The game of Poker is believed to have ancient roots that go back over a thousand years. Some say it was created by a Chinese Emperor in the tenth century, others claim that it is an adaptation of a Persian card game which dates back to the sixteenth century but many will say that it developed from a French and German game in the seventeenth century called Poque or Pochen. The game was brought to New Orleans by French colonists and the game developed over the years into the game that we play today. Over the coming weeks we are going to look at various Poker strategies aimed at all different levels of players from beginners to professionals. We will look at all the do’s and don’t associated with poker and there is no better place to start than looking at some of the tips which should help beginners to develop their games.
1. Table Position
Table position is one of the most important aspects of every hand of poker played. The later your turn to play means that you have more information to base your decisions on and it means that you can react to the other players actions rather than guess or assume what they might be doing or thinking. This puts you in a stronger position as generally you can play more hands than you can from an early seat position.
2. Giving Things Away
Many new players won’t have worked out the art of bluffing and when to do it and when not to so they will generally act accordingly to the hand that their dealt and more experienced players will read them like a book. Try not to react when you are dealt a pair of aces or hit a card on the river. This can be easier said than done and comes with practice over time.
3. Do Not Be Too Aggressive
Whilst being aggressive is a part of playing poker it is important to know when to be and when not to be. If there is a strong chance that another player has a strong hand, there is little point in trying to bully your way to winning the pot as it is likely that they will call your bluff. If you are playing with six or more players, the likelihood is that at least one of them will have a strong hand so it is always useful to bare that in mind.
4. Using Correct Staking Methods
In poker many new players do not know how much to stake per hand and they either bet too much or too little. For example if you bet £2 into a £50 pot you aren’t going to achieve much as your not going to win much money if someone calls you and you won’t scare anyone off with such a small bet. A stake of around half of the size of the pot to the full amount of the pot is usually a good measuring stick.
5. Playing To The Table Size
A key factor to playing poker is knowing that the value of your hand decreases with the number of players that are left to play. For example, if you only have two players left then an ace high is a decent hand but if there are still five players left to act the chances are your ace high will be beaten.
6. Playing Too Many Hands
Playing too many hands is one of the most common mistakes that beginners tend to make. Most professional players will play around 15-30 percent of their hands. Beginners should aim to play the lower end of the scale as it will mean that they give less away.
7. Constantly Calling Hands
Beginners tend to try and see hands out until the river hoping that they will catch something often wasting a lot of money. What you need to remember is poker is about winning money and not winning the hand. If it is too expensive to see the next card, then let the hand go. Remember money saved on a hand is just as valuable as money won on another.
8. Playing For Too Much
You wont make good decisions if you are playing for higher stakes than you can afford as you will be scared to make a decision whilst your opponent could be in their comfort zone and will easily prey on this.
9. Do not Let Emotions Rule Your Head
Many poker players have ego problems, and this is not just beginners and they often let their emotions dictate their play rather than their head. You must know when you are beaten and when to fold the hand and not let bravado get in the way.
10. Over-valuing Hands
Beginners often over value hands so it is important to research what is a good hand and in what circumstances is it a good hand. For example, beginners will believe that a King-Four suited is a good hand because you have the chance of hitting a flush but in reality flushes are quite rare and are hit on average around seven percent of the time.
Hopefully, all the above will help you to get started with the wonderful game of poker. You can find many poker tables and other great casino games such as Blackjack and Roulette at NetBet.
