Playing poker doesn’t mean playing every hand, especially if you are new to the game. Poker is a game of patience. Wait for ‘premium’ hands such as high pairs or strong aces (ace-king or ace-queen) and don’t be afraid to fold if you think you’re losing. You’ll notice your results improving almost immediately. Later on you can start to add hands – like small pocket pairs, or 8-9 of the same suit - that you can play depending on position.
Gather information
Play your hand as well as well as the hands of the other players on the table. What are the odds you have of winning the hand? Start learning the percentages. Note body language and how they bet to help decide your game play.
Body language - watch out for some of the most common poker tells:
• Trembling hands: watch out for ‘the tremble’. This is a by-product of adrenaline or anxiety and often means the player has a monster hand.
• The glance: when a player briefly looks at their chip stack after seeing the flop is often a sign that they have a big hand and intend to bet or raise and are subconsciously double checking to see how many chips you have to play with.
• Stacks: How a player keeps their chip stack is a clear indication of how they play. Neat stacks indicative conservative whereas messy stacks indicate reckless players
• Table talk: Chit- chat by players at the table puts at risk of divulging what type of hand they are holding. People who normally talk a lot, but go quiet during a hand, often are trying to get away with a bluff. On the other side, a player who is normally quiet but is now chatting up a storm, will often have a very big hand.
• Eyes: Watch-out for pupil dilation, people who continually glancing and shifty eyes and take note of these tells and the hands that these players have.
Bluffing
To bluff or not to bluff? For a bluff to work you need to convince the other players at the table that you have the best hand even when sometimes you don’t. For a bluff to work best you need to ensure that you have gathered enough information about the current state of play and the people you are playing against and also that you have the table demeanour to pull it off.
Some scenarios when a bluff works best; when you are up against conservative players, when you are in last position and everyone has checked, when the flop isn’t great, when there are pairs on the board or when there aren’t many players in for a pot.
When bluffing, never show your cards after you have made a successful bluff or avoid bluffing for a while if you are caught. Remember the other players on the table are trying to gather as much information about you as you are about them.
Practise but have fun
Like any sport, poker is all about practice but there should always be an element of fun. Try perfecting your sport by playing with different people and in various environments, online, pubs/clubs, casino or a home game. Keep notes, read books, watch others play but most importantly have fun.
Play responsibly
Always play responsibly and never out of your depth. Keep your poker money separate to your life money. Some of the best ways to play are in tournaments, online for free or prizes when playing with friends. Remember, Think! About your choices. Don't let the game play you. Stay in control. Gamble responsibly. If you get out of your depth, Call Gambling Help 1800 858 858.
