In poker be it free poker sites or big stakes you do not just play the cards. You also play the player, or to put it another way, you aim to manipulate other players so that they do what you want them to do. The desired end result of course is that they give you money!
Playing the player has 2 sides. On your side you are trying to read your opponent, classify their style, of play, motivations and actions and play your cards in accordance with your conclusions.
In regard to the other players you aim to play them in order to misdirect their attempts to play you, to have them make incorrect conclusions about your style, motivations and drivers.
To learn how to do this lets look at an example of playing the player in action from a WSOP event.
BLINDS 50k/100k
1) A has Ac-Qh raises 350k
2) B is on big blind, has Kc-Js, calls 230k (Pot 880k)
K-J is usually a bit weak to call a raise. Moreover, B doesn’t have position over A, but he calls because he wants A to guess.
From the big blind, generally we just call because we are on a discount, so we might have 6-5, 10-8, and a bunch of other indeterminate hands which require guessing.
FLOP 4d-5h-3d
B bets 535k
Because small cards fell, B now wants A to think that his call from the big blind hit the Flop, and that his hand may well include those indeterminate hands like 5-4, 8-5, or even 6-7, or two Diamonds. But what did A think?
A raises to 1.8m (Pot 3.215m)
B needs 1.265m to call
Here, A thought that B’s bet was just a continuation bet, and with small cards falling A’s belief is reinforced that B is just trying to finish the hand. How would small cards likely hit B?
Additionally, B has been playing aggressively all night (stealing pots, etc.) so B could be betting with something (which is not likely with small cards falling) or with nothing. B could be playing just about anything, especially from the big blind.
At this point A made a gamble that B had nothing. He could also have assessed that if B had something and goes all in later then he can move out fast. So he raised to try B’s strength.
B folds
B folds, because, indeed, he has nothing, and if he calls, he will be committed to continue. (Had B moved all-in then it will be a good all-in, for A could still be guessing at this point what B’s hand was. But B’s cards were not strong enough.)
Also, he folds, because A raised from late position, which allows for a wider range of hands, like even 5-4 or two Diamonds.
Poker, indeed, is not simply a game of good hands versus good hands. Experienced poker players will win with bad hands under the right conditions.
We give credit to B for first trying to win with a bad hand, a good effort to play he player. Unfortunately for B, A did the playing the player task superbly too, having noted previous actions and motivations and related that to current con text and probability and so played out to win well.
Conclusion
It takes time to learn how to play poker online or offline at a level above the unthinking, uneducated “chip flinging” seen at many tables.
Ironically the fact that so many players inhabit this dumb donk zone is great news for you. The reason why is that when you really learn how to play poker well you can turn mercenary and hunt them down in droves in low stakes real money games as wellplay free poker games sites that pay out real money like NoPayPOKER and happily build your skills and bankroll!
To make this work first, learn to play poker for free on free online poker tables where you can learn while you lose but without losing real money, then once ready to can move up to low stakes and start to get rich!
In this free online poker tips guide you will learn how to recognize and play the poker hand known as the “Big Hand”.
The reason why you need to know this is you will simply learn to play poker so much better when you understand the way different hands can play out.
This can then be related to the context of play. From here you can begin to determine the motives of the other players for their actions, based on the cards that fell, your betting patterns, their player types, their chip stacks, the pot size, and many other factors.
The result I hope is that you can play that type of hand better in the future and win more money!
For this poker hand analysis we will examine the “Big Hand”
BLINDS 1,000/2,000 - (Pot 5,400)
PREFLOP:
A has Js-9s, calls 2,000
B has Ks-Kc, raises to 14,000
A calls 12,000 (Pot 33,400)
A just initially calls, hoping that there will also be many callers because he has suited connectors and wants to get sufficient pot odds.
B, though might interpret the call from early position as A-A or Q-Q, and because he has a large stack (the two are the largest on the table) he can afford to raise a bit more, because if the other player reraises and he thinks the other one has A-A, he can fold.
Plus, K-K is a little bit more shaky if an Ace falls on the flop, so this can work as a tester raise. A calls, because he has a big stack and can afford it.
