Poker strategy

There are several excellent books on poker strategy, and this article will only attempt to deal with the basics that must be mastered by the beginner. A list of articles on the material summarized here appears below.

Hand Strength

Once a poker player has mastered the rank of hands, it is more important to realize their relative strength at a poker table. Approximately half the five-poker card hands in any given game will be less than a pair of twos, but only about one-fourth of five-poker card hands in the long run will be better than a pair of Aces. A full house is such a good hand that it is far more likely to be the best hand on the poker table than a 7 high (the lowest possible hand) is to be the lowest hand at a given poker table.

One mistake made by many beginners is to bet hands that are unlikely to win in the showdown, hoping that they will eventually improve. In the long run, this is a losing poker strategy against experienced poker players. For example, in draw poker, any hand less than a pair should generally be folded at the earliest opportunity. In other games, such as Texas Hold 'Em where only two poker cards are dealt before the betting round, unmatched combinations of low poker cards are unlikely to result in a winning hand.

Improvement and Pot Odds

Although improvement is possible with every hand, most beginners forget that poker players with better hands may also improve their hands on the draw, and that in the long run the poker player with the better hand before a draw is likely to have the better hand after the draw as well. Generally, if you have reason to believe that your opponent has a better hand than you at any given point of a betting round, the appropriate action is to fold. However, if the money in the pot is large compared to the bet required to stay in (the "pot odds"), a call is possible. This is particularly the case when a poker player is attempting to fill a straight or flush. However, the approximate odds of filling an outside straight on the next draw is about 6-1, and the odds of similarly filling a flush is about 5-1. As such, calling is not recommended if the money that could be won gives a lesser payout on the bet.

One bet made by beginners that rarely pays off is to fill an "inside straight" or a straight with one of the middle poker cards missing. The odds against filling such a straight on a single draw are 13-1 against and should not be considered unless the pot odds are particularly good.

Bluffing strategy

Beginners, even talented beginners, see bluffing as a way to "buy" the pot. However, bluffing seldom works against poor poker players (who tend to overestimate the strength of their hand to begin with) and does not work for long against expert poker players if a poker player bluffs too frequently. Although all poker players should bluff occasionally to make their large bets on good hands look less credible, consistent and constant bluffing generally leads to large losses.

Position Play strategy

Generally, poker players who have to bet first need stronger hands to open the betting than poker players who bet later. This is because the raw odds of a better hand being on the poker table increase based on the number of poker players who have not had the opportunity to bet. For example, in a six-poker player game of draw poker, it is recommended that a poker player check in the first betting position unless they have at least a pair of aces. However, the last poker player to bet (the dealer) may open the betting if no-one else has spoken with as little as a pair of twos. One expert Hold 'Em poker player recommends folding if you are the first poker player to the left of the blind unless you have the strength to raise.

See Also

Probability - Bluffing - Sandbagging - Game theory - Psychology - Tells - Pot odds - Drawing - Protection - Value - Outs - Starting hands - Game selection - Position

Specific games

Texas hold 'em poker strategy - Omaha poker strategy - Draw poker strategy - California lowball poker strategy - Seven-poker card stud poker strategy - Razz poker strategy