Poker Strategies
The game of Poker has taken the world by storm in recent years.
Although it has always been an exciting card game, lately it has
gained mounting popularity and has shown us through tournaments
such as "The World Series of Poker" that even an average Joe,
who has been playing the game for a relatively short amount of
time, can walk away a millionaire. The way to win is to devise
your own way of playing the game by building from a variety of
tried and true Poker strategies available for you to learn.
The most important trick for a beginning Poker player to learn
is how to "read" the other players. Unless you have an
absolutely stellar hand that you are certain will win, then the
strategy of reading your opposing players, to help determine
what you should do with your own hand, is essential. You should
begin by taking a few hands to observe your fellow players. Try
to uncover if there are any habits your opponents have that
coincide with a good hand or a bluff. Most great players try to
conceal anything that could give away their hand, however, there
may be very small, almost unnoticeable, things they are unaware
of.
Another good way to try and determine what your opponent may
have is by his verbal skills. He may try to distract you from
your own hand by carrying on a meaningless conversation or
taunting you when he is trying to bluff, be almost silent when
he has a great hand, or over-acting like he has a outstanding
hand when he actually has nothing. After a few hands, you may be
able to decipher any patterns that your opposing players may
have.
As you try to read your fellow Poker players keep in mind that
they are probably trying to read you as well. Therefore, it is a
good idea to try and not develop any noticeable patterns of your
own. When playing with close friends, ask if there is anything
you may do and are unaware of that could possibly give away your
hand. Sometimes even something as little as an eyelid flutter
can give devoted and observant opponents the advantage.
If trying to read your opponents doesn't work out in the
beginning, don't get discouraged! The more you practice reading
other players, the easier it will get. With each game of Poker
that you play, you will be able to hone all of your skills and
strategies until you are a true Poker master and, eventually,
you may be ready to enter into the "World Series of Poker"
yourself.