10 Tips for Poker Players – Increase Your Odds

10 tips increase your odds

4 minutes

Last Updated: December 18, 2022

Starting to play online poker is simple. After all, the rules are relatively simple to be assimilated. Playing well is an entirely different conversation: it requires a lot of study, dedication, and hours and hours of training.

If you're starting to take this sport seriously, you can't miss our guide with eight tips worth gold when putting the chips on the table.

1. Try New Betting Sites

If you are already playing online poker, you must have gone through some bookmakers. Did you do a lot of research before betting?

A new bookmaker might be just what you need. You may start playing poker in a casino with bitcoin on sites like Thunderpick, just follow this link: play poker at Thunderpick.io.

Research is essential because when looking for new sites to bet on, you end up discovering which ones have the best bonuses.

2. Only Show Your Cards if You Have To

No reason you should reveal your cards when you don't have to – whether you have a strong poker hand or are bluffing. Why give information to opponents unnecessarily?

Gradually, they will understand how much you bet and how you react when you are bluffing (or not). One way or another, this information for opponents will turn against you later.

3.  Don't Play Too Many Hands – Be More Selective

importance of poker hand selection

This is perhaps the most prominent mistake beginner players make – believing in hands that, according to the poker hand rankings, are too weak.

Don't fall into the ‘any hand can win' trap – understanding hand strength is vital to succeeding in the poker world.

In practice, believing in average hands usually makes you lose a lot of money: when you have a good straight, but your opponent has a better one. At least, in the beginning, run away from the average hands.

4. Don't Bluff Too Much

“You need to bluff to win in poker” – this is perhaps the most misconception when we talk about the dynamics of this game.

Contrary to popular belief, the best players in the world don’t bluff all that often. If you're just starting, it's better to play your good hands well than try to bluff your opponents out – especially against bad players.

The tendency is for these opponents to call your bluff with weak hands. Someone with more experience would never do that. When you have nothing against weaker players, check or run away.

5. Be Aggressive in the Hands You Play

If bluffing is not good, how do you act with strong hands? Be aggressive. That means raising the stakes at almost every stage of the poker game. If you are the first person to do the action, always raise.

It's recommended to make raises three times the big blind – perhaps something bigger in live poker games. You gain control of the pot by being aggressive and increase your chances of winning after the flop.

6. Play Against Players Worse Than You

It may seem obvious, but many people break this rule. Playing at tables with worse opponents than you is one of the biggest keys to success in poker.

It's no use being the 6th best player in the world and having the other top five at the same table. If you're the best at a particular game, statistics show you'll be the long-term winner.

When you find tables with players investing in the wrong hands or playing passively and ‘fattening' the pot for other people, go all out.

7. It Is Essential to Understand Your Position

understanding position in poker

Sometimes, having a positional advantage over your opponent may be more important than the cards you hold.

The later you act in a hand, the more information you will have about previous actions and bets, and the more hands you will be able to play than in an early position, like the infamous “under the gun.”

8. Don't Trust the Draws Too Much

Those who are starting in the world of poker might need help understanding right away what a ‘draw' is. By definition, it happens when you need a card to complete a flush or a straight.

For example, if you have a T and a J in your hands and a Q and a K on the flop, you are on a straight draw – expecting a nine or an A.

Many people in these situations call big bets to stay in the game and see the turn or river, but this is often not a good idea.

If an opponent is betting big on the same hand, it is highly recommended that you run away. Now, if the bet amount is small, you should stick around and see the next card.

9. Cards of the Same Suit Are Not So Good

Believing in the strength of cards of the same suit is an extremely common mistake made by beginners and even some intermediate players.

Flushes don't happen as often as you might think! If you go into action with two low cards of the same suit, there's a good chance you'll lose all your money to a high-card flush.

Statistically, having two cards of the same suit only increases their value by 2% compared to the same hand of different suits.

This is a very low amount to call preflop raises and causes players to lose a lot of money. Learn to run away when that happens.

10. Don’t Change Your Approach When You Win Big

Almost every player has that friend who won a big tournament and ended up blowing their profits playing cash games or registering for much more expensive tournaments than usual.

Poker is a game of ups and downs, so keep that in mind. You must behave appropriately during the peaks if you want to survive the lows.

You can rejoice in or be proud of your accomplishments. Just keep in mind that having fun doesn't automatically make you a poker god or guarantee that your luck won’t change.

Disclaimer: content on mypokercoaching.com may contain affiliate links to online gambling operators and other sites. When you use our affiliate links, we may earn a commission based on our terms of service, but that does not influence the content on the site since we strictly follow our editorial guidelines. Learn more about how we make money and why we always stick to unbiased content. All content on this site is intended for those 21 or older or of legal gambling age in their jurisdiction.

Copyright © iBetMedia UAB. All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.