Poker Tips

Often good players will "defend" their blinds, especially if they're playing against an aggressive opponent who plays a lot of hands and bets heavily. Defending your blind means that sometimes you'll call a raise while you're in the big blind in order to slow down that opponent's aggression and show that you won't be scared away from your already-committed money. We don't suggest doing this often, because playing a weak hand out of position is very difficult. However, you might want to consider the option, especially if you're up against an opponent whose main strategy is bullying everyone out of the pot.

Don't be afraid to use your chips to gather information. Sometimes a massage bet of medium strength can help to eliminate weaker hands limping in and help gauge the strength of the remaining players' hands. If you're unsure about the comparative strength of your hand (especially after the flop), it's better to make a medium sized bet that can confuse your opponent (leaving them wondering if it's a bet that you want them to call or a bluff) or test the strength of their resolve than to make a larger bet and wind up folding once you realize they're not backing down.

Remember that televised poker tournaments are heavily edited. They only show you the final table, which has fewer players at a single table and a much different play style from the rest of the game. A professional player spends most of the tournament throwing hands away. It's that selectiveness of picking the right battles to fight that distinguishes the pro from the amateur. Up until the final table, all tournament tables will generally have eight to ten people at a single table, which decreases the starting value of most hands and calls for a much tighter style of play to survive.