You may have already seen our previous poker tips article. Here are more pieces of advice to help you improve your game. Again, these are random tid-bits of information that are important but weren’t worthy of dedicating an entire article to each subject.
Fake Money Can Make You A Better Player
There are play money games, in which people fake play but use real money. However, there are also fake money games, wherein the players use you guessed it fake money, but play real game. Why? Well, people believe that the primary reason both of these types of game exist is simply to be entertaining. That is certainly true, but playing with play money has some ulterior motives as well, ones which can be extremely beneficial.
You see, these games can make you a better poker player. You have nothing to lose, isnt that right? And since there is no money at stake, you are perfectly tree to find yourself as a player. You can bluff, you can try crazy risks and reckless strategies, all to see what you can and cannot pull off believably. You can try out new tactics and really forge your identity as a poker player without fear of going broke.
Understand Poker Jargon
Poker is a game that is filled not only with skill but also with mystery – the reason? Because poker players have their very own language and unless you play the game, it is very difficult to pick up all of the terms they have. Poker jargon for me was something that was very hard to pick up, as there truly are a ton of different terms out there to learn and not all of them nearly the same.
There is something that you can do though and that is educating yourself. Reading a book on poker jargon is by far the best way to ensure that you not only get poker terms and conditions but that they sink right in your mind.
The very last thing that you want to do when you are playing poker is make a fool out of yourself at the table.
Questions to Ask Before Playing
Poker is fun to play, particular Texas Hold Em. However it also requires a lot of concentration and the right frame of mind, which you need to make sure you meet.
Before playing, there are questions you need to ask and things to consider. For example, if someone playing aggressive poker is at your table, it is a good idea to sit on his left. That way, you will be able to see any raises before, rather than after, you make your move.
If you know anyone at the table, think of what you know of their ticks and tells.
If you are distracted thinking about an upcoming business meeting, calling your partner, going to the store then now is not the time to play.
How to Stay On Budget
One of the things that you will notice about poker is the fact that it can get very, very expensive very, very fast. Not only do you have to deal with putting money up for bidding, but you have to make sure that you have enough money to stay in the game. That can get costly.
If you have found yourself in that boat of dealing with costly poker games, why not put yourself on a budget? Finding the right budget for poker is a great way to ensure that you do not overspend and do not get into gambling habits that might be bad.
Poker is a game – while costly, that is fun and if you put yourself on a budget, you will have even more fun!
Know Your Poker Chips
Poker chips are different.
Duh, right?
Well, come on. I didnt really know that there was any difference at first myself.
But there are all kinds of different chips: clay poker chips, metal poker chips, and plastic poker chips.
Clay chips are considered the best of the best. They are pretty hefty.
Metal chips also contain plastic. They weigh about the same as clay poker chips. They are considered to be incredibly durable.
It comes as no surprise that plastic poker chips are both insubstantial and significantly less expensive. They are ideal for more casual games, especially if you tend to lose a lot of chips.
In general, for three to four players, you need about two hundred chips for a solid poker game. For five to six players, four hundred will do. For seven to eight players, make it six hundred chips. Finally, for eight to ten or more players, you will need about eight hundred chips.
What To Do With Pocket Aces
Ah, pocket rockets. It is one of the greatest starting hands you can get in a game of poker. However, you cannot get cocky and assume that lucking out with two aces during the pre flop will guarantee you a win. There is some strategy to playing this enviable hand.
See, it can be torture to fold a hand like this; your first instinct will be to play and play hard. Follow the first one, but go easy on the second one.
A raise here is a must. Raise big, in fact, because you may be able to intimidate your opponents enough so that some of them will fold.
Once the flop goes down, however, you need to start calculating your odds. You also have to analyze how your opponents play.
Only raise or call if your chances of winning are good. Otherwise, although it may hurt, you need to fold.
More Poker Lingo
As any player worth his or her salt knows, poker has what amounts to its own secret language.
There are donks and donkeys, which do not mean what they mean in day to day language. There are various disparaging terms, as well as praising ones.
If all you know of poker lingo comes from TV and movies, you need to reevaluate what you think you know, otherwise you might find yourself in a very tight spot.
Antes have become almost obsolete, for instance, in all but the most traditional poker games. They have been replaced by big blinds and small blinds.
There are board cards, or community cards, which you are never going to see in a stud game, and therein are yet more specialized terms the draw, the pre flop, the flop, the turn, and the river.
You need to know about limit poker, shorthand poker, longhand poker, the outs, and the importance of position.