Poker Journal
  • Home
  • Poker News
  • How to play Poker
  • Poker Strategy
  • Poker Tips
  • Online Poker Site Reviews
No Result
View All Result
SUBSCRIBE
Poker Journal
  • Home
  • Poker News
  • How to play Poker
  • Poker Strategy
  • Poker Tips
  • Online Poker Site Reviews
No Result
View All Result
Poker Journal
No Result
View All Result
ignition poker
Home Poker Strategy

How to Win At Poker in 5 Easy Steps

September 22, 2022
in Poker Strategy
0
how to win at poker
208
SHARES
1.9k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Winning easy and poker usually don’t go hand-in-hand, but that’s only because people love to complicate the game of poker. They tell themselves: I can figure out a way to make this much more complicated so I can sound smarter than everyone else and then get people do buy my poker strategy classes so I can make money since I’m not a profitable poker player.

First off, they had a run-on thought, so we can already fault them for that. Secondly, I’m not one of those people. I try to simplify the game with learning how to win at poker. Thirdly, I always admit when I lose. You can just look at my book Felt Hopper: Florida for proof on that one.

All that said, it’s going to be challenging to teach you how to win at poker in five easy steps, but I accept the challenge. I’ll keep it to the poker basics and drop some easy-to-understand poker tips.

Contents hide
#1. Play Fewer Poker Hands
#2. Bluff Correctly
#3. Bet Out On Monsters
#4. Not Sure? Fold!
#5. Attack Every Single Time in This Spot
Final Thoughts
How to Win at Poker – FAQ
What are the ways to win at poker?
What is the object of the game of poker?
How do I beat my friends at poker?
What are good ways to bluff in poker?

#1. Play Fewer Poker Hands

This is a simple yet highly effective poker strategy. It definitely falls in line with our poker rules for winning.

When you first start playing in poker tournaments, you tend to play a lot of poker hands because you want to see a lot of flops. You want to see a lot of flops because you view it as fun. Then it becomes like a bad golfer hitting a great shot. They don’t think about shooting 115 in 18 holes. They think about that one approach shot that was right on the money. That’s what keeps them coming back.

In poker, you might have played J9-off despite the hand being 4-bet pre-flop and then flopped a straight. Won a huge pot there, which made you think you were a great poker player, or that the game was easy. You would be wrong on both accounts. You did everything wrong and the game isn’t easy.

Sorry for being harsh, but that’s how you get better and how to win at poker. I’ll start by saying you should never call a pre-flop 4-bet with J9-off. I’ll continue by saying that there is a very easy way to get a lot better at this game, which is to play fewer poker hands.

You probably haven’t noticed, but the best poker players in poker tournaments and other poker games are tight players. This means they play fewer poker hands than the majority of the field. Always remember this simple concept: The pot is a dangerous place to be in Texas Hold’em poker tournaments. This means that you should only be getting involved with strong hands or when you have an opportunistic situation.

Let’s begin with strong hands. The range of hands you play should depend on your position. If you’re in early position, you should only play AA, KK, QQ, and AK. Maybe AQ if you’re a strong player. I’m going with poker basics because I’m assuming you’re a beginner. In other words, I’m trying to simplify the game for you while also giving you tips on how to win at poker.

You want to play the aforementioned hands in any position, and you want to play them aggressively. If you’re in middle or late position, then I would recommend raising (not limping) with the following hands…

AA
KK
QQ
AK-suited
AK-off
AQ-suited
AQ-off
AJ-suited
AJ-off
KQ-suited
JJ
TT

Not all these hands are the same. If you get three-bet by an opponent and you have AK-off or better, it’s usually a snap-call. You live and die with the results but that’s the way of how to win at poker. However, there have been instances where I have had a good read on my opponent and fold a strong hand because I have them on AA or KK.

During the Main Event in Coconut Creek, the tightest player at the table three-bet me pre-flop and he became very still and stoic, not wanting to give anything away. His eyes also seemed more focused as he glanced at my chips. I tanked with KK and folded pre-flop. He had AA. So, there are situations where you can fold monsters. But, personally, I’m probably calling with AQ-off and better most of the time. I will usually be ahead, and even if I’m not, I’m not drawing dead.

AJ, KQ, JJ, and TT are a little different. Some people will call-off with these hands. I’m not one of those people. You’re in a race-at-best situation most of the time. That’s -EV. I will say this, though. If someone is short-stacked and jams it for 10 BB or something in that area, I’m usually calling. They will usually have a smaller pair or some marginal hands like KT-suited or QJ-off. There will be times when I’m wrong, but I will usually be correct in this spot.

