Ever since poker became a domain of the cool kids, many aspire to follow in the footsteps of the poker pros, aspiring to take their hobby to a whole new level. To help you stand a greater chance at succeeding in this increasingly more competitive landscape, we’re going to share 4 tips that will hopefully get you where you want to be faster.
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1. Learn from the best
It’s no secret that poker is loved by Australian celebrities that haven’t necessarily read piles and piles of books before jumping in. While they’ve played an instrumental role in upping the popularity of the game as a whole, they may not necessarily be the top performers.
Therefore, seek out a mentor who can help you take your playing to the next level. If nothing else, some of the industry’s top poker pros have their own Youtube channels where they share helpful tips and strategies.
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2. Know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em
The reality of competitive play is that you will be folding most of the time. The reason being is that only a few starting hands are good enough to give you a reasonable advantage in the pre-flop phase of the game. Boring as it may seem, poker is what many top performers see as a waiting game, so if you can’t keep your finger off the trigger, it might not be for you.
When someone re-raises your opening bet, the range of cards with which you should call with is even narrower. For instance, it may be correct to open with pocket tens, but you should only re-raise or call a raiser with pocket queens or better.
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3. Aggressive styles tend to outperform the passive ones
If you really want to learn how to play Online poker in Australia for real money, you should know that, in general, playing aggressively tends to yield better results than passive playing styles.
The reason being is that, when you call someone’s bet, depending on the current phase of the game, you’re either going to a showdown with them or the next card will be dealt, none of which involves convincing them to fold before you even get that far.
On the other hand, few dare challenge an aggressive raise unless they have the cards to make a stand. Keep in mind this only works as long as you’re not telegraphing your bluff to the entire table. Speaking of which…
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4. Don’t overvalue bluffing
In popular culture, drama ensues when someone manages to pull off a bluff in poker and laugh in the opponent’s face, claiming the pot with nothing but thin air. In real life, bluff is an option as well, but it’s not to be overvalued.
First of all, hardly anyone is going to fall for a bluff if all you do is raise and re-raise with a weak hand. You need to have at least something going for you. Examples include being on a straight or flush draw or having other outs that can complete your hand in later stages of the game.
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Conclusion
Poker is not a game you can master overnight. But if you keep learning from your mistakes and study the complexities of the game, it’s only a matter of time before you will be able to call yourself a true poker pro.
