Beginner’s Guide to Poker
The important thing to remember about poker is that learning to play it is not that hard. It’s much harder to start winning against your opponents. There are many tactics in poker, and they all differ in methods, techniques based on certain conditions and strategies. For beginners, however, the first thing you should do is familiarise yourself with the basic strategies of the game. They are usually divided into two types of games: preflop and postflop. Each has its own unique characteristics.
Preflop Game
The pre-flop is the point in the hand when the cards are not yet dealt. This is the part used in Texas Hold’em Poker. In this hand, the player sees only his two cards. You should start the game carefully. Initially, it is necessary to assess the cards in your own and your opponent’s hands. Then you can use the starting hand table to decide your next move. If the table does not show the player’s position, it is advisable to go for a fold. Usually in preflop play, good luck goes to those players who can take the initiative during the hand. This becomes more important than hand strength.
Only raise when there are good cards in hand, such as two aces or two kings. At this stage, the maximum number of opponents should be eliminated. An equaliser is used when there is a suspicion that other players will start to raise. Also, this action is used when playing with a large number of opponents.
The main objective of medium handed play is to hit the flop with minimal waste. If there are weak cards in your hand, it is best to discard them as early as possible. This is especially true for beginners who are inexperienced in playing complex combinations. In addition, it’s a good idea to study your opponents’ styles and play habits. This allows you to understand their moves and make the right decisions.
Post-Flop Games
Postflop is a basic poker strategy that takes into account the three rounds: the flop, turn and river. You need to know more about all of them:
- On the flop, three cards are laid face down.
- On the turn, the possibility of a fourth card is added. Professionals believe that at this point there is an 85% chance of seeing a combination of your cards.
- The river is an open common fifth card. All opponents now know their combinations and can bet.
To understand how to proceed at a particular stage, you need to consider the length of the game, the position at the table, the preflop, and other issues.
However, many inexperienced players make serious mistakes in the post-flop process. Of these, it is worth highlighting the most common:
- Classic play. During the round, players do not make check-raises.
- lack of tactics. Players do not analyse their own and their opponent’s moves. Because of this, their poker turns into a simple game of luck.
It’s worth realising that playing in the post-flop is more difficult. If there are a lot of ready-made tables for preflop to make the right decisions, there is no such opportunity in the first variant.
