legal-united-states-poker-sites
Flag Background

8 Poker Tips to Take Your Game to the Next Level

pocket aces leaning on poker chips on a poker table

With poker’s overall growth, new players are continuously entering the poker space. They are creating online poker accounts to practice their play in micro-stakes and small stakes games. They are walking into poker rooms for the first time. And they are buying into tournaments for that unique experience.

The rules of the game, most often Texas Hold’em for beginners, are straightforward.

We are here to expand on those rules a bit and help players take their game to the next level, all without getting lost in the weeds.

Tip 1: Master the Basics

Of course, the basic rules of poker involve the dealer button, small blind, and big blind rotating around the table, one position with each hand. Texas Hold’em players receive two cards to start the hand, and Omaha players receive four. There are the rounds of betting: pre-flop, post-flop, post-turn, and post-river.

Poker Variations

Then, there are variations. Cash games hold the blinds steady, and players buy in and cash out when they choose. Tournaments involve a buy-in, increasing blinds and usually antes, and eliminations on the route to leaving just one player to win. Sit-and-gos are smaller tournaments, often just one table of players.

The structure of games can vary greatly, from slow to turbo, from full tables to six-max or eight-handed play, and from deep starting stacks to rebuys and reentries in tournaments.

Game types can also expand well beyond Hold’em and Omaha. There are specifications on the betting, such as Limit Hold’em, No Limit Hold’em, and Pot Limit Omaha. And other games change up the structure of play, such as draw and stud, as well as mixed games to blend several poker variations together by rotating them throughout a game or tournament.

Hand Rankings and Position

Players must know the poker hand rankings before even starting to play. Those are from worst to best hands:

  • High card
  • One pair
  • Two pair
  • Three of a kind
  • Straight (five cards in value order)
  • Flush (five cards of the same suit)
  • Full house (a set and a pair)
  • Four of a kind
  • Straight flush (five cards of the same suit in value order)
  • Royal flush (ace-high straight flush)

Position is one of the most important fundamentals of poker to learn. Most players know the dealer button, small blind, and big blind, which rotate clockwise with each hand. Those are known as late position spots. Early position is under the gun or UTG (first to act pre-flop) and then UTG+1. Middle position includes the cut-off (just before the button), hijack (just before the cut-off), and lojack (just before the hijack). If there are other players at the table, they fall into a general middle position category.

Resources for Poker Basics

Most online poker sites offer the basic rules for poker, but there are some other sources for those new to the game:

Tip 2: Develop a Solid Pre-Flop Strategy

After learning the basics and becoming familiar with overall gameplay, it’s time to nail down some options for the first round of betting. This takes place after the dealer provides hole cards but before they deal any community cards. There is a single round of betting based on hole card distribution.

There are two ways to look at pre-flop strategy. One is to quickly get away from a bad hand without spending money, with the exception of antes or blinds. Another way to view it is as an opportunity to use strategy to make the most of whatever hand is dealt.

Starting Hands Selection

The optimal way to proceed in pre-flop situations depends on position, opponents, and table image. But the basis for any decision should be based – even loosely – on preflop charts.

The core of any preflop betting chart for Texas Hold’em indicates playing premium hands, such as pairs of sixes or better, any suited ace, and top hands like two of most face cards and the occasional ace, king, or queen paired with a nine or ten. More detailed charts trim or expand those starting hand possibilities based on position, such as under the gun (UTG), middle position (MP), cutoff (CO), button, and small and big blind spots.

Omaha and other poker variations suggest different preflop charts, all of which is a part of using a GTO (game theory optimal) playing style.

Tip 3: Understand Pot Odds and Equity

Poker players need not be mathematicians to play the game well, but they do need at least a basic understanding of pot odds. These are the odds of the player to make a call. Equity is another important concept but one that maps out odds of winning over the long term in a particular situation.

To be honest, pot odds are the most important for players at any level to understand, but grasping and calculating equity can take a game to the next level.

Pot Odds Calculations

There is a fairly simple equation to calculate pot odds. It is the ratio of the size of the pot versus by the size of the call. It is best explained with an example:

  • The pot is $50. An opponent bets just $10. The player with the decision should take the current size of the pot ($60) as compared to the amount needed to call ($10). That equation is 60:10, but it can easily be reduced down as in any math equation by dividing each side by the same number – in this case, it is 10. The 60:10 odds reduce down to 6:1.
  • To convert this into a percentage, simply add both sides of the ratio together, which equals seven. Divide 100% by that number – seven – to get 14.3%, or approximately 15%. By putting that percentage back to the ratio – multiplying both sides of the 6:1 by 15 – it shows 90% to 15%.
  • The end result is knowing that the player with the decision to make only needs to have the best hand 15% of the time to call the bet.

Over time, these calculations happen more naturally. However, there are also apps and online calculators that can quickly do the math.

Equity Calculations

Equity in poker is a fundamental concept that represents your share of the pot based on the probability of winning at any given moment. Understanding equity helps you make better decisions, particularly when deciding whether to call, raise, or fold.

