Poker is a card game with a lot of skill and psychology involved. Often, it is just a few simple adjustments that a player can make to their approach that will carry them over from break-even beginner players to big-time winners. Those changes usually have to do with starting to view the game from a more cold, detached and mathematically sound manner.
After all players have 2 hole cards, there is a round of betting that starts with the player to the left of the dealer who puts down a mandatory bet called blinds. After the first round of betting is complete, 1 more card is dealt face up on the table called the flop. Now, the player to the left begins revealing their cards one at a time. Their goal is to beat the exposed card in the middle (like a pair of kings beating an 8). If they can do this, they continue revealing their cards until they either win or lose.
The player that has the best five card hand wins. There are some exceptions to this rule however. For example, a flush can defeat a straight, and a full house can beat a 3 of a kind. These hands are rare, but if you get them you can do extremely well in the game.
A Full House
A full house is a hand that consists of three matching cards of the same rank and two matching cards of another rank. This is also referred to as a Straight Flush.
Straight: A straight is 5 consecutive cards of different suits that skip around in their rank and can include the ace. The highest straight wins.
Flush: A flush is any five cards of the same suit that are not connected. This can be an Ace-high straight, a six-high straight, or any other combination of five cards of the same suit.
The highest flush wins.
Don’t Get Attached to Good Hands
There is an old saying in poker that your hands are only good or bad in relation to what the other players have. This is true, but don’t be too attached to your pocket kings or queens. If the flop comes with tons of flush and straight cards, your kings might just be dead.
Position is Important
Playing in position is the best way to improve your poker game. This is because you will know what your opponents have before they act and can make informed decisions based on that information. Observing your opponents’ behavior in live games is much harder than doing it online, but over time you will learn how to read their body language and determine what they are likely holding. You can then adjust your strategy based on this information. You can also take advantage of the mistakes of your opponents and put them under pressure by betting and raising when you have a strong hand. This is a form of bluffing and it can be very effective.
