Refine your Poker Skills Without Having to Leave the House – Try These Strategies Today

Source: Jessica Dawley via Facebook 

If you’re looking to improve your poker game, it has never been easier. Before the internet took the world by storm, you may have had to head down to your local casino, or invite friends round to get a game of poker. Now, you can log on to a poker site and start playing games such as Texas Hold'em and 7 Card Stud within seconds. In addition to that, there’s a wealth of information out there on strategies, as well as televised poker games that can be watched on channels like YouTube. With all these sources at your fingertips, it’s easy to get to a higher standard as a poker player.

Poker Training Apps

Before going into an actual game of poker, there are plenty of ways to prepare and develop a strategy for dealing with certain situations. And if you want to be shrewd with your money and limit the chances of losing, it’s wise to spend a lot of time on this kind of training.

One of the most important things in poker is being able to identify whether your hand is the best one at the table. This is especially true in Texas Hold’em, where players share five community cards in the middle and only have two hole cards each. You may think you are sitting pretty with a straight, but if there are three cards of the same suit on the table, there’s a chance that one of your opponents could have a flush. For these situations, there’s a free poker app called What’s the Nuts? This useful tool can be used for quickly calculating the best hands and developing a poker mind.

If you want to give yourself a better chance of lasting longer in tournaments, Tournament Poker Coach is a great way to build a strong strategy. Users play challenging hands that have actually taken place in real tournaments. After this, there are detailed explanations. Players can gradually up the ante by raising the difficulty level and looking into more complex tournament techniques.

Free Poker Online

An important stage in working towards being a better poker player is actually practising the game. But there’s no reason to risk your own money straight away if you don’t feel fully confident. In fact, the best way to get a feel for how to play poker properly against real people is to play for free first.

A lot of online poker sites give players the option to play for free or with real money. At 888poker, for instance, there are numerous ways to enjoy a game without having to stake any of your own money. The best place to start out would be the practice mode by playing the most popular variant, Texas Hold'em. It's free to enter but there are no cash prizes for winners. When you feel like you are ready to start challenging for money, you can then play with the free money awarded to players who register with the site for the first time. It’s quick and easy to join, and you can read more here about what you need to do to get the free playing money. Once you feel more confident, the same operator offers sit and go games as well as webcam poker, where you'll be able to try to read your opponent's face for bluffs.

Look to YouTube for Tips

YouTube is like the Holy Grail for budding poker players who want to see how the game should be played. There are so many videos out there of tournaments, cash games, and epic hands that you could sit and watch for hours. A great idea is to look at a few different poker experts and analyse how they play the game. See what their strongest points are, and what kind of plays each of them favours.

There are YouTube channels, such as the one above, which feature different players giving their advice on how poker should be played. 888poker ambassador Jessica Dawley believes that players shouldn’t have too big an ego when playing the game. This is generally sound advice because there is the chance that your ego could prevent you making a logical decision in certain situations. However, there are some players who have based their careers on having a big ego. 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Jamie Gold, for instance, is known for being an arrogant player. His personality has worked in his favour, though, and he has frequently led opponents to believe he was bluffing when he was actually holding the nuts.

Some poker pros, such as Doug Polk, have started their own poker channels. Polk’s videos are extremely entertaining and useful, as he provides commentary on famous hands that have taken place in televised tournaments and cash games. He explains exactly why each player made a certain move, and provides detailed analysis. In longer videos, Polk goes on to explain how to survive poker tournaments, and what kind of strategies should be used at different times. The American poker player and YouTuber has made over $9 million from live tournaments, so his advice is definitely worth listening to.

Another hugely important skill in poker is being able to get a read on your opponents and work out what kind of hand they might have. There are some videos online that show poker games in progress, but don’t display the hole cards of the players. By watching these and trying to decipher what players might have, you can get a real sense of being at the table. If you find yourself guessing fairly accurately, you are ready to take your skills to the next level and play against other people.

When you have had your fill of practising and learning about poker, it’s time to take your skill set to the games where you really have to take risks in order to win. Gradually up the stakes when you feel you are ready, and never bet more than you are prepared to lose. The best players in the world have got to that level by refining their tactics and adapting their game over time. If you want to reach the same heights, you need to be willing to learn from the best and be open to change.