FLOP: Kh-9d-Kd
A checks
B checks (Pot 33,400)
Suddenly B has Quad Kings! A checks, because he has only a Nine, and can proceed carefully if B bets. B, hoping to conceal his unbeatable hand, checks too.
Paired boards are typically good bluffing situations. For instance, a 8-8-3 board will work for bluffing because on a, say, J-7-3 board, you’ll find three cards which can pair one of them, and a bluff will be less effective.
But on the 8-8-3 board, bluffing has big benefits since there are only two cards which will conceivably help anyone, and also anyone there with a Three will be not as likely to call. (Only an Eight will do.)
However with a board with bigger cards like our Flop, B could have bet, but after that, A will be less likely to put him on a bluff (and more likely on a made hand) because he may have, say, K-10, and we play big cards more than small ones.
B doesn’t want A to back out of the pot. So B just checks.
Also, with two Diamonds B will want to check in the hope that A will put him on a flush draw so that if the flush doesn’t come, A will bet or raise to push B away, and B can gain extra chips.
TURN: Kh-9d-Kd-5h
A checks
B bets 20,000
A raises to 70,000
B calls 50,000 (Pot 173,400)
B still has invincible Quads, A still has Two-Pair. B could have now put A on the Nine or a draw, so B bets 20,000 so that A will call.
But since during the flop B may have represented a Diamond flush draw in A’s perspective, A raised to 70,000 so that B will move away.
B just calls, since there are two draws already, and B might want to represent one of them again so that A will try another bluff on the river.
RIVER: Kh-9d-Kd-5h-9h
A checks
B moves all-in 106,000 (Pot 279,300)
A folds
B still has Quads, but A is now in danger because he has a bottom Full House. A King can kill him.
What A is hoping, though, is that B back-doored a Heart Flush and just check it along with him.
But B moves all-in. That is a very intriguing move by B. A solid player would value-bet this (sat, 40,000 on a pot of 173,400) and A can just call it.
It is OK to represent a Flush here, as the board is double-paired, which can destroy Flushes as the board is just one card off a Full House.
So what I am thinking is: B moved all-in because (1) he wanted A to think that they have the same hand or that his hand is weaker, like a Flush. B’s play on the Flop and the Turn was weak, so A might not have put B on a King but likely on the Flush draw we are talking about.
B wants a call. B now hopes that A backdoored a Flush too and also that he thinks his all-in is just a bluff, but A is in trouble due to the sudden strong play.
It was psychologically jarring.
Did B hide that King or not? A might imagine that better hands could come later, so he folds.
Also (2) B might not want a showdown; he did not want to show the two Kings; he wanted to trouble the minds of A and other opponents.
If they saw how he played K-K it will be added information. He wants to have them guessing.
It is essential to play more unpredictably in order to gain chips later than to gain chips now, but be unable to get some later. I believe this is a brilliant reason.
Summing up the Big Hand
It takes time to learn how to play poker online or offline at a level above the unthinking, uneducated “chip flinging” seen at many tables.
Ironically the fact that so many players inhabit this dumb donk zone is great news for you. The reason why is that when you really learn how to play poker well you can turn mercenary and hunt them down in droves in low stakes real money games as well play free poker on line sites that pay out real money like NoPayPOKER and happily build your skills and bankroll!
As ever practice makes perfect so read, understand and learn to play poker online free on the free poker games tables to get it nailed.
It is a sad fact, it is not possible to be great at everything. In poker be it the win a lot of pennies free poker type or big cash it is why people become experts or specialists in their particular games.
It is the same as in the “normal” world where in our professions and hobbies and business we aim to find our niche and focus our efforts on becoming as good as we can so that we get promoted and earn more money.
So how does this relate specifically to the world of poker games?
Simply this, some people are great cash game players, while others are great tournament players. There are some players who are very good at both cash games and poker tournaments but this is very rare.
The majority focus on one or the other because they find they are more successful in that sort of poker.
How do you determine whether cash games or tournaments are your speciality? It might not be that clear at first. You obviously need to try your hand at both, but here are a few suggestions that may help you to figure it out.
Should You Focus On Cash Games?
If you’re a patient player who looks to play only in clear +EV situations, then you may prefer cash games. Full-ring games are all about waiting for premium starting hands and extracting the most value from them in the most favourable situation possible. Thus, cash games are good for players who don’t deal with variance very well.
