Poker Strategies

The famous poker strategist David Sklansky stated in the Fundamental Theorem of Poker, “Every time you play a hand differently from the way you would have played it if you could see all your opponents’ cards, they gain; and every time you play your hand the same way you would have played it if you could see all their cards, they lose. And the converse of the original theorem is also true; “every time opponents play their hands differently from the way they would have if they could see all your cards, you gain; and every time they play their hands the same way they would have played if they could see all your cards, you lose.” This theorem is the basis of almost all poker strategy, the strategy a player chooses depends on probability. This theorem is true; however, the application thereof can lead to confusion because of the variables of probability. Therefore, the best poker strategy always involves making the best decisions based on the probable circumstances of a given situation.

If a player feels that his or her opponents are playing their cards the same way in similar circumstances, then play the cards differently. If a player feels that his or her luck is changing due to his or own actions, change strategy accordingly. Experienced players get circumstantial information from intuition and the reading of body language. The amount of money a player bets could also give information as to the value of the hand that a player was dealt. There are many different types of strategies that apply to different situations in a poker game. Knowing which strategy to use at the right time comes with experience. Here are a small sample of common poker strategies:

Deceptive strategies

The employment of a deception requires good acting skills to convince opponents of the fortune or misfortune of a given scenario in a poker game. Bluffing is a form of deception in which a player induces the folding of each players’ superior hands. This is normally done when a player does not have a good hand but still wants to win. Despite the lousy hand, the player still best as though his or her hand were good. A player who bluffs successfully wins by default as a result of forfeiture of the other opponents. The risk in bluffing is that opponents could call a bluff and then refuse to fold, which would result in a more probable loss. Bluffs most often pay off for players who do not have a reputation for bluffing.

Slow-playing is another form of deception in poker in which a player bets low on a good hand. It is roughly the opposite of a bluff. The objective is to lure opponents into raising their bets instead of folding. If a slow-play strategy works, it is unlikely to lose badly, good gains are to be expected when opponents are enticed into staying in the pot. Knowing the proper amount of bait comes with practice. Successful slow-plays generally happen under these conditions:
• The player must believe that he will drive out opponents by showing aggression, but can win a big pot if the opponents stay in the pot.
• The hand must be very good.
• The pot must not yet be very large.