Winning Poker Strategy

Poker playing correctly is all about hand selection, wagering, table position and bluffing. It also entails a player to be patient and wait for good hands and the right table position for maximum wagering. All poker games, no matter the type of game, is first and foremost about selection of hands to play and wager on. Each game has a best starting hand and then a descending list of hands to start a play with. The Internet is filed with list of starting hands for all poker games and which are the best to play over the long haul. Wagering and table position go together in Holdem, Omaha and Omaha Hi Low. A strong raise on a weak hand may be better at the beginning of the betting cycle than at the end of it. A small bet looking for a raise may be the play for a strong starting hand. Table position also dictates when to raise and when to call. Early position is bet far differently than late table position. Or at least that is the way it should be to get maximum payoff on a good hand. Bluffing is a big part of poker, but the player once committed to the bluff, must be willing to go all the way and see the bluff and the cost of the bluff carried out to the finish of the hand. Many players start the bluff, but then do not have the heart to complete the third or fourth wager. Bluffs are about timing and the willingness to put money up on a poor hand. Never try to bluff a calling station, as this type of player cannot stand to not see the winning hand for some reason. They seem to be hung up on getting bluffed out of a pot. For this reason the bad player is hard to bluff. Good players and solid players are easily bluffed as they only call when they thing they have the best hand. Also they will rarely bluff back into a well wagered hand.

Comfort level of the game is important to most players, they must be able to stand the price of the game in wagers when a pot is oversized. Playing in a game that stretches the players stake is difficult to do by most players. Many players will select games that are well within their stake capability. Wagering levels that are not pushing the stake are the games that should be played in by new players or those with a small stake. The value of the hand should be the consideration for calling, and not the size of the wager. If a player believes they have the winning hand they should at least call, but good players will raise in this situation. If the money is dear to the player, they are going to let the size of the wagers enter into their thinking about calling or raising. This is a recipe for poor play by the uncomfortable player.

One other factor in live games is watching how players react to raises, calls or initial bets. Some players have very significant tells when they play and this can be put to use by a good player. Many players when not in a hand do not watch what is going on with the players in the hand. This is a serious mistake, because it is an excellent time to watch for reactions to wagers by the other players. Reactions by some players are almost automatic and can be used to read their hand for further betting. Pay attention when not in a hand is great advice to any player.