Simply put, equity is your expected share of the pot based on your current hand and the potential outcomes. If you have a strong hand, your equity will be higher, indicating a better chance of winning. Conversely, a weaker hand will have lower equity.

To calculate equity, you need to consider all possible outcomes of the hand and determine the likelihood of each scenario. Here’s a basic example:

  • Identify Your Outs: Outs are the cards that can improve your hand to a likely winner. For instance, if you have a flush draw, there are typically 9 outs (cards of the same suit) left in the deck.
  • Calculate Your Win Percentage: This is done by using the rule of 2 and 4:
  • Multiply your outs by 2 to estimate your win percentage if you have one card left to come (the turn or river).
  • Multiply by 4 if there are two cards left to come (both the turn and river). For example, with 9 outs on the flop, your win percentage would be approximately 36% (9 outs x 4).
  • Compare to Pot Odds: Once you have your win percentage, you compare it to the pot odds (the ratio of the current pot size to the cost of a contemplated call) to decide whether to continue in the hand.

Tip 4: Learn to Read Opponents

People often joke about poker tells as outrageously obvious indications of hand strength. In reality, most tells are subtle, which is why reading one’s opponents at the poker table is considered a skill.

Reading the tells of a poker player can indicate hand strength or weakness, but there is more information to be gleaned. Players can display frustration or exhaustion through body language, as well as their comfort or lack thereof with the game rules and stakes, regret of a decision, or even how they feel about certain hands or actions.

Most Common Tells

Whether trying to read opponents in live or online poker, there are some common tells to look for.

  • In live poker, players can display all kinds of physical tells, such as the lack of eye contact, the shaking hands or arms, a visible neck pulse, or a hand or foot fidget. These types of nerves often indicate that the player is bluffing.
  • In live poker, a player may instigate table talk to distract his or her opponent from sensing a bluff or calculating pot odds. This also indicates a possible bluff.
  • If a player online or live suddenly changes their normal bet sizing, this indicates a change in tact. If they previously had premium hands, the new bet sizing can be an indication of a bluff. It is an attempt to catch opponents off guard.
  • In online poker or live poker, a player might bet more slowly or quickly than normal, indicating a possible bluff or, conversely, a very strong hand.
  • More table talk, sighs, aggressive movements, and physical signs of overheating can show tilt. This means the player may be chasing a pot or trying to break a downswing, often without the best hands.

Online poker tells can be limited to bet sizing and timing, but the chat box is also an indicator if opponents are changing their chat tone. If they are prone to chatting, it is an opportunity to try to push their buttons and see how they’re really feeling about their hands and play.

Strategies for Profiling Players

To profile an opponent at the poker table is to determine their general tendencies. The best way to do this is to be observant. In a tournament, there is less time to do this, as players are often changing tables. But in a cash game, there is more time to take note of the other players’ many qualities.

When observing and profiling players in live poker, there are several key things to notice:

  • Physical appearance – Are they comfortable at the table or new to the game? Did they bring a backpack with snacks and provisions in an expectation of being there for a while? Do they fidget or look bored? Do they cover their face, eyes, or neck to conceal possible tells? Are they willing to make eye contact before, during, or after a hand?
  • Noises – Is the person talkative, enough so to garner information? Do they sigh when bored or frustrated?
  • Actions – Are they comfortable with handling chips and cards? Do they exhibit experience with chip tricks, mucking, posting blinds, etc? Do they pay attention to the game or spend time on their phone or tablet?
  • Betting patterns – Do they often min-bet or change up betting sizes? Do their betting patterns correspond to their position at the table? Are they quick or slow to act, and does that vary?
  • Statistics – In online poker and if using a program, what do their statistics say about their patterns via bet sizing, position, and session length?

Finally, remember to trust instincts. Initial feelings about a player can often be correct, though there should be evidence to back that up before determining a player’s profile.

Tip 5: Practice Bankroll Management

More than just a poker term, bankroll management must be a way of life for players. Even recreational players must learn how to budget their poker funds to make the most of their money.

The bottom line of bankroll management is to risk 5% or less of a bankroll at any given moment, to generally only put 1% to 5% of the total bankroll into play. This seems like a small amount but allows for any bankroll to withstand the ups and downs – the inevitable swings – of poker.

Poker Bankroll Guidelines

The 1% to 5% baseline is a guidepost for all poker players, but there are other factors to consider that can allow players to risk a bit more of their bankroll. Percentages vary depending on whether someone is playing online or live poker, tournaments or cash games, pot limit or no limit games, or micro stakes or high stakes poker.

The general guideline, again, is 1% to 5%, but the variables on those percentages can be:

  • Using a higher percentage of a bankroll is permitted when playing low-stakes limit games.
  • Using a lower percentage is required when playing tournaments with rebuys or reentries.
  • Taking a break is recommended to recalibrate after more than five losing sessions or uncashed tournaments in a row.
  • Using a higher percentage of a bankroll is allowed when playing online micro-stakes tournaments or up to mid-stakes SNGs (sit-n-gos).
  • Using a higher percentage can be considered as “taking a shot” when there is added value in a tournament (like an overlay) or a very soft table (tourists) in play.

