Know when to bluff

Newbies of poker are often very aggressive playing their games and they also do have a tendency to bluff a lot. Bluffing is really a powerful move in poker, but over use it and it will really lose its value. You might see big bluffs on TV with the professional poker players but remember that they rarely do this.

When you bluff regularly, you risk your stack without holding the best of cards. It is fun. It is exciting. But remember that you may end up losing a lot of money when you don’t properly time your bluffing plays.

Use Position

When you are dealt your cards you have to know your position on the table relative to the dealer. You have to know if you are acting early or acting late. If you are on the left of the button, then this means you will be one of the first to make a move. When you’re on the button or onto its right, then you will be making a late move.

Using your position will give you an advantage. Let us say you are playing late, you can see how your opponents will act upon seeing the flop, on the turn, or river. Let us say your opponent checks they you may somehow say that they might have a weak hand, so you can do a bluff or any move to make a good round.

Big hands

One safe way when beginning with your poker journey is to play safe and stay with your big hands with really strong potential. Playing lower cards will expose you to some trouble especially if you are not familiar on how to play those cards.

There is a very low probability that your pocket queens will be facing aces or kings. You need to feel the game though when the pre-flop betting goes very heavy. Check the behavior of your opponents if they are likely having aces or kings.

You need to consider your position when playing these cards. Let say you have a loose raiser to your right, then you have a green light for a re-raise. See if after the flop there will be an Ace and there will be a raise or more people getting into the pot, you might consider folding.

You need to probe as the players make their move so you can decide if you will play or fold.

You should also consider the size of stacks. If the blinds are 10% of your chips then a raise or a re-raise can be wise moves if you have pair of queens. With other players also in short stacked situation, there is a high probability that underpairs will be going all in, and this will be your opportunity to go all in and boost your stack.

Preflop situations can be very tricky and ice cold poker. It will be judgment call on your part to know the meanings of the bets of your opponent prior to the flop. Dry flops which make other players bets should also be assessed carefully.

Now obviously if this guy is making millions like Kenny Louagie: nothing but respect. But most likely he’s one of those “grind 5-10k a month” and that makes him an uberdouche!

GAME SELECTION IS KEY, AND THIS HELPS!

Obviously you can also just join whatever table Eli Elezra is on…

You need to keep a close account of the expenses you use in poker, as well as your income, and you need to do it for extended periods of time.

It is not too much to say you should make up a balance sheet to help you keep close track of all your expenses. Include everything, from small games to tournaments to online games.

First of all, you do it to get the most money you can from your hand. That is the most basic reason. You have a good hand, and you want to make sure the other players pony up more money.

You also do it to eliminate the other players. If you raise high, whether you are bluffing or not, players may well be intimidated and fold.

You also do it to get a free card, even though you actually have to pay for it. Still, raising can show another card in the flop.

You can also get information from raising — from the other players, of course. Especially if they have tells.

And, of course, if you are bluffing or just semi bluffing, you almost have to raise.

The most common mistake online players make is going to low limit games and trying to be sly and tricky. Don’t do that! Most of the time, it is not really worth the effort. $3/6 games, $5/10 games — do not waste your tricks and strategies on such low limits.

You can typically, rightfully assume that the players in these games are new or at least amateur. You do not need to get too smart with them, you do not need to bluff with them. Save your real skills for the big boys.

You may not be able to see your opponents’ faces, but you can judge their actions. For instance, pay attention to how quickly — or slowly — the other players bet. How long does it take them? A fast bet is generally indicative of a strong hand, while a player who is slower to bet is likely judging how well they can bluff a not so great hand.

Now, to be completely honest, there is no real way to actually defend yourself, as a player, against other players who call too often. You have to realize that nothing you do is likely to change the players with this habit.

What you can do is be a good player yourself. You may get rivered or drawn on much more often than you would like, but that does not mean you are playing wrong. It definitely doesn’t mean you should pick up the habit. What you should do is punish them when you can, solely with the way you play.

On the internet, whether you are playing poker, Blackjack, roulette, or anything else, you typically are not going to know whether you are playing with Steve or Bob or Bill. Online monikers are necessary, screen names, nicknames, et cetera. The good players have them and the bad players do as well. “BluffMaster.” “King-of-Hold-Em.” “RunnerRunnerMaster.” In some ways, screen names are another way of talking smack. They are designed, sometimes, to intimidate other players.

That is why, no matter what, you really cannot pay attention to the screen names you see in an online poker room. Just because someone claims to be a master at bluffing means he or she really is. Strange names abound and most of them are quite deceptive. Disregard them. Focus on the player, not the player’s screen name.