Poker is a game of chance, but it also requires skill and psychology.
The game starts with a shuffle, the dealer deals cards one at a time to each player, and the betting begins. Once the first round is over, the dealer puts a fourth card face-up on the table and each player has a chance to make another bet.
Go big or go home
When you have a strong hand, you should play aggressively. This is especially important when you are playing against stronger players. If you have a weak hand, it is very easy to be shoved around and out-muscled by other players.
Learn to read other players – There are a number of poker tells that aren’t subtle physical things like scratching your nose or nervously playing with your chips. Instead, poker reads are based on patterns and other factors that you can learn about your opponents (eye movements, idiosyncrasies, betting habits etc).
Hand range tiers:
Once you have a good understanding of how to form hand ranges, you’ll find yourself playing a much more balanced game. You can begin to use these ranges to systematically adjust your gameplay to maximize profit and beat the competition.
Don’t get too attached to strong hands – There are certain types of hands that win more than others. For example, pocket fives on the flop is a very good hand but people don’t tend to hold it very often.
A good strategy is to mix up your strong holdings so that you have a wider range. You can do this by mixing up pairs, low pair, high pair, unpaired kickers and suited hands.