Some players use calculators, and there are helpful poker bankroll apps that can track everything from buy-ins to other poker expenses, such as travel, fees, and tips.

Common Bankroll Mistakes

There are some mistakes that new poker players make when figuring out their bankrolls. The most common is that poker money doesn’t need to be kept separate from other money. It most definitely does need a separate bank account and or cash wallet. Poker money must be kept separate from all other funds used for life and savings.

Some players neglect to claim bonuses in online poker. By using a deposit bonus, welcome bonus, or reload bonus, a player can double those amounts by following the rules of a bonus. They should also take any opportunities to play freerolls online, especially when starting at micro and low stakes with a new bankroll.

Another mistake is not including everything poker-related in the poker bankroll management scheme. This is why an app or spreadsheet comes in handy, as the player must track tips in cash games and tournaments, fees, costs of food and drink during play, any expenses incurred when traveling for poker, including parking, hotels, and transportation.

Tip 6: Utilize Bluffing and Semi-Bluffing

Bluffing is not a mandatory part of poker, but it is an important one when trying to improve one’s game. The bluff is sometimes overused but most often underused, though when perfected can be the key to winning pots when the cards alone won’t get it done.

When playing poker, a player exhibits strength or weakness in many ways, including tells and actions. The key to bluffing is to simply use those tells and actions to tell a story that isn’t entirely true. And the best way to use a bluff will depend on one’s opponents and position at the table, so it’s all about being observant and playing opponents instead of cards.

Bluffs Versus Semi-Bluffs

A total bluff is a mischaracterization of one’s hand in order to achieve a certain outcome. For example, a player might try to bet or act as if they have the best hand when they definitely do not in order to trick the opponent and win the pot. A player can also bluff with the absolute best hand to indicate weakness so that the opponent will bet into a pot they can’t win. There are versions of bluffing, but the most common is to portray strength when the hand is weak.

A semi-bluff takes place after the flop or turn. The player may have a playable hand or even a drawing hand but makes a semi-bluff without having the nuts or having completed the draw. This requires knowing the outs and pot odds, understanding the chances that the semi-bluff will turn into the winning hand. It also requires the tenacity to stick with the hand whether it hits or not.

Effective Bluffing

The best time to attempt a bluff is when an opponent appears weak, whether regarding hand strength or risk taking. Newer players, those who appear to be pained at losing a big pot or hesitant to participate in multi-way pots, are the best candidates upon which to try a bluff.

It’s always best to create a table image and then bluff, throwing opponents off what they think they knew.

Tip 7: Improve Your Post-Flop Play

There are entire books written about pre-flop play, and many strategy articles focuses on this. But what happens after the flop? It is important to know what to do when there are chips in the pot and the stakes are a big higher.

After the dealer provides the first three community cards, or third street, it is important to reassess one’s hand as it relates to those cards. If there are draw possibilities to a straight or a flush, it’s a good time to bet or raise to reduce the number of players in the hand. If others come along to see the turn card, it indicates that there is more at stake after the turn.

For strong hands after the flop, such as sets or made flushes or straights, it’s not as important to prompt opponents to fold as it is to make the most money from those opponents. This can include inducing a call if they might be chasing a flush or straight. Continuation betting can be effective here as well, though it depends on the possibilities of an opponent’s hand.

The most important steps to take after the flop, turn, and river are to assess the situation each time, and calculate outs, pot odds, and equity. This will guide most decisions, as will one’s profiling of opponents.

Tip 8: Continuously Analyze and Improve Your Game

It is often said that there is no substitution for experience in poker. In order to improve one’s game, more hands provide more fodder for analysis.

The analysis part of the process is key, however. Players must be willing to put in the time to improve by reviewing past hands critically and with an eye for improvement. This is where the poker community comes in, as there are forums and software tools to use for these purposes, as well as other players who are often open to discussing hands.

The best resources for hand analysis are:

  • Apps like Poker Bankroll Tracker App (includes hand analysis tools) and Poker Analytics
  • Community forums like Two Plus Two or Reddit
  • Poker coach, i.e. an individual or team like Jaka Coaching

Make the most of the tools and the poker community as a whole by being honest about the hands and open to feedback.

Conclusion

From the beginning of any player’s poker journey, it’s important to continuously improve. After mastering the basics, one can move on to reading opponents, understanding pot odds and equity, developing strategies for pre-flop and post-flop play, working on bluffing and semi-bluffing, and always keeping an eye on bankroll management and hand analysis.

It all boils down to the time and effort that players are willing to dedicate to their game.

We invite our readers to start conversations in the comments of this piece. What did we miss? What part of the poker education process do you feel isn’t getting enough attention? Tell us about your poker journey.

Jennifer Newell

Jennifer Newell

Editor in Chief
View All Posts By Jennifer Newell

Jennifer Newell is a freelance writer at LegalUsPokerSites. She has two decades of experience in the iGaming industry. She is a respected poker media member, contributing to publications and websites like USA Today, PokerStars, and PokerScout. Her knowledge spans gambling legislation and the broader online gaming world. She has spent years advocating for diversity, most notably gender equity in the traditionally male-dominated poker sphere.

See All
See All