Poker is a game of wits and skill as much as it is about luck. In fact, it’s much more about skill than it is about luck, as you will soon find out from the strategies we’ll present today. Indeed, it takes a lot of practice to implement these correctly.
Full disclosure: these techniques do not 100% guarantee you’ll win every hand from now because, of course, it also depends on how skilled your opponents are and what tactics they’re using. However, your overall winning chances will greatly increase compared to how they were previously.
Think Range, Not Hand
Beginner poker players will try to force somebody use a specific poker hand in a game, whilst advanced player will think in ranges. More specifically, a range is the entire spectrum of poker hands somebody can have in a specific situation.
To be more specific, a “surrounded” player can have a flush, top pair, middle pair, a draw, ace-high, or even a complete bluff. Experienced players are aware that another great player will always use a combination of these hands whenever they are threatened.
Instead of focusing on a single hand, try to identify the frequency of all the hands that the opponent uses, and make the best play that you can when given a certain situation.
Create a Consistent Strategy
Think about what strategy your opponents use on a consistent basis to win. Adapt to it and create your own based on those actions. It’s always a good idea to be consistent and stick to the techniques that have net you significant wins in the past.
In short, don’t change things up just because you feel like it. If you’re going for intimidation, go on full blast. If you play it safe, then do so till the very end. And so forth; the examples could go on and on. What matters most is that you make your strategy a consistent one and stick to it no matter what.
Know When to Fold
Regardless whether you’re playing in the real world or in an online poker room software, the key difference between amateurs and experts is how they handle the art of folding.
Do you know that tight feeling you get when you have two aces, and a tight opponent raises all-in on the turn, you make the so-called “crying call”, and he turns over the set yet again? Yeah, it’s tight.
However, as heartbreaking as it might be, good players know when to let go of a good hand. Instead of risking it all, it’s much better to fold in such a situation.
Tilt Can Only Hurt You
Sometimes things will just go the wrong way and there’s nothing you can do about it. You should put this thought in your head whenever you start a match: “I’ve signed up for this and I am aware of the risks”.
With that said, don’t tilt. Don’t let your emotions overwhelm you. Sure, you are losing, but don’t give up your initial strategy and don’t throw years of practice and mastering just because you’re losing a game. Take it a like a man!