The basic idea is that if you only play the hands listed above, you will win more than you lose. I would highly recommend adding all pairs of 44-99 as well as Ax-suited in late position. If you’re past the beginner phase of your poker journey, then I would also add suited-connectors and suited one-gappers.

I would also raise with all the hands mentioned in this paragraph from late position. By doing so, you’re opponents will not be able to put you on a specific range of hands. If you’re raising bigger with monsters and smaller with suited-connectors, your opponents are going to pick up on it. Always go into this game knowing that it’s okay to eat your raise and fold pre-flop sometimes. It’s part of the game. Disguising the strength of your hole cards fits into our poker rules for how to win at poker.

#2. Bluff Correctly

poker bluffing

Three important points here.

1. Semi-bluffing is good. You can’t always check a flush draw to see if you get there. You’re losing tons of value! In most cases, either your opponent will fold or you will hit your flush. I’m not saying that you will usually hit your flush. You will only hit your flush 36% of the time when four to the flush on the flop. I don’t know the numbers on how often your opponent will fold.

Nobody does. But I do know that the amount of chips you accumulate by getting your opponent to fold combined with the amount of chips you win when you get called and hit your flush is likely to be more than the chips you earn by checking and seeing if you get there. There will certainly be times where you are called and don’t get there.

This is why so many people are afraid to pull the trigger. But in order to live in poker games, you can’t be afraid to die. This is how to win at poker.

2. I would recommend almost always putting in a continuation bet or check-raising when heads-up. The check-raise is an incredibly powerful bluff. Even if you’re wrong, you will find out the strength of your opponent’s hand with absolute certainty.

An opponent is NEVER going to call a check-raise with a marginal hand. Well, maybe if they’re a donkey. There are some donkeys out there. If you do get called on a check-raise-bluff, hit the brakes. Sometimes how to win at poker relates to aggression until resistance.

3. if you’re going to barrel on the river, then I highly recommend that your story makes sense. Let’s say your opponent raised pre-flop, bet big on the flop, and bet big on the turn. There were two hearts on the flop, but you had 6s 6d with no six anywhere on the board. Then a heart hits the river.

Since your opponent kept coming after you, and since he began raising pre-flop, you can safely assume he has an overpair or top pair. He bet for value pre-flop, and he has been trying to get rid of you ever since, especially after seeing two hearts on the flop. Now that a heart hit the river, you can bluff to represent the flush. You better make sure it’s a big enough amount to scare him away.

If you get away with this bluff, you’re probably wondering if you should show it. You want to show it, but that’s Ego, and it could cost you. It’s hard to make winning hands in Texas Hold’em poker tournaments. If you show that bluff, then you need to hit cards going forward because you just lost respect from everyone at the table. I don’t recommend relying on the cards.

If you fold without showing the bluff, then you got away with it AND the players at the table still respect you because they think you had the flush. If someone asks you if you had the flush, don’t say, “Yes” or “No.” Say, “I can’t answer that.” Always keep them guessing.

#3. Bet Out On Monsters

poker aces

I play a lot of poker. I have seen it all. At least most of it. I can tell you that if you check a monster on the flop, your opponent is going to be more suspicious than if you bet out on the flop. If you bet out with a monster on the flop, a good poker player is going to put you on a marginal or good hand that you’re trying to protect.

They are not going to put you on a monster. This is why you should bet out monsters. Your opponents usually won’t believe you, which will lead to them calling more often and you getting more value. This is how to win at poker.

#4. Not Sure? Fold!

I know you want to see what your opponent is holding. I also know that you don’t want to be bluffed in front of everyone at the table. Know this, though. The person showing the bluff is the idiot. He or she is giving away information for the sake of Ego. Even if it doesn’t cost that player during this sessions, it will cost them in the future. Your job is simple. Forget Ego and remind yourself that if you’re not sure, fold. This is how you win at poker: Fold more often!

Also in regards to embarrassment and your opponent showing a bluff, think about how many times you made the correct laydown against that player and he mucked his cards. He will show you when he’s correct, but he will not show you when you are correct. And you are correct more often than not if you lean toward folding. I’ll put this as simply as possible: You will know when it’s the right time to call.

#5. Attack Every Single Time in This Spot

poker attack

If you have three or more opponents, don’t bet out unless holding strength. If you have 1-2 opponents and they’re checking, you should almost always bet. When you sense weakness, you need to attack. This how to win at poker. Your opponents will gain respect for you and stay out of your way more often.

You might have noticed that I wrote ‘almost always.’ There is one instance when you don’t want to continue being aggressive in this manner. It’s when you have been playing against these same players for hours and they have picked up on your aggression. I can guarantee you that at least one of them has been waiting to set the trap for you. But this is where you change gears. And changing gears and quickly adapting is also how to win at poker.

