Everyone who decides on Poker stars play, wants not only to play his favorite game, but, of course, to make money on it. In this article, we have collected a few tips to help beginners develop the right tactics and avoid mistakes at the start.
The author of these tips is Alexander Millar, a British professional player. He once studied to be an engineer, but started playing at PokerStars and soon became the third best heads-up player in online poker, and soon the Ambassador of PokerStars. His 5 tips are designed to put newbies on the right path to making money poker. You may not even hit the Millar bar, but you will become a smarter poker player and win more often.
Choose your limit wisely
Excitement is very easy, but in poker the main thing is to keep a cold mind. And this also applies to the choice of the limit. You should not immediately throw in large sums, hoping for a big win. For example, you are ready to spend $100 on the game. Instead of entering the game with a similar bet, use this amount for smaller ones. If you spend all the money at once, you will most likely lose it on the very first hand.
It is better to choose tables with a limit of $2 or $5, gain experience, and then move to higher limits. This was Millar's strategy when he first started playing.
Do not focus on a specific combination of your opponent
The minds of the players, especially those who have already played several games, are clouded by the experience gained. It starts to seem that we can see all the cards and can accurately predict which hand the opponent has. But the correct tactic here is to consider what range of hands your opponent might have. And you need to play against this range, and not a specific combination, because in the latter case, you are likely to lose.
Control the size of your bets
Bet sizing is a key aspect of your game and needs to be handled correctly. Let's say you have a strong hand and the ability to bluff, but instead you are betting your opponent on a middle range or even marginal hands. It is at this point that it is better to be insolent and use large bets over the size of the current pot - such bets are called overbets.
If you overbet with a strong hand and bluff, the chance of winning is greatly increased. Your opponent may have a mediocre hand, but he will not be able to guess what cards you have and will most likely make a mistake.
However, if you have marginal hands and low value, you should use small bets.
Don't stop thinking
Trivial advice that can save you from serious financial losses. If you suddenly realize that your hands are weak or medium, and your opponent may be in a better position, do not immediately despair. You need to analyze your course of the game. Try to reflect on what mistakes have led you to the situation you are in. Always review your strategy so that you can adjust it on occasion. You might be better off checking your stronger hands early in the betting round, or not raising when the big play starts.
It's better to save some chips in some situations, and in the next you will have a better chance of defending yourself against your opponent's actions.
Work on bugs
This is the only way to play profitably. If you lose a lot, it's easy to get discouraged and disillusioned with poker. But all you have to do is analyze the mistakes you made. You shouldn't ignore them and blame luck for your bad luck - if you lose on a regular basis, then there is a hole in your strategy.
Reflect on your mistakes, correct them, and soon you will notice that there are fewer losses. Constantly learn and improve your strategy. Don't ignore the tutorial portals, read articles and watch videos from professional players. This can also be done at PokerStars.
After that, go to PokerStars to play, pick up nice bonuses and start winning real money!