The biggest mistake a beginning cash game player can make is playing too many hands. You don’t want to commit too many chips in marginal situations.
The opposite can seem to be true in the late to middle stages of a tournament.
Should You Focus On Poker Tournaments
It is correct to play tight in the early stages of a tournament, but once the blinds start to escalate you’ll need to loosen up your starting requirements. Once you’re low on chips, you’ll need to look to move all-in to survive. You may also need to put yourself in situations that may –EV in certain occasions. If you’re one of the big stacks, it’s also correct to start playing looser to bully the other players. It’s all about accumulating chips to either survive or thrive in tournaments. It’s not for the faint of heart or those who can’t deal with variance.
The biggest mistake a beginning tournament player can make is not pushing all-in enough when they get low on chips. Because the price of blinds increase as the tournament goes on, your chip stack can easily get whittled away.
Tight players can’t win tournaments.
Poker Game Specialization Conclusion
If you like tight then it is best to focus on cash games. However, if you’re an action junkie, you should consider concentrating on tournaments. That being said, a tight style can work for tournaments with a few adjustments and a loose style in cash games can be profitable under certain circumstances.
Ideally do your testing in free poker that way you can learn to play poker for free and find your style while not losing lots of money in the process!
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I can imagine a free poker player on http://www.NoPayPOKER.com who, after watching some episodes of the World Series of Poker or the World Poker Tour, suddenly gets ‘inspired’ and tries out one of the big advertised poker sites. As luck would have it he gets dealt 4-4 and, just like a pro he just saw moves all-in early position in the belief that it is a great move. As any experienced poker player will tell you, yes, it could be a good play but not all the time.
As it is, the overenthusiastic free poker player loses a large stack, it costs him hundreds of dollars in real money.
Why not tell him to try the same play on free poker, so that he will recognize his mistakes? He can learn to play poker for free lose lots but learn lots and not lose any money.
Play Free Poker On Line is also a great way to build a bankroll, if you don’t have one, and if you play long enough. And if you play long enough you will learn from your mistakes and from the mistakes of others – and it wouldn’t be so costly. Sure, you can try playing your Q-7 offsuit and then flop a Q-5-3 and then get called by A-Q later or K-K – that is when you realize your Q-7 is trash, and you ought not play it again.
Of course, you can watch someone else play the Q-7. He may flop Q-5-3, as above, or even A-J-7. Now you know you have him, because you have K-K (in the first flop) or A-K, or J-J (in the second). Now you remember the times when you win, and when you recall these times every time a similar situation arises, you will win the pot. If you play free poker long enough you will see what these situations are and then be able to characterize them like this: On the first flop, it may be ‘Playing Overpairs’; on the second, it may be ‘Playing Top Pair’ or ‘Playing a Set’.
There is, however, a downfall if you are not careful: Suppose you play 3-2 off and you win. You might think 3-2 off is a good hand, and then suddenly you rush to play real money poker. You lose. You think, “How would 3-2 be harpooned in this board! This just won last week!”
If you are observant enough for a long time in playing free poker you might notice plenty of players doing the same (playing bad hands) and they win. You can watch if they are winning consistently or not, and oftentimes they don’t. Someone plays 7-2, the wins; someone plays it again later, then loses.When you play free poker on line it may not yet teach you that A-10 is sometimes dangerous to play after a raise because it might be a better Ace, but it teaches you what hands to avoid and what to play.
In free poker you just don’t play any hand. You must play as if it is really big money at stake. Play only good starting hands. If you keep playing bad starting hands without the ability to represent them (and representing hands is not so practical in free poker because many free poker players play just any hand, bet when they hit the Flop and throw when they don’t) you will be a bad player sooner.
Regarding this, here is another point, indeed this is the key point that will win you a lot of money:
Many free poker players are novices and maniacs so if you take your time and master free poker you will know how to beat them.
Next, you will find when you move on to lower stakes real money you will mostly be facing these very same type of novice and maniac who have watched too much TV, and what do you think will happen then?
That’s right, your hard earned free poker skills will trash them and they will “donate” their stacks to you time and time again!. And as for the really good players, it’s so easy – avoid them unless you have the nuts.
