4 Tips to Create the Perfect Poker Winning Strategy
People often struggle to see poker as a strategic game. They assume that all you need to win is to read opponents’ body language and be good at bluffing. However, even top poker players like Phil Hellmuth have a strategy. In fact, it’s the reason why he’s one of the best players on the planet because he’s always learning new things.
A poker game is decided by the choices you and your opponents make at the table, so you need to have a plan for every outcome. This is where strategy comes in, which will help you determine your next moves at the table. So with that in mind, here are a few tips to create your own winning strategies:
Practice, practice
Similar to other games like chess, the only way to get better at developing a strategy is by practicing. One of the best poker tips out there is to find a group to play with. After all, you’ll be playing poker with other people, so it helps to learn with other people, too, even if you’re just playing practice rounds.
Make some friends in your local poker community and don’t be intimidated by when it comes to playing against better players. Ask them to analyze your game each time you play with them and gather some tips on where you need to improve. Then try to implement their tips in your next games. Look to test what works for you, and when you determine what does actually improve your game, try to adopt the strategies more often.
Notice patterns
Observing patterns in games allows you to determine the right move and then you can act accordingly. For example, if a player constantly bets the same amount each hand they are probably afraid of losing money. When you notice patterns like this, it’s a sign to raise and it will enables you to muscle out your opponents and steal the pot.
However, common betting patterns are not all there is to observe. There are also certain player profiles that play similarly for every game. Loose-aggressive players, for one, have a tendency to build their stacks to pressure others. Thus, it helps to play against them in-position to avoid giving chips away. Certain patterns require corresponding actions and noticing them gives you a foundation to build your winning strategy.
Observe others
While being experience is beneficial, it also helps to watch other players. It gives you a different perspective on the game and helps you see would you could have done differently if you were in their place. So, watch other players compete and observe their performance. For example, you can watch some of the televised games in tournaments such as the World Series Of Poker, where you can learn from the best in the world and see how they play certain hands.
If you watch games regularly it exposes you to different playing styles as well as various scenarios you might not have encountered before. Aside from the WSOP, there are YouTube channels that stream poker games, like Live at the Bike. The channel features a mix of professional and amateur players, so you’ll get to observe players at all levels.
Take notes
To be good at poker requires a lot of studying — the number of poker books and resources available is a testament to this. However, it’s not enough to read about poker tips and just watch some games if you want to be a good player. You also need to take your own notes. This gives you something to look back to and review, allowing you to form strategies that will compliment your game.
You can take notes when practicing or watching replay matches online, but make sure to develop a unique system that enables you to focus on key skills you need to improve. Some online poker rooms have built-in note-taking software that enables you to quickly type in-game. The bottom line here is to make sure you have notes because they will eventually be your strategy-building references throughout your journey to become a better poker player.
It goes without saying that winning poker games requires robust strategies. Building your own will take time and experience, of course, but keeping these tips in mind will help you on your journey. For more sports and gaming content, read more of our articles here at 7 Day Success.
