠6♠4♠2♠).
- Straight – Five consecutive cards of different suits (e.g., 10♦ 9♣ 8♠7♥ 6♦).
- Three of a Kind – Three cards of the same rank (e.g., Q♠Q♦ Q♥ 5♠8♣).
- Two Pair – Two pairs of different ranks (e.g., J♦ J♣ 4♥ 4♠9♦).
- One Pair – Two cards of the same rank (e.g., 10♠10♦ 7♣ 5♥ 2♠).
- High Card – When no other hand is made, the highest card plays (e.g., A♠10♦ 7♣ 4♠2♥).
Understanding these rankings is crucial for making informed betting decisions in poker.
Table Positions
You must understand all the positions of the table because the one who plays at last has so many advantages. They can predict their opponent’s cards and can bluff easily or make a strategy accordingly. Still, the one who plays first can not observe the opponent’s moves.
- Early Position: High risk, as you act first.
- Middle Position: Balanced risk and reward.
- Late Position (Button & Cutoff): Best position, as you act last and can exploit opponent weaknesses.
Betting Rounds
You must learn all the betting rounds, like when to check, raise, fold, or call. Poker games typically have the following rounds:
- Pre-Flop: Decide whether to fold, call, or raise based on your hand.
- Flop: Three community cards appear. Reassess strategy.
- Turn: Fourth community card.
- River: Fifth and final community card. Time for final betting decisions.
Best Poker Strategies for Beginners:
Play Fewer Hands
This is most important for beginners not to play every hand because when you start playing, you don’t understand every hand and try to play with whatever cards you get, which leads you to lose every game. Try to learn some highest hands, like a pair aur high cards, and play when you can get those hands only.
- Avoid playing weak hands.
- Focus on strong starting hands like A-K, K-Q, and high pairs (J-J, Q-Q, K-K, A-A).
Understand Table Dynamics
Try to understand your opponents by their moves, like are they playing aggressively or are they bluffing often? Because these things will help you make your strategy and you can trap them in their moves.
- Observe betting patterns.
- Identify frequent bluffers and passive players.
Bankroll Management
Every beginner must allocate a budget and never bet more than their stakes. Because if you don’t set your budget and bet more and more you will end up losing a lot of money that you can not afford.
Tip: Never bet more than 5% of your total bankroll in one session.
Strategies For Intermediate Players
Positional Play
Always make moves or make decisions according to your position. Like if you are playing first, then you must not go for raise or higher bets because you don’t know what other players have got, and if you are playing the last, then observe your opponents. If they are not raising then it might mean that they get lower cards.
- Play tight in early position.
- Be more aggressive in late position.
Bluff Smartly
Bluffing can make you win with the worst cards, and you can lose even having the good cards, so you must bluff smartly. Like if all of your opponents made moves “check,” then you can guess that they are not sure and got lower cards, and at that point, if you bluff them and raise the bet, they will fold, and you can win with the lowest hand.
- Bluff when opponents check multiple times.
- Use semi-bluffs (e.g., if you have a flush draw, raise to pressure opponents).
Pot Odds and Equity
You must calculate the pot odds before calling. This will help you determine whether you should call or not. For example, If the pot has $100, and your opponent bets $50, you’re getting 3:1 odds. If you think the chances of completing your hand are above 25% then calling might be profitable.
Strategies For Advance Players
Don’t be Predictable
Try to change your playing pattern in every game. For example, sometimes bluff your opponents with the weak hands by raising your bet, and sometimes don’t raise even with the strong hands. This will make your opponents keep guessing what you are up to and whether you have strong hands or weak ones.
Find & Play with your opponent’s weaknesses.
Carefully observe your opponents’ moves and find their mistakes. For example, There are three types of players
Tight Aggressive (TAG)
In this strategy, players pick fewer hands, and they raise only if they get those strong hands. So, you should notice if they are raising high, it means they have got some strong hands, and you should back off.
Loose Aggressive (LAG)
In this strategy, players play a large number of hands, and they raise aggressively in almost every hand, whether they have strong hands or weak hands. So, when you identify those players, make them raise high on your strong hands.
Tight Passive (TP)
In this strategy, players play very safely, and they prefer to check or call. So, you can bluff these types of players by raising their bet.
Control Your Table Image
Table image is that your opponents make decisions and move by analyzing your pattern and behavior, and they make strategies if they think you are playing tight or losing. So you can easily control your table image by showing something else to your opponents rather than what you are actually planning.
Psychological Strategies
Reading Opponents
If you manage to understand your opponents and their playing pattern then nothing could be better than this. You will easily be able to guess their moves and even their cards and make your strategy accordingly.
Manage Your Emotions
Always try to manage your emotions and never play when you are emotional or when you lose too many games because this will make you make wrong decisions, and your opponents will take advantage of these emotions.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Playing Too Many Hands
If you are a beginner, never play with too many hands because you will not be able to manage your stakes. Try to be specific and play aggressively with fewer and stronger hands.
Neglecting Position
Don’t neglect taking advantage of your position because the one who plays in the last has the advantage of observing every player’s moves and can bluff them easily. So, if you are getting the last position and neglecting it, then you are making a big mistake.
Overvaluing Hands
Don’t become a prey of high cards if the table is not in the favor of that hand. For example, a pair of Kings is good but you will obviously lose if the table is going towards Royal or a straight flush.