Sat, 01/22/2011 – 03:14 – PokerPages Staff

Listen up beginner poker player here is one of the golden secrets of poker success.  Push your game beyond the basic poker rules and poker betting and play like the pros by learning to…Wait For it…FOLD.

It is super easy to play the best hands in poker.  Not much separates the best players and the worst players gain when playing the best hands.  True.

What DOES separate the best players from any random player is losing.  The best players understand that the goal of poker is to maximize profit.  In order to maximize profit, it is inherent that you minimize loss.

Quite simply, in order to minimize loss, you must learn to fold.  Many players who start with a premium hand cannot throw it away even when they know they are beat.  This is a losing strategy. 

Premium hands like pocket queens or pocket jacks are examples.  Often, the board will come with over cards and rarely will you hit trips.  You use your best betting techniques, but soon realize you are up against a better hand.  Cut your losses, FOLD.

Learning to fold when you are behind is a winning strategy.  Folding premium hands is never easy, but when you are beat you must toss them.

To learn more, check out PokerSchoolOnline, the best source on the internet for poker related learning.  Then put those skills to work by playing for free at PokerStars.net.  Also, check out the PokerPages sections Poker Information and Poker Articles for more poker tips and strategies.

Tue, 02/01/2011 – 00:55 – PokerPages Staff

As the beginner poker player pushes past the basic poker rules and the basics of poker betting, generally they will find trouble.  It is through continued experience and education that the beginner will find solutions for what troubles their game.  As such, here is some some advice with a unique spin for playing in Multi-Table Tournaments.

The advice is sound.  To push your game to the next level, you must have patience.  Being patient, waiting for the right time to make a move and making the right move, is the hallmark of the best professional poker players.  This involves the strategies we’ve previously learned:  poker mathematics and consistent play.

The spin.  Practice and apply patience based on chip stack, blinds and antes:  Pacing.  According to the advice, pacing can be accomplished through a calculation of the proportion of the blinds and antes to your chip stack.  Specifically, the percentage of the total of the blinds and antes on your total chip stack can guide your play.

In short, if the percentage is less than 10%, you should only be playing the best hands, such as a high pocket pair or AK.  When the percentage reaches 15%, you should be looking for additional opportunities to play.  At 20%, you should be playing even more hands to build up your chips.

This is all good stuff, but remember, nothing is a sure thing nor is it a replacement for solid, consistent play.

To learn more, check out PokerSchoolOnline, the best source on the internet for poker related learning.  One excellent way to put what you have learned to the test is by playing for free at PokerStars.net.  Also, check out the PokerPages sections Poker Information and Poker Articles for more poker tips and strategies.