Poker has been around for many years and has been enjoyed by players from all around the world. It’s a game of both luck and skill, requiring complete concentration and also being able to read your opponents. For newer players, learning the game can be intimidating and something you find daunting as there’s a lot to take in. Even experienced players need to constantly keep themselves updated with tactics and strategies to get the edge and be the best.
In this article, we’ll be looking into some of the strategies to help you master playing poker, improve your game and help master playing poker games.
1. Learn the rules
Before jumping into playing, it’s a good idea to fully read through the rules and regulations of the game to ensure you’re fully aware of how to play. There’s nothing worse than jumping straight into a new game without knowing the rules, only for the game to pass you bye as you didn’t understand what was happening, this also means you could miss out on information and potentially lose out on money.
Take as much time as you need reading through the rules, even make a list of the rules you don’t understand and investigate them further. As it’s better to read up first than to start once you’ve already lost your first deposit!
2.Listen to podcast
A great way to both learn the rules and gain further tactics and strategies, is to listen to poker based podcasts. There are hundreds of them around, such as The Poker Coaching Podcast with Jonathan Little which discusses lots of topics ranging from tactics, strategies and even interviews with famous poker tournament winners giving insights into how they won and their playing styles.
Listening to these podcasts, learning how the pros play, can be a great way of learning the game and teaching yourself new strategies you may not have known about.
3. Watching professionals play
Who better to learn from than the professionals themself? Taking the time to watch the professionals play, seeing how they interact with other players trying to read them, what tactics and strategies they use can be a real insight into gaining advantage over your opponents.
Logging on and watching the professionals live in high stakes tournaments can be a great way to improve your knowledge on the game, with there normally being commentary throughout that will also walk you through what’s going on. Take your time and concentrate on what the players are doing, as they’re the best people to learn from!
4. Play for free before playing for real money
A mistake some players make is thinking they’re ready straight away to go and play poker for real money. Normally, the players you’re up against are seasoned players that have been playing for many years and are good at the game. We suggest once you’ve learned the rules, taking some time to play online poker games for free, this will give you time to gain experience in game situations without any risk of losing money. When you feel you’ve fully got the hang of the game, then you can take it to the big time and start trying to win real money.
5. Read books on poker strategies
Just like the podcasts, there are tons of books out there all dedicated to helping you get better at playing poker. They offer insights into ways to improve your game, strategies and top tips for both new and experienced players. For example, Hold’em Wisdom for All Players by famous Poker player Daniel Negreanu is a great way to read and offers lots of useful information for poker players.
If you’re not able to read the book, most poker books are available to download on an audio book.
6. Make sure you stick to your strategy
Once you’ve got a strategy that you know works and you can play without any issues, stick with it. If you find yourself struggling or on a losing streak, instead of switching things up, take a break. If you start trying to switch things up or try new tactics, this only usually ends badly as you’ve not practised these and can’t guarantee they’ll work.
If you find yourself losing more than winning, it’s better to stick with what you know in the game, then evaluate your strategy after you’ve finished instead of trying to switch up mid game and then getting confused.
Even though poker is a game for everyone to enjoy, just like other games and sports, there’s a top section dedicated to professional players. Whilst not everyone will reach these heights, there’s a lot to learn from them to improve your own game and become the best poker player you can be.
If you’re just starting out your poker journey, which of the above tips are you going to try first?