From some site:
op 10 Poker Tips to Make You a Better Player & Improve Your Poker Game
From
Toby Bochan,
Your Guide to
Poker.
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Want to become a better player, fast? Follow these 10
tips to boost your poker performance & profits. While geared to
beginner players, there's poker tips that even seasoned pros should
remind themselves of once in a while.
1) Don't Play Every Hand / Do Fold More
Probably
the number one mistake beginning poker players make is that they play
far too many hands. When you're just starting out playing poker, you
want to
play poker, and that means staying in hands that aren't
very good just to be part of the action. But playing more doesn't mean
winning more, it usually means losing more. If you find you're staying
in half or more the hands you're dealt, you need to upgrade your
starting hand requirements.
2) Don't Play Drunk
Countless
nights have I sat across a table from someone & watched them get
plastered silly and throw away their entire stack of chips. I've been
that person too - and there are nights where you're just playing with
friends for low stakes and it's more about the fun than the poker - but
if you're in a casino, watch the alcohol. The truth is, while you may
be more relaxed after 2 drinks, it may lead to you playing looser and
less sharply, even if one's not 'drunk.'
3) Don't Bluff Just For Bluffing's Sake
A
lot of beginner's understand that bluffing is a part of poker, but not
exactly how. There's is NO rule that one must bluff a certain amount or
at all during a poker game, but many players don't feel like they've
won unless they've tried a poker bluff. Bluffs only work in certain
situations & against certain people, and if you know a player
always calls to the showdown, it is literally impossible to bluff that
player. It's better never to bluff than to bluff "just to bluff."
4) Don't Stay in a Hand Just Because You're Already In It
Another
common mistake beginners make is to think that "Well, I've already put
that much in the pot, I have to stay in now." Nope. You can't win a pot
just by throwing money at it. There may be cases when pot odds warrant
a call, but if you're sure you're beaten, and there's no way your hand
can improve to be the best hand, you should fold right away. The money
you've already put in the pot isn't yours anymore, and you can't get it
back just by playing a hand all the way to the end.
5) Don't Call at the End of a Hand to "Keep Someone Honest"
This
one follows the last tip. I see a lot of players look at another
player's final bet, look at the hand, & say "I know you've got me,
but I have to keep you honest," as they throw in a final call. It may
be worth it to see if a player really has the hand if you're not sure
& you're gaining information that will help you later on, but if
you really feel a player has the hand he's representing & you're
beat, why give him another pile of your money? Those bets will add up
over an evening.
6) Don't Play When Mad, Sad, or in a Generally Bad Mood
When you play poker, you shouldn't do it to escape from being depressed or having a really bad day. You start out
on tilt
-- playing emotionally, not rationally -- and you won't play your best.
Likewise, if during a poker game, you lose a big hand or get sucked out
on and feel yourself going on tilt, stand up & take a break until
you feel calm later on. Fellow players will sense your mood & take
advantage of it.
7) Do Pay Attention to the Cards on the Table
When
you first start playing, it's enough just to remember how to play and
pay attention to your own hand. But once you've got that down, it's
incredibly important to look at what's going on at the table. In
Texas Hold'em, figure out what the best possible hand would be to fit the
flop. Make sure you notice flush & straight possibilities. In
7-card stud, pay attention to what's showing & what people have folded when you consider calling opponents.
8) Do Pay Attention to the Other Players
As you play, one of the single best things you can do is observe your opponents,
even when you're not in a hand. If you know if one player always raises in a certain position, & another has a
poker tell
when he bluffs, & a 3rd folds to every re-raise, you can use that
information to help you decide how to play against them. Once you know
that player 3 always folds to a re-raise on a river, that's when you
can bluff & steal a pot.
9) Don't Play at too High Limits
There are many reasons people move up to a higher limit game than they usually play. Good reasons like they've been winning
consistently
at a lower lever & are ready to move up, & bad reasons like the
line is shorter for higher limits or you want to impress someone. Don't
play at stakes that make you think about the actual money in terms of
day-to-day life or with money you can't lose. Even if you had one
super-good night at $2/4, resist the urge to play $5/10. The next tip
explains more why.
10) Do Pick the Right Game for Your Skill Level & Bankroll
One
of the reasons you shouldn't jump into a $5/10 game after winning a
huge bunch of money at $2/4 is because as the stakes rise, so does the
average skill level of the players sitting there. You want to be one of
the best at the table, not the
fish who sits down with sharks. If you're making stacks of money at a lower level game, why move? You're
winning stacks of money. The swings up & down at higher limits are much bigger, and one big night's win won't last long at a high-stakes game.
Playing
too many hands
Most beginners play way too many starting hands, in
fact top players typically play between 20-30% of their starting
hands. Concentrate on higher value starting hands and help remove
the luck element of the game.
Know
when to hold’em, and know when to fold’em
Learn how to fold a hand, and don’t be a calling machine.
Many beginners keep betting regardless of the board or what their
opponent’s actions are suggesting. Top players frequently say
it’s the hands you can lay down that are often the key to profitable
play.
Choose
less skillful opponents
...if you want to win money. Sounds fairly obvious, but you
should play at betting limits where you can beat the majority of players.
Move down in limits if you are having difficulties winning money. In
poker, always leave your ego at the door.
Watch
your opponents habits
Especially
when you aren’t in a hand. The best time to study is when you aren’t
emotionally invested in the hand, and you can make more prudent
observations. Watch how opponents bet, and how much they bet, in what
position are they betting. Learning how your opponents play is key.
Betting
to gain knowledge
Betting is not always because you have the best hand.
Top players use various betting techniques to try to gain information.
For example, a defensive bet is one that you can use early on
to avoid calling a bigger future bet. A re-raise may be used
to probe the credibility of your opponent’s hand.
Learn
to put your opponents on a hand
Once you have mastered Tips #4 &5, it is time
to put your knowledge to work. Try putting yourself in your opponents
shoes, and learn to put them on a hand. Ask questions like “Why
did he re-raise me that amount?”, and “Why did he
only call in the previous betting round?”, “Maybe
because he only called me, he has a kicker problem?”
Learn
how to bluff and semi-bluff
...at the right times against the right players, and
at the right frequency. Bluffing is often a misunderstood concept,
and much to many beginner’s dismay most pros use bluffs
quite sparingly. A bluff can be very effective when used rarely,
and where there is a seemingly low risk of being called by your
opponent.
Changing
Gears
Unpredictability can be good. Most pros can figure out a really
loose player by waiting for the nuts and being patient. However,
an even easier opponent is a tight player or “rock”, who plays
only the Group 1 type hands. You need to change your game up, and let them
see that you can run bluffs, and can play some lower value starting
hands.
These changes should be subtle and shouldn’t dramatically affect
the flop rate we mentioned in Tip #1
Understand
player position
...and how it is critical. Not only is it
important to play strong hands, it is even more important in
what position
you play them. For example, the ideal position is the Button
(the Dealer), as you are last to act, and have the advantage
of watching all of the betting action before you need to make
a decision. eg. If the action before you consists of a bet, a
raise, and a re-raise, and you hold a pair of Tens, you might
think that folding is the right decision.
Read
books and take notes
Players can always learn more if they want to be a
better poker player. Keep notes on what works and doesn’t
work for you, and eventually you will come up with a style of
play that works uniquely for you and improves your game. Please
see our list of Top Poker Books if you want to see some good
selections.
Just from random sites, I didn't read any of it. Hopefully that helps.
