Despite its simplicity, poker has a very complex mathematical structure. Humans are a long way away from having a theoretically optimal strategy for it. However, there are still many ways to make money from the game by exploiting your opponents’ weaknesses.
One of the best ways to learn how to play is by watching and learning from more experienced players. Pay attention to how they play, their tells and how their actions change when they have a strong hand. Try to understand how and why their strategies work – this will help you build your own instincts.
Poker can be quite a bluffing game, but you should only bluff when you have a good reason to do so. It’s not often worth trying to bluff in low stakes games, but if you have the opportunity to bet high, you should consider doing it.
Position has a huge impact on your starting hand range and strategy. Early positions (like the SB and BB) risk more money as they have less information about what their opponents are holding before they act. Later positions, like the button and the big blind, have more information and can be more selective about their actions.
If you want to play a lot of hands, you should balance pot odds and implied odds with the chance of making your desired hand. It’s very difficult to win a lot of money without ever making your hands, so it’s important to play only the hands that have a decent chance of winning.