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The other day I was having a fun free poker site Sit and Go game when my belief in the strength of sets was severely shaken. If you’re not sure what I mean by set then it’s simple, it’s a hand made of a pocket pair plus a board card of the same rank, for example, you get pocket 6’s (6-6) and the flop comes up 4-6-8
More than this it was a sharp free online poker lesson in poker maturity for me! I know now when a Sets power is diminished.
A set can be really strong, for example, you have 6-6 and the flop comes A-10-6. In this situation, against A-x (excepting A-10), you are 99-1 favorite, and if another player happens to have A-K or A-Q, you will see all the problems he will face later when he goes all in or calls your all-in.
But at this Sit and Go, there were 6 six players (blinds 10-20, average stack 1500), I was first to go. I had 4c-4s. I raised to 50. The button called, as well as the blinds.
The flop came 4h-6h-7d. Small blind checked; before me, big blind bet 200.
I asked myself, “How could he make such a fat bet (pot-sized)?”. Those players in previous hands always play any hand that drops on their computer screens. They may have A-6 or A-7, but also 8-7 or even 8-5. Or any two Hearts. They never know when to fold or not. And you don’t know when your made Two-Pair will be crushed.
So I figured that the power of my Set was gravely reduced, so I just called in the hope that the Board would pair during the Turn, but the main reason is because there are were dangerous cards that can fall.
A Three, a Five or an Eight will render my Set unplayable, unless everyone checks; a Heart will jeopardize my chances.
Usually, I am inclined to move all-in with a Set, but there might be a stray Five. They are willing to call all-ins, even with draws. Even with gutshot draws. They do it all day.
And I can’t banish them out of a draw by power-play. What if all of them call?
The turn came 3d. There are two Flush draws on the Board and one to a Straight.
Small blind checks; the Big Blind moved all-in (he had 1400 chips, I had 1200).
On already a pot of 2200, although I am getting 2-to-1 on a call all-in (or possibly 3-to-1 or 4-to-1 if the two others call), I folded. The Button called; Small Blind folded.
They showed the hands I guessed they had: an Ad-5c, and Qh-Jh. Either way, I will be smothered if I called too; the chance of the Board pairing is just 25% (10 out of 40) and I would be getting only 3-to-1. Not only I escaped devastating math; I also escaped the onslaught of made hands and big draws.
The point is this, if a hand starts good but then goes sour it is no longer good and won’t EVER get good by magic! Its power is just history and if you keep with it your chip stack is likely to be history too!
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The game of poker, free poker and shows such as the WSOP and World Poker Tour has propelled poker to huge popularity, and much like other high profile games like football and hockey it has developed a whole dictionary of jargon. Many of poker terms have been around for a long time so it seems the core game maybe hasn’t changed so much.
Checks, bets, raises, calls, bluffs, and all-ins are still found and still exist with connotations like: to ‘bet’ is aggressive; to ‘raise’ more aggressive; to ‘call’ is never aggressive; to “check” is still passive, unless you are plotting a raise after it. A bluff is aggressive all the time. And then all in’s in no limit games are the most aggressive of all for most players
But with the development and media frenzy many new terms have been coined to help the game commentators as much as anything! For example, in the 70’s they may have said “he raised after a check” now we’ll just say “check raise”. Calling after checking becomes “check call”. ‘Value bet’ may be ‘betting for value’ or ‘betting because A’s hand is good, and he wants B to call’. Although this does not imply that no one used the shorthand terms before. It may be that they are not clear enough to a general audience before in a time when poker was accessible only to a few.
So let us analyze some compound poker terms, like ‘check-raise’ and ‘check-call’. I shall assume, that, as above, that checks and calls are non-aggressive, and bets, raises, bluffs, and all-ins are aggressive.
#1 Check-raise: To check-raise is to check, then if the opponent bets, you raise. For instance, in a Board with 4-7-J and you have 6-5, if you are the first to act, you can check-raise. You can check because you can hit your Straight for free later if your opponent checks, and if your opponent bets, you can raise, so he will think you are on a bluff or on a made hand, so if you hit your Straight later your hand is disguised.
You can also check-raise if you think your opponent’s weak so that he’s not going to call if you bet, but you want your opponent to think you’re weak so that he can bluff, then you can raise him.
