Are you new to the game of poker? If you’re worried that by joining a game of poker you’ll be sat round a table full of nods, winks and secret hand gestures, then worry not – everyone is trying to read each other while also trying to give nothing away. What will make you a great poker player will be your aptitude for mastering math, techniques, and being able to call someone’s bluff.
It’s been said that the game takes a few minutes to learn but a lifetime to master. There’s much truth to that sentiment, as even professional players take poker courses to keep improving. With that said, to paraphrase another saying, the journey to the finish line begins with the first steps. Here, then are some of the best tips for new poker players to keep in mind.
Guess what the other players are doing
Despite what this might imply, this doesn’t involve mind-reading. Knowing the room you’re in, in terms of players, is vital to playing a great game. For example, if you’re in a group where one player is a poker expert, you should expect them to be collecting a hand with a wide range of options. Therefore, you should also be trying to get as many options into your hand as well. For example, ensuring you have maybe a combination of a flush, a pair and four of a kind (though not necessarily all of them) in your hand will help up your chances of beating whatever hand they put down.
Be consistent
After a while, you will find yourself picking up a strategy that lends itself to helping you win. Honing in on this strategy and working on it will start to push you ahead of other people at the table. While it might be tempting to make rash decisions to throw off other players, this might end up backfiring on you. Keep a steady head and a steady hand, and you might just begin to reap the rewards throughout the tournaments as you go.
Explore online platforms
If your interest in poker has come from films, you might be misguided into thinking that all it takes is a bit of confidence, intelligence and knowledge of the game. While you might be thinking that knowledge of the game will take you far in terms of strategy, practice really does make perfect. Using sites which offer a range of casino games and sports betting, such as https://www.unibet.co.uk/betting, will give you a chance to practice, as well as other casino-style opportunities.
Don’t reply on weak hands
Once you get rolling for the first time, you’ll find that the less strong hands are very easy to rely on. It’s much less of a mental task to spot four of a kind or a pair than it is to remember what constitutes as a Royal Flush. However, it’s sometimes advised that you’d be better of folding every now and then, instead of getting beaten with a poor-quality hand.
Learning how to play poker for the first time can be incredibly exciting and incredibly frustrating at the same time. Playing against more experienced players means that you will inevitable get beaten and lose out on occasion. Getting friends together to play with small stakes will help refine your strategy first before progressing on to bigger platforms. After a while, you might find yourself becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Conclusion
To be sure, there’s TONS more to learn. Much like a tournament, however, it’s a lengthy grind to get to the advanced stages, and every player has to begin his/her journey to success from the starting gates. As you’re new to the game, it would do you well to remember the tips expressed and laid out above. Once you’ve mastered them, progressing to the next stages of poker study and skill mastery will come naturally.
Comments