When you Google search ‘Tips and Strategies for Poker’, the results can be a little overwhelming. There on the first page are strategies like ‘use non-made hands with backdoor flush’, ‘use pocket pairs and suited connectors’ ‘overbet jam the river’. Huh? What? Some of these strategies seem like they were made for poker legends Phil Ivey or Johnny Chan rather than a mere, humble beginner.
Whats more, they’re not going to be very useful. During your first game, all you need is a few straightforward, low-risk strategies that will see you around the table. Nothing complex. Nothing show-off-ish. Trying to jump in there with advanced poker tricks is only going to get your head spinning and confuse matters further.
That’s why we wanted to give you just three of our favourite, simple poker tips that are catered towards beginners. None of these tips will guarantee a win, but they will put you in a better position to maximise your advantage and play competitively. This article is not for Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, Johnny Chan level players!
Keep it Simple
The most important tip has nothing to do with the game of poker, but rather the steps leading up to it. Most people will play poker online in 2024, and there are plenty of casinos to choose from. Obviously, in this instance, it’s all about safety first. Pick a casino that you know will be secure and offer safe payments. For example, at an Inclave Casino, you get the option to log in using your fingerprint or face.
There are also crypto casinos that offer the poker game you’re used to but buy-ins with cryptocurrencies, and, potentially, at much smaller quantities that you may typically see with fiat currencies. Otherwise, crypto poker offers all the fun of playing with fiat currencies online or in-person.
Once you’ve decided on the type of site you want to play at, only then look into the catalogue – variety will be important to keep things fresh and interesting later on.
Once this is done and you’ve found your casino, you’ll likely have the option to play a diverse range of poker games – you’ll find hugely diverse catalogues on the internet, complete with games like Jacks or Better, All American Poker, and Loose Deuces. But this is where you should stop and take a step back. While all these choices might look enticing, you want to play the most basic format if you’re at a basic level. Regular Texas Hold’Em Poker. This will help you get into the game naturally and smoothly, and from there, you can start to expand your choices.
Play Less Hands
When it comes to actually playing the game, we’d recommend playing just a few hands. In the beginning, if you try to play too many hands, you’ll soon find yourself in a poker downswing, with your stack of chips gradually beginning to disappear. Instead, you should look to play your best hands, and have the discipline to say ‘no’ if your hand isn’t strong. Imagine yourself as constricted. This might sound strange and slightly limiting, but it’s a good call if you’re only now getting into the game.
Only allow yourself to play a tight range of strong hands, and once you have those hands, make sure you play aggressively – speculative or non-speculative. Also, make sure you’re not the first player to limp. In poker, the term ‘limping’ refers to players that enter a pot by matching the big blind, rather than raising them. Remember that you can’t win the pot before a flop if you’ve matched, and you’ll also entice more players to enter the game, which subsequently makes it less likely that you’ll win the round.
Make Sure to Semi-Bluff
Our last helpful hint is to semi-bluff with your strong draws like nut flush draw. This essentially means that you’re bluffing with hands that have potential outs to improve later down the line – such as overcards or open-ended straight draws. They’re referred to as ‘semi-bluffs’ because you’re partly bluffing, partly truthful with the possibility to improve to the best hand. Your hand is good in terms of chances to win at the showdown, but it’s not good yet, and has the potential to be the winner if things go your way.
We know that bluffing is a big part of poker. There’s nothing cooler than the moment James Bond bluffs his way to a win in the popular movie Casino Royale. But one of the common mistakes that beginners make is bluffing with nothing in their hand. This is a serious strategy that requires skill to get right, but it’s not for you just yet. Try to ensure your hands have outs to improve before you bluff, and you’ll make it more likely that you won’t come away from the round with nothing!
