Are you tired of having to hand over your chips and hard-earned cash after every poker game with friends? Is your wife yelling at you to quit wasting time and money on online poker games?
Well, that all comes to an end right now.
The poker experts at CoolCat Casino have put together this fool proof list of video poker tips and tricks so you can take your game (and your bankroll) to the next level. No matter if you’re playing classic video poker, Deuces Wild, Texas Hold’em, Omaha, or even live dealer poker, these strategies, and practice methods will help you achieve sweet victory.
1. Take a Tutorial
There are so many variations of online poker, especially here at Cool Cat Casino.
Before you start wagering money of your own, we recommend playing a tutorial so you can get a feel for the rules and dynamics of the gameplay.
If you don’t have time for a full tutorial, we offer quick guides on all variations you can think of! At least take a few minutes to check them out before playing for real money.
2. Know the Odds
First thing’s first: poker is not simply a game of luck. A lot of what it takes to win any variation of poker is to know the odds, hand rankings, and anticipating what card will be dealt next.
While we are not suggesting card counting, it is still possible for even the most amateur players to do a little research and know the best hand to play and which cards to seek out.
3. Practice
Obviously, you can’t win online poker unless you play. A lot of practice can equal a lot of wins. CoolCat Casino offers players the chance to practice any variation entirely for free before they are comfortable enough with the game to wager their own money.
Test out different variations and see which one works best for your playing style. Once you’re really comfortable, you can play with your bankroll with a higher chance of winning big!
4. Know When to Fold
Knowing when to fold is one of the most important skills all new online poker players should learn. This is the key when it comes to keeping money (chips) and being able to continue to play winning hands. Since you cannot see the cards that your opponents are holding, becoming familiar with the deck and how other players play is a good strategy.
Betting too aggressively can backfire and lead to huge losses. As the late Kenny Rogers once said, “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em. Know when to fold ‘em.”
5. Understand Bluffing
Sometimes you’re dealt a bad hand, and sometimes you can win a lot of money with that very hand. Bluffing is a well-known strategy that even beginners can practice. The point of a good bluff is to convince your opponents that your hand is better than it actually is, causing them to fold. Not every bluff has to be a high stake, an all-in game changer.
One example of a way to add a few chips to your stack without too much risk is known as blind-stealing. To use this technique, you’ll need to make it to the final three of a poker game. In other words, there’ll be only you and the two blinds when you’re in the dealer’s position. Following the initial deal, it can be advantageous to do a small raise from this position. If the blinds don’t have playable cards, they’ll fold instead of simply checking to the flop. This can add a buck or two to your pot without incurring too much risk. It won’t make you rich, but every dollar counts, right?
It is also easy to bluff when you are in the last position. The last position at the table gives you the ability to make more successful bluffs because you can get an idea of what hands the players before you have. If you are the last to play, and everyone before you has checked, this shows their weakness. This scenario is the perfect opportunity to practice your bluffing skills and hopefully win the pot.
While you won’t need to bluff when playing online video poker, a live online poker session with multiple players lets you put your bluff on. Especially when opponents can’t see your game face.
6. Value Betting
Value betting could be considered logical, yet optimistic betting. With this strategy, you’re betting on what you think will be the best hand. Look at your cards and the cards in the river. Analyze what you think your opponents have been dealt and what card will be dealt next. Play your hand as if you have the strongest hand possible given the circumstances.
The trick is to bet an amount that will net you a significant win without scaring off the other players. Luring your opponents against your strong cards is the best way to make some serious money playing poker.
Learn to read your opponents and push them to their limits. If your intuition about the value bet is correct, these mistakes will result in huge boosts to your chip stack.
7. Bet Sizing
Simply knowing when to bet isn’t enough to win at the poker tables. You’ll also need to understand how to effectively size your bet. Consider, for example, that your goal is to force your opponent to fold. You don’t want to push all-in and hope for the best. On the contrary, you want to bet as little as possible to get the job done. Most opponents will fold to a smaller bet just as often as they will to a full-pot-size bet, so there’s no reason for excess risk.
On the other side of the coin, sometimes, you’ll want your opponent to call. When you’re making a value bet, you’ll want to make the highest bet that you think your opponent will call. Knowing your opponents is key to success at the poker tables.
Making a $20 bet when a $10 bet will achieve the same result may not seem like that big of a deal, but bets occur on every single hand that you play. Over the long run, shifting your strategy by a few dollars can add up to some serious cash in your pocket. Knowing how and when to bet in poker can depend on a wide variety of factors. Your opponents are the key to your success, so study their actions and take note of any potential weaknesses.
8. Study Body Language
This tactic is specifically for those playing live poker at a table with human opponents. As humans, it is often hard for us to hold back what we are thinking and feeling. Even if you consider yourself to be a “closed-book” type of person, there are still so many giveaways that we are not even conscious of.
Professional poker players have kept these cues under lock, but when you are playing against intermediate players, you can closely study their faces and determine whether or not they have a good hand.
Some players might look away from the table briefly, off into the distance, if they have a band hand. They are mentally checking out of the game. Their jaws might clench briefly or they might give an intense stare if they are happy with the hand they’ve been dealt. Learning to pick up on these very subtle clues will help you determine when to fold, check, or raise.
9. Switch up Your Tricks
Using the same trick every time will let others know what to look for and will ultimately cause the player to lose. The tricks can include betting high/low when a good hand is involved, folding early, checking instead of betting, raising, or just sitting back and going with the flow.
Switching up these tricks can confuse others and show that the player knows what he/she is doing. One trick that some people choose to use is playing all-in even when they do not have a good hand. Most people will not be scared by this and the one who does it will run out of chips sooner. The only situation in which this trick helps is when there aren’t many chips left and it is a last-resort option.
Switch up your playing style and try out new moves to keep your opponents in the dark. You can try these strategies online before playing with your friends.
10. Play According to Your Opponents
One of the best ways to improve your poker skills is to watch others play. When you observe others, you can get a much better feel of the intricacies and basic guidelines of the game. Learn by example, do as others do — especially if they are much better poker players than you are.
You can be a brilliant poker player, but it does require some work. No one is born knowing how to play, so if they can learn and win big, so can you.
11. Have Patience
Whether the game is being played online or in a parlor or casino, the best strategy overall is to be patient.
Don’t expect to win your first time at the table, and don’t get disappointed when you lose. All of the best poker players in the world have lost at some point. The trick is to not let it get you down.
When you lose a hand and become frustrated, your opponents can see that and will play off your weakness. Keep a cool level head at all times, and don’t go chasing your losses! Continue to practice and your skills will come.
Get to Playing!
Now that you know these 11 expert tips to win online poker, why not take a test drive? Head on over to our casino room and practice your skills. Don’t be afraid to mix things up, and don’t be afraid to lose. Experience is the key to success. With a little persistence, you can be on your way to huge wins in no time! Good luck!