If you sense something is up because one of your opponents flatted you, check it back. This is going to frustrate them. They can’t beat you when weak, and that can’t extract chips from you when strong. You might get them on tilt. Let’s add another how to win at poker: Get your opponents on tilt by not falling for their trickery.

Final Thoughts

To review how to win at poker, play fewer poker hands pre-flop, bluff correctly, bet out more often with monsters, fold if you’re not sure, and attack whenever you sense weakness. For the last one, I’m going to change it to: Attack whenever you smell blood. That comes across much better because it’s more shark-like. Be the shark. See you at the WSOP!

♠ pokerjournal.org

How to Win at Poker – FAQ

What are the ways to win at poker?

Be patient, read betting patterns of your opponents, fold whenever you’re not sure, eliminate Ego and Greed, minimize risk off the felt in every way possible.

What is the object of the game of poker?

In a cash game, it's to leave with more chips than you started with. In a poker tournament, it’s to come in the money enough times that you're profitable.

How do I beat my friends at poker?

Read these poker articles, read/listen to as many poker books as possible and practice. Next poker night, look out.

What are good ways to bluff in poker?

It depends on your personality and what you're comfortable with. For example, the majority of my bluffs are small to medium sized bets on the flop and turn, nothing big.

Tags: how to win at poker
Share46Tweet29
Previous Post

Improved Poker Tournament Results | WSOP Harrah’s Cherokee

Next Post

5 Proven Ways To Feed Tilt In Poker | Strategies You Need to Know

Recommended For You

Best Advanced Texas Hold’em Strategy That Will Make You Win Big

March 10, 2025
0
best advanced texas holdem strategy

What you're about to read "Best Advanced Texas Hold'em Strategy That Will Make You Win Big" intentionally contradicts the last article I wrote on poker strategy for tournaments:...

Read moreDetails

What Is Sit and Go Poker? Information You Need to Know

January 12, 2025
0
sit and go poker

I receive this question from beginner poker players often: "What is sit and go poker?" They don't always use the exact wording: "What is sit and go poker?"...

Read moreDetails

Poker Tournament Strategy | How to Stay Out of The Way

December 8, 2024
0
poker tournament tournament

Poker Tournament Strategy: You can look at playing and competing in poker tournaments in two ways, but I know from experience and watching others which way is correct....

Read moreDetails

How to Play Ace King from UTG

August 30, 2024
0
how to play ace king

I have learned so many things from my poker travels. This includes how people view Ace King (AK), and how they like to play AK based on those...

Read moreDetails

Awesome Poker Strategy | How to Choose Your Opponents

July 12, 2024
0
poker opponents

So, you want to be a winning poker player? Do you have any idea how difficult that is going to be? You're going to have to do many...

Read moreDetails
Next Post
poker tilt

5 Proven Ways To Feed Tilt In Poker | Strategies You Need to Know

Discussion about this post

Best Online Poker Sites in

wpt global poker logo

WPT Global

100% up to $1200 on your first deposit + 2 free tickets to the WPT Passport satellite
VISIT SITE VISIT SITE
ggpoker logo

GGPoker

$50 FREE PLAY or 100% up to $600 on your first deposit
VISIT SITE VISIT SITE
acr poker logo

ACR Poker

100% up to $2000 on your first deposit
VISIT SITE VISIT SITE
black chip poker logo

Black Chip Poker

100% up to $2000 on your first deposit
VISIT SITE VISIT SITE
betonline poker logo

BetOnline Poker

100% up to $1000 on your first deposit
VISIT SITE VISIT SITE
888 poker logo

888 Poker

100% up to $1000 on your first deposit
VISIT SITE VISIT SITE
poker cards

How to Make Money In The Right Poker Tournaments

August 28, 2022
man thinking

Awesome Poker Tournament Tip

September 23, 2022
semi-bluff poker

Best Semi-Bluff Poker Strategy

October 10, 2022

Our Mission

PokerJournal.org is an online resource that offers best online poker site reviews, articles about key poker strategies, concepts and important insights and perceptions about the game of poker.
Our mission is to continue producing top quality information on all types of poker.

Contact us: contact@pokerjournal.org

Popular Category

How to play Poker

Poker News

Poker Strategy

Poker Tips

Information

Home

About us

Contact us

Legal Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

Poker Journal Copyright © 2020-2023.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Poker News
  • How to play Poker
  • Poker Strategy
  • Poker Tips
  • Best Online Poker Site Reviews in

Poker Journal Copyright © 2023.