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Beating the odds in poker.
Poker is one of the most popular casino games in the world, both online and in land-based casinos. It’s right up there next to slots and blackjack. However, unlike slots and blackjack, there is a lot more to it than basic strategy and practice. Poker requires patience, strategy, and a lot of understanding.
Of course, it also depends on the type of poker you are playing, as there is much more than just one type of poker. However, the most popular form of poker is Texas Hold’em.
We could teach you every strategy in the book, and it might still not work for you. The thing is with poker, is that you have to figure out what works for you, yourself. It can be very beneficial to just sit at home and play some poker online and try out different things until you find your niche strategy and tactics. Spending time understanding odds, how the game works and so on is also very beneficial.
No two players will play poker in the same way, poker is not just about how you play your cards and understand the game, a lot of it is also about your gambling personality, and no two personalities are ever the same.
To get practice, you can always play five-draw poker online for real money with Fanduel. Practice is the key to beating those odds.
Now, we cannot turn you into a pro overnight, but we can give you some tips. So, today, that is exactly what we are going to do.
How Odds Work
Firstly, we want to briefly explain how odds work.
If you were to place a bet, and you were given a number such as 7 to 1. This will be written as 7:1. This means that for every $1 you bet, you would get $7. So, if you bet $10 at 7:1, and you won, you get $70.
If the odds are large against you winning, it is usually known as being a long shot, which means it only has a minimal chance of succeeding. The higher the odds, the less chance you have at winning. If someone gives you odds of 100:1, then they do not think you will win.
Fanduel’s Top Tips!
Now we know how odds work, let’s get to those sweet poker tips!
1. Don’t play every hand.
There is always going to be a limit on how many starting hands you can play before the flop in poker, even for absolute pros. If you try and play too many hands, you will bleed away your chip stack.
The best way to play your hands properly is to develop a solid pre-flop strategy and stick to it. Do not get impatient and play hands that are not worth playing because this is another great way to lose your chips.
Pay a tight range of strong and playable hands and play these aggressively. This way, when you raise, your opponents will not know if you have a mediocre hand or an amazing one.
2. Fold if you are unsure.
The biggest difference between a bad player and a pro is the ability to lay down a good hand like a top pair even when they think they are beaten. Sounds simple? Well, it is not, simply because of how our brains are built, we want to win.
When we fold, we surrender our chance to win, and we do not get to satiate our human curiosity to find out what our opponents have.
Calling too often is another way to lose your money, so if you are unsure if you should call or fold, just fold and save yourself the trouble.
3. Attack weakness.
Plays will not check hands that can call multiple bets, this means if they do check, they will have a weak hand. So, when they check a lot this shows weakness, you can take advantage with an aggressive bluff.
4. Don’t be the first to limp.
Limping, or calling the big blind pre-flop, is an awful idea if you are the first player to enter a pot. Doing this means you can’t win the pot before the flop like you could if you raised, and you would give the players behind very enticing odds, making it more likely that you will face multiple players and be less likely to win the pot.
The only time to limp is when at least one other player has limped.
5. Adopt strategy consistently.
Remember we said that you need to use strategy and use it consistently, well here we are. This is one of the most important poker tips.
It is not okay to suddenly change things up just because you are bored or tilted. Your poker strategy will only matter if you apply it at tables all the time, every hand, every session all counts.
All the pros will apply the same strategy over and over, regardless of how they feel or what the latest results have been. Consistency is key.
6. Don’t be meaningless.
There is one loophole, though. Pros may break from their usual strategies, but it is always for obvious reasons. This may be because a table is playing passively and there are some recreational players in the blinds, in this case, a normal fold hand might be useful.
Everything you do, do with purpose.
7. Tilt hurts- understand this.
Tilt destroys bankrolls, dreams, and everything in poker. Remember, when you play, things will go badly, and there is nothing you can do about it. You might run bad, however, when you lose control of your emotions at the table, you are only hurting yourself.
Maintain your composure, no matter what. If you feel emotional, stop playing.
8. Don’t play bad games.
Do not stubbornly play in games with decent or good regulars. Don’t play at tables without someone who is playing poorly, if you are, why are you there. However, if you only play for pleasure or challenge then this is fine, but if you play to win, then remember this top tip.
