Poker Strategies

Poker Strategies from the poker professional at Poker Bookshop:

The first couple of things that you can learn about playing poker are that there is no all-in-one method of winning, and it takes time to get really good at it. Below are some basic strategies that I have put together from my experiences over the years.

BLUFFING WHEN TO AND WHEN NOT TO
Can you bluff a loose player? No. Can you bluff a good player? Yes. This is why it is important to know your opponents. You will have days where the cards are not coming. This is when it will be important to place a few well-chosen bluffs. There are nights where one or two bluffs made me go home a winner. Trying to bluff a bad player is almost impossible. He or she has no sense or concept of poker, so do not try to bluff these players. Save your money instead. I always observe my opponents and classify them by those two categories.

Always play in a game where you are a winner 70-80% of the time. Look for a soft game with no check-raising and very little raising pre-flop. You always want to be in control. Seek your own comfort level. This is a very simple lesson heeded by few.

WHY RAISE?
Raising gets more money into the pot, not just yours but theirs too. The idea is to win the big pot(s), not chump change. Raising also discourages most players that have nothing for pocket cards, thus increasing the odds of winning and improves you chances for a successful bluff.

CHECK-RAISING
Check-raising is a real art and knowing when and whom to check-raise takes a lot of practice. You learn to know who will bet, who will fold, and who is bluffing. I love check-raising because it puts money in the pot and opponents on tilt. It is a great tool and if you use it correctly, it can be very profitable.

S.A.

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