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Poker Strategies for Beginners

By Carolyn Shorter - August 26th, 2008

The game of Poker is extremely popular around the Globe in Land Based Casinos as much as in Online Casinos. Besides, many people are playing it for fun at their home, but playing for real money is prohibited by the law. Only in casinos and online gambling halls you are allowed to play for real cash. This is obvious, because many people can end up having nothing as they can become obsessed by playing online poker and use all their money for this purpose. Not to mention the fact that even when playing at casinos gamblers can get to a great loss which have extremely bad and unpleasant consequences such as: financial issues, family and health problems.

This is why; you need to think twice before you start playing Poker. Poker is a game which requires specific skills so that one can achieve an advantageous outcome. This doesn't mean that it is only based on skills; no, it also depends on luck. What we are trying to say is that you need to know certain things before taking a seat at a Poker table if you want to take part in a successful playing. There are several facts which should be taken into consideration in order to enjoy your game. Many gamblers do not notice things which are of great importance and they just simply 'jump' right in the middle of a Poker game; and, by the end of the game they are revolted because they have lost serious amount of money. There is nothing surprising as long as many gamblers do not think clearly when it comes to placing money. A wise gambler knows that before he begins to play on any casino game, he needs to think about the consequences. This doesn't mean that he should be in a dilemma whenever he is about to gamble. Once he decided to try gambling, he can stick to that, but do it wisely. In other words: gambling doesn't mean losing. Anyone can try gambling, of course by the limits of law, but one has to make sure that he is aware and responsible of the fact that he is taking the risk as well.

After you have decided to play at different casino games, you need to think about your budget. You have to think how much money you can use for such purposes and also, how much cash you can afford to lose. In these circumstances, there is no way for you to regret gambling and you know that the cash you are using is just for playing. You have to be realistic: you cannot win all the time; one needs to lose in order to appreciate the winning.

Gambling is very unpredictable: you cannot calculate how many times you win or lose, but if you decide to play, you are taking the risk even if you realize it or not.

The game of Poker is a type which requires special skills and using different strategies for achieving something beneficial by the end of the game. This is the reason why we are here for: we will provide you with some tips and strategies which you can use while playing. Before these, it's important for you to know the specific hand combinations which are available in the game of Poker. As for basic knowledge, every single card has a "rank" and a "suit". The ranks are: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace.

These are the hand combinations starting from the highest hand to the lowest:

1 Royal Flush: This is the highest hand available in the Poker, and it is formed of: a 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace.

2 Straight Flush: This is formed of five consecutive cards of the same suit.

3 Four of a Kind: This hand is consisting of four cards having the same rank, but different suit and one card which has different suit and ranking than the others - this one is called a 'kicker'.

4 Full House: Full House is formed of three cards having the same rank and other two cards which have similar ranking.

5 Flush: This is a combination of five cards which all have the same suit.

6 Straight: This is a combination of five consecutive cards having different suits. Here the Ace can be counted as 1 or as the rank above King.

7 Three of a Kind: Three cards having the same rank, plus two extra cards, known as 'kickers'.

8 Two Pair: This is consisting of two cards having the same rank, another pair which has the same ranking separately, plus one kicker.

9 Pair: This is formed of two cards having the same rank and three kickers.

10 High Card: This hand does not meet the requirements for any specified card combination. In such a situation, it is said that one has a 'High Card'.

These are the hand combinations that you should know about, right before starting a round of Poker. When you take a seat around the Poker table you must know that the last position is the most appropriate one for you, because this way you can see what the other players do and you can proceed in the right way. Due to statistics, players who are in the earlier positions need to have stronger hands than the players who are in later positions.

There are particular willful deceptions which are advisable for you to use in certain situations. One of these is the "Bluffing" which means that you influence your opponents so that they can have an impression that you have a high hand, while your hand is weak. There are two types of bluff: pure bluff and semi-bluff. The pure bluff or stone-cold bluff is when you place a bet or raise with a hand that has extremely little chance of winning. In such Poker games where there are many rounds, bluffing in one single round is called semi-bluff.

The next willful deception is called "Slow Playing" (also known as sandbagging or trapping) which is totally the opposite for bluffing. This happens when you hold a strong hand and you bet weakly, just as if you had a weak hand. In such a situation, your opponents think that you have a weak card combination and they might place a higher bet. In other words, by slow playing you can make your opponents, who have weaker hands than you, to bet and raise. In addition, you win, because they let themselves influenced by you.

There are specific betting types made during a Poker game; and we would like to present you some good reasons for raising while playing.

1. You can gain information by raising: in case you are raising with an uncertain hand, you can get some information related to your opponent's hand.

2. In case you have the best hand, by raising you can get more cash in the pot: if you have the best hand, the consequence of raising the bet is winning a bigger pot.

3. Another good reason for raising is to bluff or semi-bluff, as we have mentioned above when we explained the term "Bluffing". These are the main reasons, but when playing you can easier come up with new reasons and during your play you can realize when the right moment to raise is.

Besides, certain Poker expressions are said during a game, which are quite difficult to understand for a beginner, but after a lot of practice one can get used to these in the same time. There also are particular situations during a game, such as "Sandwich effect". This occurs when several players 'communicate' with each other behind a player; and in these circumstances, this player surely needs a stronger hand.

A very important fact that you should keep in mind and take into consideration is to pay a great attention to your opponents' acting and face expressions. These can reveal many things to you and sometimes you can judge by his face expression how satisfied a player is with his card combination. The basic strategies are these that you should know about the game of Poker, but it's vital for you to start playing just for fun, so that you can get used to several rules and bets. You need to learn when is the right time to use a particular bet and after a period of time you can gain some experience and start applying exceptional strategies as well. At first, you just try to read as much as you can about the Poker rules. As there is a great selection of Poker variations to choose from, you need to choose the one that suits your taste, and, in addition, if you like it, you can surely learn it easily, because you are interested in it. So, take your time and reas as well some poker guides, as the secret of a good Poker player is patience, perseverance and lots of practice. Good luck!

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