#2 Check-call: To check-call is to check, then if your opponent bets, then you call. Check-calling is standard for the above Board (4-7-J and you have 6-5),p provided you are priced to hit your Straight later. Check-call can also be good if you flopped a monster on the Flop and you want your opponent to represent it so you can trap him.
#3 Value bet: Value is the relative strength of your hand compared to what you think your opponent has. For example, you have A-10 in a Flop of J-10-6-5-2. You can consider your Pair of Tens to be not so strong, but if you put your opponent on 7-7 or weaker, then you can bet a small amount at the river (say, one-third or one-half the pot) so your opponent will pay you off if he, indeed has the 7-7, and if it turns out that he has the Jack, your loss is not so great. The point is you bet the largest amount you think your opponent will call.
#4 Check-raise-bluff: Now we move on to more complex compound terms. You usually check-raise if you have a strong hand or a drawing hand that you want to disguise. If you have none, but want to represent, do this. Check, then if he bets, put pressure on him.
#5 Value-bet-bluff: A value-bet is generally a fraction of a pot, typically 1/3 to 2/3. A bluff is usually greater than the pot (twice or more to be credible). If you bet 1/3 or 2/3 of the pot and you have nothing then strong players are likely to see the value-bet and fold. In such a case, your bluff works and with less danger than a standard bluff as a standard bluff may involve more than the pot or even an all-in, in contrast the value-bet-bluff involves only a bet that is value-bet sized.
#6 Three-bets and four-bets: A three-bet means this: Someone bets (or raises preflop), then someone reraises, then someone reraises again (possibly the first raiser). This action is the third, hence ‘three-bet’. If anyone moves over the top after this, then this action is the fourth, hence ‘four-bet.’ To reraise a raise requires a very strong hand, then to reraise this requires a far stronger hand, then to reraise this reraise requires a hand far more stronger. Unless one is representing. So we can make terms like ‘three-bet-bluff’ and ‘four-bet-bluff’, meaning ‘a bluff with a three-bet or a four-bet’.
#7 Bluff all-in: An all-in implies a strong hand. If you have nothing and this is what you do, then you ‘bluff all-in’. It is good to bluff all-in in a dangerous board (one off a Straight or a Flush, or a paired Board) but it is more dangerous, because your opponent may have the nuts and call you. In less dangerous boards, you can just bet and your opponent will fold if he has nothing – it has the same effect as the bluff all-in.
#8 Call all-in: Technically, call all-in is non-aggressive. To call is not aggressive; you just moved all in because you have a hand that you will be willing to move all-in if you acted first, and someone just set you up to it (or maybe you slow-played and your opponent became aggressive and pushed you all-in and you called).
#9 Check-raise-all-in: This is very aggressive! You check, another player bets, then you go all in. A lot of players won’t interpret it as a bluff, and will call only if they have a hand. Say, on a board with J-10-Q-7-6, even with A-Q it is difficult to call a check-raise-all-in. You must have, say, A-K or 9-8 to do it, or a Flush.
#10 Check-raise-bluff-all-in: The #9 when you have nothing. Say, in the above board, you have 5-5. You just represent a strong made hand.
You can make some more variants of these poker moves. Enjoy it but don’t go too far! Value-bet bluffs will not be understood by weak players, and weak players will call check-raise-bluff-all-ins just as they will call regularly.
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One of the most persistent discussions in poker is about the role of luck in success, there are those who believe poker is mostly luck and those who think skill is the main factor, today lets lay this one to rest! I have personally been a money and free texas holdem player for some 7 years, I have made some nice cash at times but I have also busted several bankrolls.As such think I can say I’ve got a pretty good understanding of the situation!
First off, lets consider what skill in poker is. In my opinion a skilled player is one who can recognize betting patterns, understand flop odds, and percentages, and have a solid concept of strategy and theory. I have noticed however, not matter how well skilled one may be, you must account for variance, and sometimes aggressive, even poor play from others.
I believe in conclusion it is best to assume that poker is a combination of both skill and luck where the skill level of the player involved has a definite effect on the “luck” component of the equation in the medium and long term.
