A short time ago, we here at Juicy Stakes Poker ran an article with a few tips for better poker that we felt demonstrated thinking a bit outside the box. We saved a few tips for this later article. As we said, we think that these tips are rarely expressed in the way we express them and, therefore, by internalizing the wisdom presented here, you can elevate your poker game tremendously.
Some Poker Players Don’t Care if They Lose
There are a goodly number of poker players who play at low stakes and generally lose. But they can easily afford to lose at the low stakes they play at, so they don’t care if they lose. For them, the fun of playing poker is the goal.
This same type of player often plays at higher stakes. If they are very wealthy, they may not care if they win or lose at almost any stakes.
The tip we wish to impart to you here is that you can win big against this type of player. It may not be so easy to figure out who is that type of player but you might learn how to gently probe in the chat box.
Also keep in mind that a poker player who doesn’t care if he or she loses, may also be a calling machine that cannot be bluffed.
It is Not Always a Justifiable Goal to Try to Play at Higher Stakes
In general, players at higher stakes are better than players at low stakes. This is somewhat like baseball where Rookie League players might be just very good high school players with no realistic shot at the big leagues.
The same goes for Low A High A. There are always players who love to play baseball and know that they will never get to the Major Leagues.
This applies to poker as well. A player who plays at somewhat higher stakes may know that he will never get to the World Series of Poker. But they are generally better than most players at low stakes.
Playing at higher stakes also has a similarity to high volatility slots where a few players share the winnings.
The tip is that it is better to be great at low-stakes poker than to be average or mediocre at a higher stakes level.
There are Four Types of Poker Players
NOT!
It is true that poker players are usually divided into four categories: tight, loose, aggressive, and passive. However, there is a tremendous amount of overlap in these categories. A tight player may bet aggressively when he or she has a good hand. An aggressive player who is having a losing streak may bet passively even with a strong hand before the flop.
In fact, the overlap between these categories can occur during a game.
There are several tips that go along with this analysis.
- When a tight player bets, believe them.
- There are some players that you cannot bluff.
- When a player is having bad luck, they are ready for you to pounce on their lack of confidence.
- A good player will appear to be all four of these player types to throw everyone off.
- Finding those nuances that most players reveal to you without knowing that they Are doing so is a key to winning at poker.
Poker is a Combination of Skill and Luck
People may argue forever over which is more prominent, skill or luck. Our tip to you is to respect the skill involved in playing good poker and also respect the element of luck.
When your luck runs dry, you should take a break. This is not necessary after just one bad beat or failure to hit a flush. After a string of bad luck hands, the best remedy from the emotional side is to take a break.
Luck inexplicably runs in streaks. So take a break when luck runs dry and come back with renewed hope for some good luck tempered by great skill.
Respecting the skill means that you will try to get better all the time. We all know how hard it is, but it is worth the effort if you want to win consistently at poker.
Bad Beats Should Lead to Good Thoughts
You will feel terrible after a bad beat. A good thought is that there is a good beat in your future. Even the best poker players have a bad beat occasionally. The key is to get over it immediately.
In some ways, poker is like sports. In baseball, the cliché is that you are only as good as your last at bat. In poker, you are only as good as the way you played the last hand. If the hand ended in a bad beat and you know that you played it correctly then the best conclusion is “poker”.
The Button and Cut Off Should be Your Pot of Gold
Everyone who plays poker for a while and studies it knows that the button and the cut off are the strongest positions. If an opponent is weak while in these positions, you can confidently assume that they will be ripe for the taking in other positions.
Even a tight player should become an aggressive player in these positions. After the flop, these positions bet last so they see what every other player is doing before they have to play.
Learn How to Build Pots
There is so much skill involved in observing your opponents. One of these skills is how much to bet to get the opponent to call or raise when you know that you have the nuts.
This is one thing that new or average poker players can learn from the otherwise entertaining, but not educational, YouTube clips. A player will take time to decide how much to bet to get the opponent to at least call. If they bet too little, they are shortchanging themselves in that way. If they bet too much, the opponent folds and they have shortchanged themselves in the opposite way.
Exude Confidence
This means to portray yourself as a confident person. This is good in poker, in business, and in general. Some people equate confidence with arrogance. It is arrogance only when it is shown in an arrogant manner. Otherwise, confidence is better described as intelligent aggressiveness. Aggressiveness does not have to be threatening. It simply means that you will not be won over easily.
Confidence also leads you to good conclusions since you are confident in your ability to arrive at good conclusions.
Have Fun
You should know that most players lose money long term. If you play for the fun of it, without needing to win in order to support yourself or your family, then you are well situated for poker to continue to be fun.
If playing poker ever stops being fun, that is a sign that it is time to take a very long break from poker.
Having fun also means being respectful of the other players. Never taunt an opponent and never show off your great skill. Always show gratitude when you win and show gratitude for your opponents when they win!
Follow the classic American taboo against talking about politics, money, religion, and sex. Keeping these taboos out of the conversation will direct the conversation to other important and interesting areas such as health, sports, cars, vacations, and so on.
Juicy Stakes Poker offers players a great place to play poker. Our sister casino offers a few hundred great casino games for when you need a break from poker or just want to play a few casino games….for the fun of it!
