Poker Strategies and Combinations: Key to Success in Online Casinos

Playing poker is an exciting activity for any card game enthusiast. The game has come a long way since its inception, evoking dark rooms filled with cigar smoke and disreputable characters. Today, even top athletes enjoy the game.

In fact, there is a fine line separating the game from being a sport. Even the IRS considers poker players to be sportsmen, just like car drivers or golfers.

All of this can make it both exciting and intimidating to sign up to an online platform and play a few games. That's why in this article we'll give you some key strategies for winning, using Texas Hold'em as an example.

Learn the hands and rules of poker

The first thing to do before any game is to learn the rules from end to end. Keep in mind that you will encounter all types of players, from novices to veterans. Therefore, a thorough knowledge of poker hands and combinations is key.

Once you understand the value of each hand and what combinations are possible, you will have a better chance of success. It is advisable to have this information with you when you play until you remember it by heart.

But that is not all. You should also consider the rules of the specific variant. For example, in Texas Hold'em, two cards are dealt to each player, while other variants use more cards. The order of betting may also vary.

Taking advantage of first position bets

This is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, betting first means that everyone else will bet after you, which puts you in a dangerous situation. This causes you to intuitively throw your cards away unless you have a good hand. To make matters worse, the others are likely to raise.

However, you can use the strategy of seeing, known as a "limp" when you have a good hand. In this case, you either speculate that other players will raise at some point, or you intimidate the others, who may think you have a great hand.

19-handed strategy

With an 18% annual growth rate in Spain, it is logical to assume that there are many new poker players. So here is a very simple strategy for beginners.

It's all about remembering (or writing down) which hands to play preflop. They are:

• The 13 pairs
• Combinations of: K and Ace, Q and Ace, J and Ace, Q and K, J and K, J and K, J and Q.

Simply put, these are some of the best hands in poker. So, if you are a beginner, you can try to get rid of any combination that does not correspond to the ones mentioned.

Of course, there is much more to the game than preflop and hands. As you gain experience, this strategy will not be as effective as others.

Controlling the pot

Pot size is another strategic aspect that will help you progress in the game. The goal is to define whether it is useful to grow the pot or rather to prevent it from growing.

First, the basics: if you have the best hand, it makes sense to try to increase the money in play. But if you are in doubt, the ideal is to keep the money as small as possible. The tricky part is when you want to stay in the hand but don't have a strong combination.

In this case, many people check-call, i.e. check and call. The problem with this is the loss of control of the pot. You can then consider making a middle bet, and continue betting in the next round, which can intimidate your opponents.

Use connected cards of the same suit

This strategy is a little more advanced, but still very useful for those with some experience. It's about what to do when you get cards of the same suit and you don't want to throw them away.

We are talking about cases like 9 and 10, J and Q or any combination of cards in succession, but also those that are not in a row like 8 and 10, J and K or others. It is tempting to keep them, but at the same time dangerous.

The idea is that a flush or straight on the flop completes the hand. But the ideal in this case is to try to hold the pre-flop bet, otherwise the risk is high. To do this you can check-call to control the size of the pot.

If you decide to raise, you will give the impression that you have a better hand, which makes you unpredictable. If the others don't have strong hands, they probably won't raise. Don't forget that these are speculative cards.

Conclusion

The important thing to note about these tips is the strategic effect. With a little strategy, you can turn a less than ideal position in your favour. Of course, it requires skill to be able to understand the other players.