The assumption would be based on this conclusion that you have to be both pre flop aggressive, as well as post flop smart. Many times a player might find themselves in a position where they made the proper call, yet they find themselves behind due in part to an opponents luck hitting a one or two outer.
It is extremely difficult to combat this situation. This can, in part, be blamed on the speed of online poker hand as opposed to the live game. The action of online poker is much faster, and decisions must come much quicker.
Many players believe there are more bad beats in online poker than in the live game. This is not unreasonable in a math sense due to the far greater number of hands seen and played. There is also, I feel, a tiredness factor in action, players feel pushed or maybe suffer a succession of bad beats.
Consequently decision making may become irrational, and typical hands that might be thrown away are now played, or even pushed pre flop out of anger in looking to win back lost funds.
Others, who are skilled can pick up on such trends and play them to their advantage, which in turn leads to greater loss, and in the eyes of the losing player, more bad beats which he feels was based on luck.
The successful (skilful) poker player is able to manage each aspect of the game. In effect you become able to manage probability (luck) by application of skill and so apply the old phrase beloved of annoying sales managers/gurus everywhere, “make your own luck”. Basically meaning that your skill flattens out the “bad luck” to the extent that you are up consistently in the medium and long run.
But how can you go about doing this? My advice is to start safe and low risk. Go to one of the better free poker online sites like NoPayPOKER.com and practice lots and lots. You will find your confidence (and bankroll) growing and can then take a step up to some low stakes games, and from there…who knows!
This strategy is based on cash and free online poker freerolls for upto 1000 players. I will keep it short and sweet, I think you’ll agree if you’ve been around poker any length of time that there are way too many long free texas holdem strategies out there that keep getting recycled.
The first hour
In freerolls you will find the whole spectrum of the poker world, the good, the bad, the annoying donks who go all in all the time.
The all in on every hand donk players are the ones to watch out for early on. Don’t take risks at the start of even a free poker freeroll as this type of player, who doesn’t know the game (or care) goes all in with any hand, A 4 (not even suited) and it would be seriously annoying to get beaten by that is you have A Ks!
Just call when it is low when you have AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK (suited) KQ (suited) Note: You should not go all in with these cards in the pre-flop (bad beats are extremely frustrating)
And extremely important; DO NOT BLUFF during this period.
Following the first hour
This is the time that the majority of the bad players are gone, except for the lucky ones!
Here you are able to play more aggressive and try to steal the blinds (extremely important because the blinds increase and ante has to be paid so what you can get by playing cards is too less to keep playing)
You can also introduce some new cards to you playable hands like:
KQ
KJ
AK
AQ
KK (just like AA)
10 10
QJ
QQ
AA (all in when in late position and not a lot of people in the pot)
When you find yourself in the pot with a few players and they just check or make low bets/calls you can try to bluff.
Make sure that your stack is not less then the average stack, if it does go back to the “first hour strategy” and tighten up! (it is not a shame to pull back and change strategy a couple of times to create some confusion!)
Congratulations If everything went well you are now in the money, but you can’t tell me that you want to quit now and earn some crappy cents, that’s just waste of your time since the most freerolls will extend to 4-5 hours. So concentrate!
This is the part where the “n00bs” are gone so you play with some pokerfreaks so be wary!
You’ll be able to recognize the good players not at the amount of chips they have but at their check, bet, call, raise and fold actions!
They’ll try to get to see the flop with as less chips as possible and fold most of the time (most common way to spot the good ones).
If you want to be in the top 3 (other places won’t pay that well) you need to be careful, but take some risks to! The hands you can play are the same as in the second part of the freeroll from the 77,88 and up.
When in late position try and steal the blinds, but not too often or you will be recognized as a bluffer!
Good luck with your freerolls! When beginning I suggest starting with true free texas hold em freeroll events and working up from there as you improve.
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It doesn’t matter if you are a free online poker player aiming to win virtual currency or a high stakes roller improving your playing skills will obviously help you win more poker and articles on skills are everywhere. However what is often overlooked is the fact that choosing the right games to play also has a massive impact on your success or lack of it!
For example, there’s an old story about a poker pro who was the sixth best player in the world but never made any money. That was because he chose to only play against the top five best players in the world. The moral of the story is that you make money when you possess a clear edge over your opponents.
