King Solomon's Poker - How To Play

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Top Poker Tips

1) Playing too many hands

Top poker players usually only play between 20-30% of their starting hands. To take away the luck element of the game concentrate on higher value starting hands and discard lower value starting hands.

2) Know when to hold’em, and know when to fold’em

Learn how and when to fold a hand, and don’t be so quick to call. Many beginners ignore what is happening with the community cards or what their opponent’s behaviour might be suggesting. This is a mistake.

3) Choose less skillful opponents

...if you want to win money. you should play at tables where you can beat the majority of players. Move down in limits if you are having difficulties winning money and don’t be afraid to back down if the heat gets too hot.

4) Watch your opponents habits

Watch plenty of games without playing. The best time to study is when you aren’t emotionally invested in the hand, and you can make more astute observations. Learning how your opponents play is crucial to winning..  

5) Betting to gain knowledge

Betting is not always because you have the best hand. Top players use various betting techniques to try to gain information. For example, a defensive bet is one that you can use early on to force others out of the game.. You may also want to call a hand to see how a player was betting throughout the game.

6) Learn to put your opponents on a hand

Having mastered Tips 4 & 5, it is time to put your knowledge to work and win. Put yourself in your opponents’ shoes. Think “Why did he re-raise me that amount?” and “Why did he only call in the previous betting round?”. Poker is a game of thinking of strategy.  

7) Learn how to bluff and semi-bluff

Bluffing is often a misunderstood concept, and most pros use bluffs quite sparingly. Bluffing only works at the right times against the right players. A bluff can be very effective when used rarely so don’t rely on it but rather treat it as only one part of your strategy. 

8) Changing Gears

Be unpredictable. You need to change your game up, and let them see that you can handle bluffs, and can play some lower value starting hands. These changes should be subtle and shouldn’t dramatically affect the flop rate we mentioned in Tip #1. The best poker player is like a chameleon who can change instantly according to his surroundings and condition at the table.

9) Understand player position

Not only is it important to play strong hands, it is even more important in what position you play them. For example, the ideal position is the Button (the Dealer), as you are last to act, and have the advantage of watching all of the betting action before you need to make a decision. eg. If the action before you consists of a bet, a raise, and a re-raise, and you hold a pair of Tens, you might think that folding is the right decision.

10) Read books and take notes

There is never enough reading and studying that a player can do. Keep notes on what works and doesn’t work for you. Keep notes on other players. It is simply about practice. With practice and time you should be winning your way to unlimited amounts of money