While you’ll probably find it easy to grab the basics of poker in a fairly short time by merely playing it with someone already in the know, it has to be said that there’s a fair amount of nuance surrounding the game that can be quite hard for newcomers to grasp onto. Whether it’s the politics of bluffing or knowing exactly when to fold, it’s important that any newcomers to poker get themselves acquainted with these basic tips before they throw themselves into some high stakes games.
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Work On Your Attention Span
Even if you’ve never played a game of poker in your life, you’ll have heard of “bluffing” and “tells.” At first, it might seem as if the entire world has the greatest poker face imaginable, but with a little practise and an obsession with attention, you’ll start to pick up on when people are lying to you through their various ticks and mannerisms.
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Go Easy On The Bluffing
It would be a lie to say that you’ll never be bluffing during a poker game, but many beginners believe that a high frequency of bluffing is needed to pull in a win. This is a misconception brought about my television programmes and films. You’re better off working with a good hand than you with your supposed high ability to bluff. That said, the occasional bluff can go a long way, it’s just not something to be relied on.
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Pick On Some Newbies
Okay, this one might sound a little mean, but sometimes the only way to bring up your skill level is to play people who are worse at poker than you are. Not only will this allow to see others playing the game wrong, meaning you can note what you shouldn’t be doing in future games, but you’re always more likely to win. What is gambling about if not winning?
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Learn The Rules
This one might seem like the most obvious, but there’s a lot of newcomers out there who go in gung-ho after a day of playing, believing they no everything off by heart. You need to know the fundamentals like the back of your hand to ensure that you never find yourself embarrassed by a bad play. Alongside that, you may walk into a game that has its own set of rules so don’t be embarrassed to ask exactly what game you’re playing before you start throwing money into the pot.
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Be Selective
When you start playing poker, you’re going to be tempted to play as many hands as possible, believing that the higher frequency will enable a better chance of winning. However, poker experts know that to leave the table with any decent amount of money, you have to know when to fold them.
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Keep Your Opponents Hands In Mind
The excitement of a good hand can be too much for some newcomers, leaving them throwing everything in without a second thought. However, the key to a good poker player is consideration and the knowledge that no matter how good you think your hand is, there’s always a chance that someone else around the table has a better one.
Feel like you’re ready to make some money now? While there’ll always be a small level of luck to these games, if you go out there, practise with some friends for fun and get your poker expertise up there, you should be able to grab yourself some money. That being said don’t come blaming us if you find yourself losing!
