Poker
The Ultimate Secrets of Poker Winning Strategy
The world of gambling holds a treasure of uncountable exciting games that gamblers have been playing for many years. Many of them are purely based on sheer gambling luck, besides, some demands high skill sets and knowledge at the side of luck. If you have skilled hands in card games, you might be aware of the popularity of Poker.
What is Poker?
Poker is a renowned gambling game, which is played with a set or deck of 52 cards. Being a gambling game, a piece of luck is always essential for it. But proper knowledge of the game along with the skill set and a well-thought poker strategy is something that can set you for consecutive wins. Today, poker game variants are treated as an important part of most of the online casinos, and poker online Malaysia is a huge favorite for the punters, inhabiting in the Asian continent.
In a game of poker, you need to place your bets against other players based on the value of your poker hand. For placing bets on the poker table, players often use chips. These chips look like coins and are made of plastic or ceramic. Real money can also be used for placing bets, but chips are used since they are easy to handle and convenient to count.
In the game, a player gets two cards for holding on their hands. These cards are called hand cards. And, five cards get dealt on the poker table. Now, at the end of the gaming round, the player, who has secured the best combination of five cards, will be a winner of the round.
But when did the game appear? The game has some debate and controversy about its origin. According to many, the name poker is derived from “Poque”, a word in French. Poque is also descended from the German word “Pochen”. Alongside it, many think that the game has resemblance with a Persian game and has been taught by Persian sailors to French colonists in New Orleans.
Types of Poker Games
What kinds of poker variants do you know? Well, if we think about poker, the first version that comes to our mind is Texas Hold’em. There is no doubt that Texas Hold’em is the most famous poker variant now. But, let’s not forget about other variants of the game, since they are as much as fun as poker Texas Hold’em.
In this segment of the article, we will discuss all top poker variants for giving you a proper idea of this game’s magnificence.
Texas Hold’em
Texas Hold’em is topping the list rightfully since it is the most popular poker variant, loved by a huge group of professional gamblers. Poker Texas Hold’em is one of the easiest game variants of poker and is a top choice for many different big poker tournaments across the globe. Perfect for beginners, but the game can get complicated on higher levels of play. Thus, there is a saying that depicts learning Texas Hold’em is a matter of minutes, but one needs a lifetime to become a master.
Omaha High
Omaha High is often referred to as Omaha only. The game is quite similar to the Hold’em poker and often the second-ranking variant of poker in terms of popularity. For the last few years, punters have been getting interested in this type of poker, and gamblers who like more action on the table, adore Omaha as compared to other variants.
Omaha Hi/Lo
Just by looking at the name, it can be assumed that this poker variant shares similarity with Omaha High. The gambling world also knows this poker variant by the name Eight or Omaha/8. The intriguing fact about this poker variant is, with the hole cards and community cards, players are needed to form TWO hands, which are high and low hands. For winning, you need to come up with a high hand that is highest in value. On the contrary, the low hand needs to be the lowest. Now, it may be a bit complicated but fun.
Seven Card Stud
Seven Card Stud was the top favourite of professional poker players. But, along with the rising popularity of Texas Hold’em, Seven Card Stud’s popularity has fallen a bit short. Here, the players want to win a pot that has all bets in a single deal. Players gamble in the game, hoping that they have the best pot. The top combination of five cards makes the best hand in the most poker versions.
Razz
Razz, the poker variant, is a bit different from other conventional poker game types. It is different since players here gamble for having the lowest-ranked hand. Thus, the game is also very interesting. Though this poker variant is not as much famous as Omaha or Texas Hold’em, it has wide acceptance among the gamblers and available in most of the online casinos.
Five Card Draw
Five Card Draw is considerably one of the easiest poker variants that we have at present. According to many gamblers, they have learned this poker game first before other comparably complicated ones. The poker variant requires minimal poker strategy, which makes it much more amusing and full of fun.
Know Your Poker Hand Rankings
Texas Hold’em poker, Seven Card Stud, Omaha Hi/Lo is well accepted in online casinos as well as in tournaments. But before you ask how to play poker, you need to know that poker game has different variants with unique sets of rules. But, most of these variations have one particular thing common in all of them. In most of these games, players need to come up with the best possible combination of 5 cards or hands.
The game comprises 2.5 million five-card combinations and 10 different categories of hands. These categories are called poker card rankings, and if you have 5 cards comprising the top-ranking cards, you will be a winner of the pot.
Poker card Rankings from best to worst have been described below.
a) Royal Flush
Royal Flush is the possible top hand or card combination of Texas Hold’em poker. The combination consists of 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. But all the five cards need to be from a single suit.
b) Straight Flush
When you have five cards of the identical suit and sequentially have them, you have a Straight Flush.
c) Four of a Kind
If you have a combination of five cards, where 4 of them are numerically matched, you have Four of a Kind.
d) Full House
A Full House hand means you have three same kinds of cards along with a pair that is also the same.
e) Flush
If you have all five cards from a single suit, you have a Flush. No sequential order needs to be maintained for this combination.
f) Straight
A combination that has five cards from any suits, but in a sequential order is a Straight.
g) Three of a Kind
For this combination, any three cards out of five need to share the same number.
h) Two Pair
A hand that has two different pairs of cards is a Two Pair.
i) One Pair
A ‘One Pair’ hand means there are two cards that are numerically matched.
j) High Cards
When you have the highest-ranked cards, where ace has the highest value and 2 is the lowest, you have a High Card hand.
