King Jack Off Suit

While playing poker a player would implement a different strategy so that his moves are dynamic and not predictable. Winning money is easy when you are playing a loose poker game. A poker player should have the flair of breaking free from the perceptions that the players have developed about him.  A superior poker player should be able to surprise, shock and fool the opponents most of the times while playing at the poker table.

Players should master the art of ruthlessly punishing their opponents. You should not always penalize your opponents in the same round if you have an edge over them. Endurance is important and you should not be foolish by displaying your emotions by a sly smile or any facial indication would surely give away your game. Later, in the game you may at times realize that your advantage is no more present and you are safe as you did not indulge in extra bets. You should avoid playing too many hands as only ideal players to that. Your strategy should be tailored in such a way that it should fit all the games being played on the poker table.

Your strategy should keep changing while playing poker games. Tight poker games are very gainful as the profit comes from stealing on the flop and not much from stealing blinds. If you are playing against more than one opponent then you should check on the flop and observe the move and bets of the opponents. If they play then it would be wise of you to fold or else steal the pot from the fourth street exception being if an overcard falls. The right method should e used in the right situation.

Players bluff in a big way in poker games which rakes in a lot of money from opponents on the poker table.  If your opponents are tough players then you would be trapped by every now and then. You should master the art to bluff and do it with confidence. Playing poker with the right attitude and elegance would help you in making money. Diverse strategies should be adopted for special kinds of poker games. If pots become very large your only strategy should be to win it and sometimes, according to Pocker Info, it is the best strategy not to bet which would help in the forthcoming rounds as you could indulge in raising the stakes and playing the game as per your advantage.

Having the skill of figuring out what cards the other players are holding can help you make profitable decisions. This all depends on the information that you gather while playing.

David Sklansky defined in his poker book the level of thinking of poker players:

Level 0 – I know nothing

This is the level where people who has no knowledge of the rules of the game try to play poker. Playing drunk and not knowing what you are doing also puts one in this level of thinking.

Level 1 – What do I have?

This applies to players who are just starting to get a grip of the rules and knowing the rankings of the different hands. Most of the time is spent on figuring the strength of the cards that they have.

Level 2 – What does my opponent have?

It will be safe to assume that most poker players fall into this level. Most of the players here will be thinking of what their opponents have but will not base their actions on the mathematics of the game and right strategy for a certain situation.

Level 3 – What does my opponent think I have?

Winning players will belong to this level of thinking. These players think of how other players think and decide on what is the optimum move to take.

Level 4 – What does my opponent think that I think they have?

Things can be a bit tricky at this level. These are poker players who has a good hold of the thought processes to make a right decision on the poker table and use them to their advantage.

Level 5 – What does my opponent think that I think they think I have?

It might be very rare to see someone playing at this level. One good advice to follow when you encounter a player who can think what the opponent is thinking of what they think they have is to leave the table. Don’t play against the likes of Kenny Hallaert or Laurens De Smet.

Don’t Play with Scared Money

Scared money will be your budget for more important things like your rent, fuel, or food. These are necessities that you can not live without. You bankroll should be an amount that you can set aside for poker without having to worry about the necessities of life. This really is my NUMBER ONE POKER RULE. Playing with scared money is a HUGE mistake, and you WON’T PLAY YOUR A-GAME!

Determine your limits

Your bankroll will tell you up to which part of your chips you can sacrifice without the chest pain. The bankroll will determine which games you will sit down and play. If you can’t afford the high stakes then why play?

Limit vs No Limit

When you play limit games, the thumb rule is to have a bankroll that is around 300 big bets. No limit cash poker on the other hand call for more cushion. No limit games usually will need around 20 maximum buy ins or around 100x the big blind. That may sound simple but things can get pretty bloody in no limit games.

Sit and Go’s

For SnG or sit and go’s, you must have at least 60 buyins in that bankroll. Muti table tournaments can be very volatile but the winnings can be very big. Remember that your skill must be good to ensure that you will not be just throwing away the money in what I call Go Broke Poker.

Learning to manage your bankroll will also involve varying your styles of play and knowing when to change levels.