Poker Strategies

Find the best poker strategy for you!

A poker strategy can help you lower the casino's edge and swing the odds in your favor. Read on to find the best online poker strategies for US casino players.

Poker is arguably the most popular table game. Many players sit at poker tables to pass the time with friends and family or compete against strangers. As much as the game is entertaining, we all want to have an edge at the table. So what do you need to stand out from the rest?


Why Should I Use A Poker Strategy?

Like most other casino games, poker requires an element of luck to win. As you play your hand, you can’t predict the next card. However, you still have some control; you can choose to fold, raise or call. 

A poker strategy helps you know the best action to take at every game turn. An elaborate strategy can help you even when you’ve been dealt bad cards. 


Can One Poker Strategy Help Me Win?

Ultimate Texas Hold'em 1
Ultimate Texas Hold’em by SG Digital

Unfortunately, online poker winning strategies can’t assure you of victory every time you sit at the tables. Even professional players with vast experience lose some games. 

Poker in online casinos is a random game that is hard to predict. When you play virtual RNG poker, an algorithm influences the results. In live games, other players’ actions affect the outcome. 

In addition, poker games have a house edge. The house edge is built into the game’s mechanics and favors the casino. You can’t beat the house, but the best poker betting strategies can help you reduce the house edge.

There are many benefits to a poker strategy. The most obvious is that you learn the game’s rules and how to turn them in your favor. Without a strategy, you’ll walk into the game blindly. Here’s how playing poker with a strategy improves your experience. 


Do I Need To Choose A Playing Style Before A Strategy? 

When you research how to win poker, you’ll realize that most players follow four main game styles. Your game style largely influences the strategies you’ll adopt. Game styles can be classified this way:

Tight

This is a popular game style among many poker players. As it is labeled, it entails players being selective with their starting hands and barely entering the pot. Especially when they have a bad hand, tight players will choose to fold. Tight players prefer betting and raising over checking and calling at the table.

Loose

In poker tables, players who use a loose game style play a wider variety of hands. Even with weaker hands, loose players hardly fold and are likely to continue. 

Aggressive

A tight player on the table isn’t afraid of taking risks. By observing aggressive players, you’ll notice they are inclined more to bet and raise. Usually, they anticipate that timid players will fold and are more likely to bluff. 

Passive 

A passive player is overly cautious and rarely takes risks. They would rather be safe than sorry. A passive player will likely check and call in a draw. 

When to raise?

The best reason is when you have a strong hand and want your opponents to put more money into the pot. You can also raise as a rebuttal to your opponent’s bluff. 

Hand example

In this situation, you should raise after the flop.

When to call?

Calling in a poker game keeps you in the hand. You may call a bet when you have the best hand or draw. You can also have a weak hand and call anyway. Players do this to bluff later on. 

Hand example

In this situation, you should call.

Understanding the pot odds

Learning the pot odds in poker helps you understand when to raise or call the game on a drawing hand. There are two main ways you can calculate the pot odds in poker.

You can use the ratio method to compare your card odds to the pot odds. When the pot odds are greater than the former, you can call. 

In the percentage method, you raise or call when the percentage of you making straight on the next card is higher. You should fold if the pot’s percentage exceeds your card equity. 


Two Types Of Online Poker Winning Strategies 

You can either play poker cautiously or by reading your opponents. When you play using conventional strategies, you focus more on making moves to win the game against your opponents, or you can capitalize on their weaknesses.

GTO strategyExploitative strategy
The game theory of optimal GTO involves a lot of math to support its cautious style. Using this method, you leverage your game knowledge and adhere to strict guidelines. The exploitative strategy, on the other hand, focuses on exploiting your opponent’s weaknesses. To effectively use this strategy, you must keenly observe your opponents and see where they go wrong. 

Which Poker Strategies Should I Choose?

Depending on your level of play, you may want to employ different strategies. The variant you play influences your strategy. You’ll need a different strategy and game style to keep your hand in Texas Hold’em from Pai Gow Poker. 

Best strategies for a beginnerBest strategies for a proBest Poker tournament strategies
Position play. Act as the last player in the hand to observe other players. Tight Aggressive. Play only a few hands you can control.Short stack. Capitalize on weak players who can’t spot opportunities quickly.
Chip leader. Avoid unnecessary risks by making calculated calls, and minimal raisesPosition play. Reading other players gives you a chance to plan your hands.Loose Aggressive. Playing more hands and calling more gives you an edge over weaker players.

Poker strategies for beginners

Here we’ll dive deeper into poker strategies you can use if you’re new to the tables.

Poker strategies for advanced players

As a seasoned player, you’re familiar with the game’s rules, so it’s easiest to adopt complex strategies. We’ll highlight a few strategies that match your play level. 

Poker tournament strategies

In a poker tournament, you’ll encounter players with different strategies in all stages. Using mixed strategies gives you better chances at the tables. You can mix the following styles to make it to the end. 


Short-Term Or Long-Term Strategies: Which Is Best?

The best poker tips for beginners will tell you that thinking long-term is best. You can start the game with a losing streak even with the best strategies. You must understand how important luck is, along with skill. Without a long-term strategy, you’re likely overzealous, with subsequent hands taking heavy losses. 


General Mistakes To Avoid As A Beginner In Poker

Poker mistakes can be costly, especially when you sit at competitive tables. While you can’t play perfectly as a beginner, some mistakes are too obvious. Avoid the following when dealing at the tables: 

  1. Failing to understand basic concepts and terminology. Our dictionary page is filled with useful material for poker players at every level. As a beginner, you should get a handle on the basics. 
  2. Overusing the same strategy. Poker is very diverse, with many play styles and variants. Using the same strategy in all sessions can cost you dearly. It’s helpful having several strategies to switch up your play. 
  3. Going in blind. Luck plays a part in winning, but poker is still a game of skill. You set yourself up for failure when you sit at the table without a strategy. 
  4. Being overly cautious. Better safe than sorry, but without taking risks, you can miss many opportunities in poker. As you develop a strategy, build your confidence to make bold calls. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Poker is a diverse game with multiple variants and differing rules. As such, you can't apply one strategy for all situations. We recommend practicing several strategies for different occasions.
When using the GTO strategy, players are cautious with their bets and rely on mathematical calculations to make their moves. It works well for No Limit Hold 'em tables.
There's no guarantee that you will win immediately when you apply strategies in poker. Luck still plays a role in the outcome. You can have instant or delayed wins at the table. However, most poker strategies cushion you from heavy losses.
This depends on you. You will see results quicker if you put more effort and time into researching and practicing your strategies. This doesn't make you a master, but it can improve your play and overall skill.
Author
Casino bonus specialist
Pride is a five-year veteran in the exciting world of US and UK casino gaming. His mantra is โ€œKeep it simple,โ€ which he always does while giving you the low down on the latest casino gaming trends. Whether itโ€™s reporting on breaking news or getting down to the brass tacks in a detailed casino review, Pride provides clear, reliable, and unbiased information to help you make your gaming decisions.

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