Poker Tips and Strategies

For serious gamblers there is nothing quite like the thrill of playing a high stakes game of poker. Reading your opponents correctly, gambling everything on the chance that you might catch an ace on the river, or winning on a bald faced bluff.

This is the stuff that drama and real life is made of. Poker has gained in popularity the last few years mainly because of television shows such as “Celebrity Poker” have introduced the game to thousands of new fans. However learning to play poker just by watching it on television can be disastrous for your game. Television after all exaggerates everything.

Here are some things you have to keep in mind in order to beat your opponents senseless.

Keep reading up on Texas Hold 'Em! Become familiar with as much material as you can. This will not only help you understand Hold 'Em from your perspective, but it will help you to understand why other players play the way they do.

Play! The occasionally repetitive process of playing the same game can lead to boredom, but it helps you build on the cognitive skills you need to be a better player. For example, I've flopped the nuts quite a few times since I've started playing, and it used to be really exciting. It still is. Now though, I don't flip out and start rationalizing what my next play should be. It's automatic. That's because I've played my fair share of poker.

Play for keeps! Playing at an online casino's free table can be a minor learning experience. However, it doesn't truly help you improve your game. Most players at a free table will bluff their ass off for no good reason. They have nothing to lose by doing so. When real stakes are involved, players start to consider the real elements of poker. Suddenly these outrageous bluffs are no longer feasible, and players realize that there are also "check" and "fold" options.

Don't give up! I lost quite a substantial amount of money in my early days when I didn't understand poker. I'm still debating whether I have evened out yet. Each big loss was a lesson though. Without any of these losses, I'd never have become a modestly decent player.

Step up! The higher the stakes, the more exact the play gets. This is because higher stakes attracts more skilled players. If you can clean up on the $1/$2 table all day, try the $2/$4. You'll learn from the better players, and soon you will graduate to that next level.

Watch better players! If someone rocks your wallet for all you've got, see how they did it. Single out and analyze these opponents by trying to predict what they might have, and what their next play might be. Once you can do that, they are no longer the better player.

Throw down! Try different styles of play. It's good to play tight as a beginner, but when you're branching out, try being that aggressive freak who everyone knows is bluffing. Learn how other players react to individual styles of play, and how they react when you change from passive to aggressive.

Be a bastard! Hold 'Em is ultimately about making money. If you see a leak in someone's game, exploit it! That player will learn his or her lesson eventually, as we all did. Make them pay to learn that lesson. If you ever start feeling guilty about taking some fool for all he's worth, remember a time when it happened to you. Don't feel bad anymore, do you? Its part of the game.

Those are a few quick tips to help you out. Follow those, keep practicing, and you'll be beating the pants off your friends at home games (or maybe even online poker rooms) in no time. Ready to practice?