Poker Tips

Get Free Advice on Poker

Wondering whether you played that last big hand of poker the right way? You can ask other poker aficionados online and get some very insightful responses to your poker queries.

Simply log into a public forum, such as PokerForums.org, find the appropriate discussion topic in which to post your situation or question, post, and wait for responses. This is considered the best way to get your poker questions answered and strategies analyzed in the industry, as even the pros can be found answering questions and posting to the forums.

Practice Makes Perfect

Tired of losing your shirt at your friends' weekly poker match? Then you need to practice up!

The easiest way to improve your poker skills is through practice, and the most convenient way to practice in the 21st century is online. Any time of the day or night you can log in, play low stakes poker (though still with real money), and even chat with other players at the table and ask for advice on hands that you may have misplayed.

Though a great way to get some practice in during the week, you should be warned that online poker can be very addictive for some people, and gambling support groups have seen a surge in online poker addicts in recent years.

Super System

If you're looking to improve your poker performance, then you should look to the best of the best for advice, and though many champions of poker have written tip guides of varying quality, Doyle Brunson's Super System is considered to be the most comprehensive and influential book in the history of poker.

Brunson explains the pros and cons of various strategies, points out need-to-know statistics, and covers today's most popular games, including Texas Hold ‘Em and seven card stud. Once you read up on the strategies employed by poker's greats, be sure to bring your new-found knowledge to the table. At the end of the day, there is no substitute for practice.

Know How to Pick ‘Em

So, you're ready to settle down, play some poker, and win some dough…now what? Well, you better decide on a table at which to sit down for starters. If you're new to the game, picking a table might be tricky; here are a few pointers to help you make a more educated decision:

• Pick a table with less skilled players than you.
• If you find yourself seated at a table where the competition is to stiff, move on to a new table—you're not obligated to stay anywhere.
• If you find that your attention span is dwindling and you are continually making poor decisions, you are probably not only at a bad table but not on top of your game—finish up and call it a night.
• If you've invested a good bit of time in a table (over an hour) and haven't won a round, move on, honey.

Sometimes You Should Keep Your Hands to Yourself

A common mistake that beginners make when playing poker is to play way too many hands from the get-go. It's easy to get lost in the thrill of the game and attempt to be in on every round. Realistically speaking, however, this isn't the best idea.

When starting out it's smarter not to depend on luck. In other words, stick to the high hands that are more of a sure bet. In fact, statistics show that leading players only play between 20-30% of their beginning hands. Additionally, when you're an outsider you can watch a game with a clear mind because you won't have anything invested in it.

If you're no longer in on a round sit back and observe—this is a great time to learn a thing or two. Take note of what the winners and the losers do and, if you gather enough information, you may get a leg up on your opponents in later rounds.