Poker Strategy

Poker is a game of skill and any game of skill requires a strategy. New players get eaten alive everyday at the poker table, because of one reason, they have no strategy. However, as beginners do not fully understand the game, they only require a basic amount of knowledge to have an upper hand then the players around them, assuming they are playing low stakes. Therefore, a basic poker strategy is essential to new players in order to make a profit and to continue to improve their game.

There are a few factors you need to learn, and then adapt them into your strategy.

Aggression

Aggression is a must if you want to make any money in poker. There is a minute number of players that make money with a passive style of play, and very few who make a decent profit. With aggression comes two ways to win a pot, through showing the best hand at showdown or making the others players fold, meaning you win the pot without showdown. You have to choose your spots to initiate your aggression however, otherwise you taint your image and players will not respect your raises.

Position

Learning to play your position in poker is paramount. Position improves and worsens hands, so learning when are where to play is essential. You can learn more about this from our Position for Beginners article. The best position you can be in is the button, as you can observe whilst all the other players make their moves, and then use that information to base your decision on. The worst position is under the gun. You are first to act and have no indicator as to how the other players will play out the hand, making it a dangerous move to raise or flat call.

Hand Selection

Hand selection links in with position, as mentioned above. Hand strength changes dramatically depending on your position. For example, if you are holding AJ under the gun, you are likely to throw it away, however that same hand on the button is strong and worthy of a raise.

Bankroll Management

Players with good bankroll management will never go broke, because even if they suffer a huge losing period, they are playing limits at which there bankroll can suffer the ride. Players with poor bankroll management will likely go broke. This is because they risk too much of their bankroll on just one table, meaning that if they take a few bad beats or play bad poker, they will lose all of their money.

It is recommended to keep 10x the maximum buy-in of your current level in your bankroll, however many players do not feel this is enough and will keep 2 or 3 times more. You should set the minimum amount you keep at ten times the buy-in, but keep as much money that makes you feel comfortable. You will find you will make a lot <!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB; mso-fareast-language:EN-GB;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –>

more profit if you feel confident at the table, which will not happen if you play with scared money.