Tips

Top 5 Poker Tips

1. Don't Play Every Hand - Fold more

The number one mistake new poker players make is that they play too many hands. When you start playing poker, you want to play poker and this means you stay in for the sake of it. But playing more doesn't mean winning more, it means losing more. If you are staying in half or more the hands you're dealt, you need to upgrade your starting hand line up.

2. Don't Play Drunk

We've all sat there watching people act cool sipping scotch while they throw away their entire stack of chips. I've been there too - and these are just nights with friends - but if you're in a casino, careful of the booze. You may be more relaxed, but it will make you flipant and less lucid even if you're not "drunk"!

3. Don't Bluff for no reason

Some beginners understand that bluffing is a part of poker, but not exactly how to do it. You don't have to even bluff at all during a poker game, however many players feel a bluff is necessary. Bluffs only work in certain scenarios & with certain people, so if you know a player who always calls to a showdown, it is literally impossible to bluff that player. It's better not to bluff than to bluff for the sake of bluffing, get it!

4. Don't stay in a hand because you're already in it.

Another regular mistake beginners make is to stick with a hand because they've put so much into the pot already. You can't win a pot by just throwing money into it. There may be situations when the pot odds warrant a call, but if you're pretty sure you're out and beaten and there's no way your hand can improve, you should fold right away. The money you've already put into the pot is gone and you can't get it back by continuing to the end.

5. Don't Call at the End of a Hand to "Check someones honesty"

Lastly, sometimes you'll see some players look at another player's final bet. They look at the hand, & say "I know you've beat me, but I need to check your honesty," as they throw in a final call. It may be worth it to see if said player really has the hand. If you're unsure & you're gaining information that will help you later on its ok, but if you really feel a player has a winning hand & you're beat, its detrimental to give him more of your money.