BASIC POKER STRATEGY

Best Place To Start Playing Online Poker: PARTY POKER

So are you ready to try your luck at one of the many of our recommended online poker rooms. Before taking that giant leap into the highly charged world of "online poker" take a few minutes to read a couple of the basics. Then pull up a chair and become a member of the fastest growing online phenomenon in history. At Poker room pulse we believe you should… Play Hard, Play Well but most importantly Play with Integrity. Good Luck to you all…….

Beginner poker players should be looking to hone their skills on the play money tables. Nine times out of ten these players are also beginners. Your first jump into the real money game should be at the low limit tables, more likely than not your opponents have made their first leaps of faith as well.

Most new poker players start out playing too many starting hands. Learn to concentrate on the higher value starting hands. Removing "the luck element" from the game will help to ensure a higher percentage of winning hands.

Learning when to fold a hand is a valuable lesson for beginner poker players. Don't be calling all your hands and hoping for a decent flop. A sure fire way to recognize a beginner is watching the number of times they call regardless of what their opponent's actions are suggesting. Know when to pack it in and fold your hand.

Learn to assess your opponents. Take time after you have folded a hand to watch the remaining players at the table. Watch how your opponents bet, how much they are willing to risk and in what table position they are in. Learning to read your opponents is the key to winning at poker.

Gain knowledge through betting, the best players use various betting techniques to gain information on their opponents. A defensive bet can be used early on to avoid calling a bigger future bet. You may also try a re-raise to test the credibility of your opponent's hand. Don't try this often as you are likely to lose more than you win, but it helps to understand the betting strategies of your opponents.

Learning how to bluff at the right time against the right players the right number of times can be a valuable tool. Bluffing isn't a recommended strategy of the pros as it is something they do sparingly. A bluff can be effective if used rarely and typically where there is minimal risk of being called by an opponent.

Be unpredictable at the poker tables. There are different genres of players, your loose player almost always plays the flop and hopes for the best. A tight player is predictable as he is waiting for the "holy Grail" of hands to make his move. You need to learn to change up your game, call a few bluffs, play a few tight hands and be a bit of a loose cannon from time to time. These changes should be made subtly but eventually you will become a tough read.

Table position is another important basic strategy of poker. In poker a small disc is used to mark the dealer in a particular hand. The dealer disc is rotated clockwise around the table with each round. The dealer is always the last one to act in any round of poker; this gives the dealer an advantage over the rest of the table. Table position strategy is key to winning more hands than losing in poker. Typically two cards that you couldn't play profitably from an early position are cards you might raise with if you are the last to act at the table. Being last gives you an opportunity to study your opponents and how they respond to their hands.