Everyone wants to be labelled as a player who “steamrolls” tournaments – an unbeatable, untouchable monster at the table who never loses and seems to have poker powers bordering on foresight and telepathy. Realistically, they’re just making use of some incredible tactics, and here at A1 Poker we want to offer you some of our own in the hope that we’ll get to watch you in future World Series of Poker (WSoP) tournaments hitting our TV screens each year.
1: Make use of your position at the table
If you happen to be the last person betting in any given hand, and everyone decides to check, make sure you place a bet, even if it’s a small one (but go above the minimum), as you’ll find that most people will flop. It’s a simple form of bluffing, but complex bluffs are more difficult when you’re playing online, as body language just isn’t an asset you can use to your advantage unless you’ve got an avatar to manipulate, and that’s about as reliable as your display picture when it comes to opponents trusting your apparent confidence in your cards.
2: Make use of the odds
If you’re dealt pocket aces (congratulations, as that’s that happens only once every 221 times), and there’s another on the flop, you should be operating on the fact that the only high cards anyone else can be working with are faces. Taking into account the odds and chances that are part and parcel of playing cards mean that you’re betting smart, and this is crucial. Betting is all about playing the odds, and most poker players don’t even know what the odds are when they’re at the table. Memorise and learn, and you’ll find yourself taking fewer risks.
3: Don’t play the monster
However tempting it is to go all out – or rather, all in – this is a bad approach. You’re on only risking going bust on every single hand, but it’s a poor bluff and will paint you as a dangerous player on the table. Being the target of everyone else is going to ensure you suffer some heavy losses, and people will be extremely reluctant to fold to you, which makes a genuine bluff impossible. Stay calm and play conservatively, as then you’ll get to surprise everyone, rather than play right into their hands.
4: Know when not to play
Everyone bluffs, and some people are better at it than others, but the reality is that sometimes you’ll get seriously bad cards. Don’t play. It’s said that good players only play 12.5% of their cards. Even if you lose a small amount on the blind, someone will always have better cards than your nightmare pair in most cases, and it’s best never to risk it after the flop, even if a full house appears afterwards. Taking risks is good, especially in tournaments, but a casual approach to bad cards and a nonchalant approach to betting will cost you dearly.
5: Enjoy yourself
We know a lot of tactics, here at A1, and we play ourselves. However, the best thing we can advise is to have fun, and remember that poker is, quite simply, a game. It’s not supposed to be serious, and the more fun you’re having, the more interested you’ll be in the cards, the bets, other players and the game in general. Becoming bored or frustrated will result in bad bets and unintelligent and risky plays. So have fun.
Hopefully these five approaches to poker are what’ll make the game a winning experience for you, but never forget to only use the tactics that work for you as an individual. And, of course, never stop the fifth strategy, as fun’s what this is all about. May you win big at the tables.