Poker Pot Bets
Calculation of pot bets in poker can seem a bit complicated if you put it in comparison with the No-Limit betting style’s standard limit. Thus, in this section, there are some examples for simplifying how to play poker when you have a pot-limit.
In simple terms, the rule of placing a pot size bet is, after calling the previous bet, you are eligible for raising the amount of a pot.
Let us have a look at some examples.
Allow us to start with a simple scenario. Suppose, you need to act first, and the pot amount is $10. Now, what should be your bet amount? It can be $10, right?
Now, it is time to bring a bit harder example.
In this instance, the poker pot has $10. A player has wagered $3, and another one has put $10. If your last bet call was $10, then there is 10 + 3 + 10 + 10 or $33 in the pot. Presently, your pot wager is $33, and your complete wager will be $43.
This calculation may seem a bit complicated, but if you are playing Pot-Limit poker, you need to learn it as fast as you can. However, when you play it online, the poker client will inform you what will be your maximum betting amount.
Flop
The activity of dealing the initial three face-up cards on the poker board is regularly alluded to as ‘flop.’ This term is very common in poker variants that encompass community cards. Texas Hold’em and Omaha Hold’em are few variants, where the use of this method is often seen. The first three face-up cards are also considered as flops.
Now, when this term is used as a verb, it has two distinct meanings. A flop from the dealer means the first three communal cards have been dealt with by him. And, a player flop means, the first three face-up cards have been dealt, and the player has gained a handout of them.
In any hand of poker, the flop is considered as one of the vital moments. In Texas Hold’em, a player receives 71% knowledge about his hand at the flop, and the vital decisions take place based on that data.
Turn
In the community card games like Omaha and Texas Hold’em, Turn is considered as a third betting round. In the post-flop betting rounds, it falls in second place (flop, turn, and river). Having another meaning, Turn also means the lone community card dealt on that gaming round.
For any poker hands, Turn strategy will be a key aspect since it is the point where after checking the growth of a pot from flop or preflop rounds, you decide whether to commit to the hand or not.
River
In the community card poker games, players share cards. Cards have been shared and placed in the centre of a table being faced up, and players take these cards as a part of their poker hands. For identification, each of these cards has distinct names. Flop, Turn, and River are the names of these cards in poker games like Texas Hold’em and Omaha Hold’em. So, River or frequently viewed as River Card is the card, managed in the last.
Mastering the River bet is immensely important, as the river is the last card, dealt by the dealer. Players can win a bet either by bluffing or having the most-valued hand.
Raise
While being confronted by another player, raise is an action that a player can make. In the terminology of poker game, raise means placing your bet over your opponent’s wagered amount. Now, the number of raises, you can make within a single poker round, can be directed by the house rules. But in general, you can raise between 1 and 5 times in a single betting round. After a raise from your opponent, if you decide another raise, it is called a re-raise.
After a raise, if a player is all-in, in other words, after betting the whole stack, if a player does not have money for a raise, then his raise is irregular or incomplete.
Fold
On the off chance that you have a Fold, in the poker game, you are resting your cards and need to quit playing the hand. You can call a fold at any stage of the game when it is your turn for acting. The fold is also referred to like lay down and muck, where you will be ineligible to claim the pot, besides, you do not need to invest any amount in the poker pot anymore.
It is wiser, not to call for a fold before you have your turn, you need to wait patiently, and observe other players whether they are calling for a raise, call, or fold. If you require a fold before your turn, it will bring you objection from your rivals, since you are offering information to the players, who have their chance before you.
Poker Bluff Strategy
What is bluffing in a game of poker? Well, poker bluffing strategy is something that even a man, who does not have any knowledge of poker, understands. Poker bluffing is just an act of trickery for portraying that you have a strong hand, even if the hand you have is weak. The main intention of this act is to make your opponent fold. Now, the question is how to bluff in poker? For making your poker bluffing strategy successful, you need to consider a few factors that are written below.
- Choose When to Bluff
Firstly, on a poker table, bluff as minimum as possible, and only when it is needed the most. Many beginners think that this strategy will be effective every time they do it. Before applying this trick, make sure whether you can make your opponents fold by this strategy or not. Do not apply this strategy with a thinking that you have not bluffed in the round yet, and it needs to be done at least once.
- Bluff if You are a Beginner and the Stakes are Low
Maybe, applying the strategy of bluffing for a big winning is tempting. But, it is always more effective if you consider bluffing on a game that has low stakes. Bluffing in a lower stake game derives more chances that your opponent will fold.
- Bluff on Stronger Players
A weak player will more likely not fold, despite your bluffing. It may happen since rubies may not take account of your hand’s strength because of the lack of knowledge. But, strong and experienced players always look for the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Begin Bluffing Pre-Flop
While ranking in the last position, if you think the players from your left are tight, apply to bluff by getting raise. A few of them may call fold before the flop. Besides, you will have the advantage of assessing their reactions and shape up your strategy accordingly.
- Quit if Your Opponent isn’t Convinced
Throwing more money in the pot without any reason is useless. Thus, quit bluffing, if you think that your opponent is not getting affected by your bluff strategy. Don’t be afraid if you get caught. Quitting to bluffing is much more profitable than losing money by a bluff being called.
Concluding Lines
In this article, we have tried to give you all the necessary information to construct a foolproof poker strategy for securing success. Hit your poker table, which is equipped with all this information, and always have confidence in your capability. Foremost, don’t forget to maintain your poker face.