Don’t be overconfident
Everyone wants to be the best and play the best. It’s a matter of pride. However, unless your name is Phil Ivey, you probably won’t have an advantage over every opponent in every game. It’s also important to recognize that even the top poker pros will sometimes step down a level and play lesser competition because it’s more profitable.
If you can’t beat players at lower level cash games, you shouldn’t try to play at higher level cash games. You’re going to go broke trying. Start out on free texas holdem games if you need to and work up from there.
This is true with online games as well as live card rooms. A great example I have of picking the right room is a time a few years ago when I found myself in a small resort hotel casino. The players there were pretty loose and passive and as a result with more aggressive play I was able to hammer them with larger bets that they were comfortable with and as a result doubled my money in 2 hours without even winning a pot simply by getting paid off for OK strength hands.
I also remember one time when I played for five hours in a $1/2 no-limit hold’em game at a five-star hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. I barely broke even. The players were tight and aggressive and played back at me when I tried to put a move on them. I knew afterward that I picked the wrong table.
What kind of game to look for
The first thing to keep in mind is your bankroll. If you can’t afford to play $5/10 live or $.50/1 online, then you shouldn’t do it. You should move down to a more affordable level even free texas hold em if necessary.
The next thing you have to be honest with yourself about is your skill. Ask yourself if you have at least a decent chance of wining at this level. If no then you really should drop a level. If you’re new to poker start out on free texas hold em sites and work up. If you’re low on confidence and have had a run of bad beats maybe drop to free poker or right down to micro stakes just to get your confidence up again.
Once you’ve decided the level you can beat, you then need to be choosy about the particular table you want to sit at. Ideally, you want to play at a table where you see players making a lot of fundamental errors like playing too many hands or playing too passively. A loose and passive table is probably the most profitable table. A loose game will allow you to win big pots because players will call you down with weak hands, and a passive game affords you the opportunity to hit your draws cheaply and bully your opposition.
If you can’t find a really passive and loose table (that is quite rare sadly) get into the habit of observing regular games before you join. You should be able to get a good feel for if you’ll be able to do the business there. Remember the point is to win. It’s nice to be a good player but not a good player who gets beaten by better players because you couldn’t resist “a challenge” You’ll feel better to be a good winning player trust me! So start fresh now, get more selective with the games you play, if it’s all new to you start with free texas hold em and work up from there.
The thought of poker being an easy game, is very far from the truth. Its a very complex game, that even at the basic free poker level pits player against player. To be a great player you will need math and people skills. You will need these attributes when playing advanced level poker if you want to stand a chance of winning.
If you are new to poker then there are some basic skills you can start with to get some wins behind you. Read my poker terms glossary to find out what the terms used below mean.
First, playing quality cards only is a good starting rule.
Pocket pairs, Aces with high kickers, and suited connectors are a good start.
As you become more comfortable, then you can expand the hands you play to suit different circumstances and opposing players
Next, learning how to bet is essential.
Generally limping into a hand, this is where there is no raise when you bet, is a good start.
This can help you in a couple ways. It does not allow other players a “tell” (meaning you give away an indication of what your hand might be) and it also allows you to play, and not put too much of your chip stack in play.
Now, there are times you need to call a raise, or make one yourself.
If you have a killer hand like a pocket pair, learn how to raise and call. Don’t limp in!.
This will greatly reduce your chances of a winning hand. The more cards out, the greater the chances of straights, flushes, or even higher winning hands become.
Now when you make a raise, the general rule is too bet the pot amount, this is the total amount on the table when the betting comes to you.
Depending on the amount of players and the chip stack you have, can change all of this. If you have a very good hand, and a pot bet would put more then 50% of your total stack in play, then it is better to go All-In. This will also help in keeping weaker hands from calling.
It is important for new players to pay attention at the table too.
One of the biggest and most important part of playing poker is watching and paying attention to the other players. Poker tournaments are great for this as you can sit and observe for the first couple of table rounds without it costing you too many chips.
A great tip for leaning how to be a great poker player is by reading. Many great players are happy to offer their tips and advice on their poker play, so its worth reading as many articles as you can to keep your knowledge polished. Its also worth playing on free poker sites which will help you study other players techniques at no cost to yourself.
