The Top 5 Most Basic Online Poker Tips for Beginners

Would you like to become a better player at PokerStars?  Below are some simple yet most basic online poker tips for every aspiring poker player.  While these tips are mostly meant as pointers for beginner players, they should also still be remembered by seasoned pros each and every time they play.  Take note that these tips are for winning more money at Texas Hold’em.

1.  Do Not Play Too Many Hands

Perhaps the most basic of all poker tips is to not play too many starting hands.  However, this is one thing that separates beginners from the seasoned players because they tend to just “play poker” and end up staying in hands that are not very good, and the obvious reason they have is that they just want to be part of the action.  The hard truth in the world of poker is that playing more does not necessarily result to winning more – it generally means losing more.

2.  Do Not Bluff Just For the Sake of Bluffing

Many beginners notice that the art of bluffing is a crucial part of poker, but they do not have any idea how to execute it successfully.  There is no specific rule that a player must bluff during a poker game, but lots of players would not feel like they have won unless they have actually tried to bluff.  Remember that you can only get away with bluffing in certain circumstances and against certain individuals, and if you know a player who always calls to bluffs, it will prove to be difficult to successfully pull off a bluff on that player.  It is wise never to bluff rather than to bluff just for the sake of it.

3.  Do Not Stay in a Hand Just Because You Are Already Sucked into it

A common yet grave mistake that beginners make is the thinking that “I have already put lots in the pot, so I need to stay in now.”  This is very wrong.  You cannot win a pot simply by just throwing your money at it.  There are many instances when pot odds warrant a call, but if you are certain that you will be beaten and you have no more chances to become the best hand, then it is wise to just fold straight away.  Remember that the money you have already in the pot is not yours for the taking, and you will not get it back just by staying and playing a weak hand all the way to the ending.

4.  Do Pay Attention to the Cards and Other Players on the Table

In the game of Texas Hold’em, work out what the best possible hand would be in order to fit the flop.  Ensure that you notice straight and flush possibilities.  Another thing is to pay attention to the other players on your table.  Even when you are not in a hand, it is still wise to observe your opponents.  This is to find out if your opponents have certain “poker tells” (body language, a type of habit or behavior that tells the other players information about your hand) when they bluff or they tend to fold every re-raise.  If you do find out some poker tells that your opponents commit, then you can use that to help you decide how to play against them.

5. Do Choose the Right Game Suited for Your Skill Level and Bankroll

You may be a flourishing beginner winning a huge sum of money at the $2/4 stakes, but that does not mean that you should jump into a $5/10 game just yet.  Remember that as the stakes become higher, so does the skill level of the players there.   You certainly would want to be the best at the table, not the fish who plays with sharks.  If you are winning lots of money at a lower-level game, then why move?  Just think about it, you are winning lots of money.  Furthermore, the stakes at the higher limits are definitely much bigger, and one big night’s win will definitely not last long at a high-stakes game.