Becoming a winning poker player takes a wealth of knowledge and hundreds of hours of practice. There is no shortcut to the destination, but these nine fundamentals should form the basis of your play. Take the time to read and understand this list and the corresponding tips in the book; then incorporate this knowledge into your game. Doing so will pay off in spades.
POKER BASICS 3 Be careful Be ready to bet your ballpoint pen Be ready to bet your toaster Be ready to bet your stereo Be ready to bet your Schwinn Be ready to bet your Geo Be ready to bet your Mercedes Be ready to bet your yacht Bet the ranch and the cattle One Pair Two Pair Three of a Kind Straight Flush Full House Four of a Kind Straight Flush Royal Flush
1. Position: Your location at the table in relation to the betting action will be a key factor in how you play each hand.
2. Patience: So easy to understand, so difficult to execute. To win consistently you must depend on skill combined with a little luck, and that takes the patience to wait on the proper starting hands.
3. Psychology: Poker is not just about playing the cards you’re dealt; it is also about playing the other players.
4. Changing Gears in Tournament Play: A good poker player knows when to change his style of play (aggressive versus conservative and coasting, for example). This talent is critical to tournament success. 5. Making Big Laydowns: The solid player knows when to fold big hands.
5. Not Overbetting or Underbetting the Pot in No-Limit: The biggest single mistake novice no-limit hold’em players make is betting too much or too little. They give no thought to the strategy of the game—when to bet, how much to bet, and why to bet it.
6. Knowing Your Opponents: I cannot stress enough how important it is to know how your opponents play. If a very good player, a player you know to be solid, puts in an unusually small raise, he probably wants a call or a reraise. This should be a red flag warning to you—don’t cooperate! 4 1000 BEST POKER STRATEGIES AND SECRETS
7. Keeping Up with What Cards Are Live or Dead: You must remember what cards in your hand or on the board could affect the strength of your opponent’s hand or the strength of your hand.
8. Scooping: In high-low split games your goal is to win the whole pot every time. Never enter the pot with the hope of going only high or only low.
