Top 5 Poker Strategies to Elevate Your Gameplay

Most people who play poker lose because they don’t employ effective strategies in their gameplay. Unlike most casino games, poker is mind-intensive, and only a fraction of its gameplay depends on luck. Therefore, thinking, strategizing and executing are essential when playing this card game.

Poker strategies are also quite broad, making it challenging for players to employ the right one at a time. Luckily, poker players can use poker training sites and books to learn more about the game and its strategies. In this article, we explore the top five poker strategies that will considerably improve your gameplay.

The number of times you can play your starting hands is limited in No Limit Texas Hold’em before the flop, even for top-tier players. If luck isn’t on your side, you will bleed your chip stack by playing too many hands. The fastest and easiest method of improving your bottom line is by building a solid pre-flop poker strategy. However, be disciplined enough to stick to this strategy. Don’t let impatience tempt you into playing a hand that isn’t worth the risk.

The best tactic is playing a tight range of playable or strong hands aggressively. Aggressive play in poker will disguise your actual hand’s strength, as your opponent won’t know if you have A-K, 7-6, or A-A. This unpredictability will make you a tougher player to beat. Moreover, playing tight and aggressively will always increase the odds in your favor.

If you intend to play poker professionally, learning how to bluff effectively is necessary. An ineffective bluff will make you unsuccessful at the table. Therefore, you must develop strategies for controlling your bluffing frequency. The best way to bluff is by letting your cards determine if you should bluff. For example, you can bluff using hands with outs to enhance your best hand on flush draws, overcard, straight draws or two to the board. These hands are known as semi-bluffs since their potential goes beyond the bluff.

Fortunately, you can learn about bluffs and how to play poker step by step at Tight Poker. All the basic poker rules, popular poker terms as well as poker table positions are also well elaborated in the comprehensive guide found on the site. Moreover, you will also know the difference between online and live poker games and be able to know which one is your best preference.

No matter what happens during the game, don’t be the first player to limp (calling the big blind preflop). Avoid this play because:

• It offers the players behind you appealing pot odds. It also increases the likelihood of facing multiple players and this minimizes your chances of winning the pot.

• It’s impossible to win the pot before flopping.

Poker players should only limp after one or more players have limped. This strategy is known as over-limping and is a great play because it will give you better pot odds to enter into the action and hopefully hit a good thing on the flop.

It is the saddest spectacle when poker players check their flopped nut flush three times, forcing them to table their strong hand once their opponents check back the river. Slow playing is the biggest error for players who fear pursuing their opponents out of the pot with their strong poker hands. In contrast, you should always protect your equity by wagering your strong hands to build the pot. The best time to check your strong hands is when:

• There are few scare cards to hinder you from receiving payment on later streets

• The range of your opponent is weighted heavily toward hands with low value

• You cannot be outdrawn

If you’re uncertain, just wager (or if you were not a preflop aggressor, check-raise). It is disappointing if your opponent folds. However, the disappointment is greater if you miss out on a higher value or get outdrawn.

The major difference between pro and amateur poker players is the aptitude to lay a good hand even when they know or think the opponent has an advantage. This tactic seems to be simple but is hard to employ because of the state of our brains. Naturally, humans desire to win and are curious. By folding, we renounce our opportunity to gain the pot and fail to gratify our curiosity by discovering the hands of the opponent.

Calling often in the wrong circumstances is the second quickest way of losing a poker game after fruitless bluffs. If you’re uncertain whether to fold or call against a raise or bet, just fold. After folding, record the details of the hand to find out if you made a wrong or right fold later. Discussing or studying such hands is an excellent method of consistently improving your skills and filling in the gaps in your poker knowledge.

As you have seen, playing poker requires a strategic approach that will give you an edge over your opponents. Having an effective strategy will boost your odds of winning the game if applied correctly. However, it is important to know the best poker strategy for every situation and the perfect time to execute it. Therefore, you should prioritize studying and mastering the best poker strategies to enhance your proficiency as a player and improve your gameplay.