Poker is a game that involves a certain degree of luck, but it also requires a large amount of skill. Those that consistently win put the odds in their favor by using various strategies to gain an advantage over their opponent.

Slow Playing

Normally, it is advantageous for a player to bet very strong if they possess a strong hand. However, there are times when a player has picked up such a good hand that they can be almost assured of winning a hand. When a player has picked up this good a hand early in the game, they can use a technique called “slow playing” in order to induce other players to bet more. By simply calling other’s bets or checking, a player who has an exceptionally good hand can make others think that their hand is weak. This is advantageous because should another player make a large bet in an attempt to steal the pot, the player who has been slow to play can jump into action with a large raise. This puts the opposing player to a tough decision as they are unsure whether the player that has been slow playing truly has been coasting along with a mediocre hand or whether they have been concealing the fact that they have monster cards.

Emotion

Emotion is a natural human reaction, but has never been of any assistance to a good poker player. Those that let their emotions dictate their actions at the poker table are said to be “on tilt.” This usually occurs after a player loses a big hand or loses because an opponent got exceptionally lucky. This can put a player into a downward tailspin as they may bet more aggressively in anger or play cards that they normally would not in an attempt to quickly win the money back that they have lost. This usually results in more losses for the player that is “on tilt” and can spell doom for hopes that the player had of winning the game.

Common Mistake

Many novice players make the mistake of playing too many hands with hole cards that are below average. Good poker players only play 20 to 30 percent of their hands and fold the rest before the flop. Experts play these good starting hands as it increases the odds that they will make the best hand and fold the mediocre starting hands as they will generally cause a player to unnecessarily throw money into the pot with little hope of seeing any return on their investment.