From five-card draw to seven-card stud, all the way to the current favourite hold ‘em variant, poker has long remained one of the most popular games in gambling. Sine there are multiple different varieties of this game, it can be hard to juggle the rules of each. However, the basic strategy in betting and calling is often the same regardless of the poker variant.
The first thing to remember with any poker game is that you can establish either a ‘loose’ playing strategy or a ‘tight’ playing strategy. ‘Loose’ means you play most of the hands that are dealt, while ‘tight’ means you have high standards for your starting hands and will fold frequently if your hand isn’t a high-potential winner. As a beginner, it is better to hold the latter strategy, as doing so will ensure that you lose fewer hands. As you play more, however, taking risks on weaker hands can pay dividends – especially if you learn to read your opponents accurately.
Being able to read your opponents means assessing, among other things, whether they are following ‘tight’ or ‘loose’ strategies themselves. If your opponents are mostly in the former category, then the table may be a good environment to try out a bluffing strategy.
However, never feel that you need to bluff: bluffing itself is a poker strategy and should not be used repeatedly with the goal of buying the pot. If you have weak cards, a bluff is a real gamble that can end up costing you greatly – especially if your opponents are ‘loose’ players and rarely fold.
Whether poker is your cup of tea or not, try slot-spiele as they are often associated with video poker!