Play Less Hands And Play Them Aggressively

One of the most important aspects of poker strategy is the development of a pre-flop strategy. Creating a solid pre-flop strategy is the easiest way to improve your bottom line as a poker player. Sticking to the pre-flop strategy is imperative to success, patience is key. 

 

The most successful approach is to play a tight range of strong hands in a very aggressive manner. Playing aggressively allows you to disguise the strength of your actual hand. 

 

Patience Is Key

Folding far more than you play allows you to stay in the game and not lose money on bad hands. The majority of hands that are dealt are not going to be winners. If you are dealt a weak hand the best move is always going to be folding. Utilize this time to watch other players and figure out how they play. Wait for a time where the odds are in your favor and use this aggressive approach to win the pot. 

 

Semi-Bluff Aggressively

To win consistently you must be able to bluff aggressively with or without the cards to win the hand. Bluff when the possibility for hand improvement is great such as straight draws, flush draws, or even an overcard.

 

Observe Your Opponents

Poker is a game that is based on the cards that are dealt, it is situational. You must watch the other players and determine their style of play. Study how the other players at the table play their hands; has player A been slow playing large hands? Play more cautiously. Has player A made large bluffs when there are face cards on the board? You would call his bet or even raise. You must be able to read other players and determine their 'tells.' For instance, player B has been calling all night and makes a large raise? They are likely holding an unbeatable hand. Watching your opponents is an imperative part of mastering poker. 

 

Fast-Play Strong Hands

It is best practice to bet your strong hands and build the pot. This will quickly increase the pot size and build your equity.  While it is disappointing when your opponent folds, it is not as bad as getting outdrawn or missing out on potential value. 

 

Fold When You’re Unsure

The difference between a good and bad player comes down to their willingness to lay down a good hand when they believe that they will be beaten. While this sounds fundamentally easy, in practice it is more difficult due to our human curiosity and desire to win. Calling too often and on the wrong hands is a fast way to lose. When unsure whether to call or fold, it is smarter to fold and not risk more. 

  

Learn Poker Terminology

Poker terminology is very extensive and can seem like a daunting task to learn all of the different terms. The more you practice and gain experience, the terms will become natural. We have created this terminology resource to help poker players get up to speed with the industry vocabulary. 

 

Attack When Your Opponent Shows Weakness

When players show weakness (check on the flop and the turn) you can take advantage of this by adopting an aggressive bluffing strategy. Bluffing on nothing hands will give you an advantage and allow you to win more hands against the weaker player. 

 

Understand GTO

Game Theory Optimal (GTO) play is a strategy where players try to play perfect games utilizing balanced ranges and mathematical based models. Having a good understanding of GTO is imperative in being a good poker player. If properly executed, you close yourself off from making mistakes. If both players were playing a perfect GTO game the end results would be based on luck as neither player is making any mistakes. 

 

Due to the significant number of card combinations and situations, playing in a GTO style is difficult to maintain. Many players try and play in a GTO manner however the majority are unable to do so consistently. Having an understanding of GTO is a powerful tool to have. With a good understanding you can incorporate GTO into your game and improve your play.

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Only Play If You Want To

Playing poker should be fun! It shouldn’t feel like a job, it should be an enjoyable experience. Regardless of skill level, you are going to perform at a higher level when you are happy. Therefore it makes sense that you should only play when you feel that way. When you are frustrated, tired, or angry you should take a step back and quit the session right away. You will save money doing so, the tables will still be there the next day. 

 

Only Play In Good Games

Always position yourself in a place where you can win the most money. You must be better than at least half the players at the table in order to have a positive win rate. A good poker game has at least one player that is limping, numerous multiway pots, and a limited number of re-raises. Games that have at least two of these features are considered good games and will lead to more wins.