Poker Strategy

by Jerry "Jet" Whittaker

February 3, 2006

If you expect to be the big winner every time you play poker, well, you are an optimist.  However, being a winner more times than not is possible if you heed a few simple rules of poker strategy.  If you are a mathematician and want to play the odds in drawing to straights and flushes, and such, you may come out a winner but lose out in the pure excitement of the game. 

Sure, it helps to have a poker strategy when calculating your possibilities of drawing that much needed ace to fill out a full house.  For most, this is the all-important aspect of gambling, getting that winning hand.  It should be, for gambling is just that; a venture into a game of chance for stakes.

For many, in playing a game of poker strategy simply equals winning money.  For many others, the excitement of pitting their understanding of human nature against that of the other players can be as exuberating as having a growing stack of chips.

A basic rule in poker strategy is to not rush your betting.  Play a few rounds, betting lightly until you have a grasp of the other players and their poker strategy.  Watch their betting habits until you have a good understanding of who is prone to bluff and who bets heavily when playing a losing hand. 

There are those gamblers whose poker strategy is to “money out” other players by placing large bets even when their own hand is less than envious.  This is a poker strategy that works and unfortunately it is one that interferes with the enjoyment of the game.  Beware of those players and wait your chance.  Time will prevail.  When you have your sure-fire winning hand, and you will, call their bluff and collect your winnings.

Poker strategy may include losing a few hands until you are certain you understand the psychology of one or more of the other players.  Knowing even one player’s poker strategy will enable you to increase your odds of being a winner.  So play your cards close to your chest and call only when you feel there is a reasonable chance that your hand is better than the other players.  If you have learned the poker strategies of the other players properly, your play will come naturally and your odds of winning will increase substantially.

The best poker strategy of all is just  knowing how much you can lose if the cards are against you and know when to quit until another day.

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