Sitting down at the table with a big stack can give poker players a towering advantage over their opponents. The sheer size of a big stack can intimidate opponents into giving up their blinds or folding on raises, as they're afraid of losing their money and going out early.
Whether you're an aggressive player who likes to dominate proceedings or a more considered participant, controlling the pot effectively is one surefire way to guarantee success at the poker table. Choosing when to play a big pot – and when not to – will go a long way towards determining your progress. Read on for a basic guide to controlling the pot.
Poker, when it comes down to it, is really a game of mathematics. Being able to calculate implied odds is an incredibly useful skill that can help players make the right decisions on the spot and potentially maximise their winnings.
You've navigated your way past the masses and you now find yourself just one elimination from victory or defeat. It's heads up time at the poker table and you're in a kill or be killed situation. The top prize is there, shining under the spotlight as you consider your next move.
Every poker player, no matter how talented, has experienced a time when their once-healthy stack has been whittled down to the point of desperation. Being short-stacked can cause many players to suddenly start making poor decisions, but thankfully there is a clear strategy to turn to in such moments: fold equity.
It can be tricky deciding what to do when looking down at a medium stack in a tense poker tournament. Where do you begin? Do you try and maintain your stack, or attack to try and bolster your chips? For every poker player, whether a beginner or a seasoned pro, an air-tight strategy is key to staying, and succeeding, in the game.
Short stack strategy is one of the easiest poker strategies to learn and an essential one for any beginner player.
Poker has a vast number of variants, from large table games to battles between man and machine. Each one offers something different to pioneering players ready to explore the rich range of options, so we've compiled a quick guide to the best poker variants currently available online.
In Texas Hold’em you’re required to place a bet before the starting flop, so it’s always worth considering how strong any two starting cards are against the different two-card combinations your opponents may have.
Stud is a classic form of poker, requiring plenty of observation, patience and strategy. With the game more focussed on individual hands than community cards, your approach to Stud Poker should be subtly different to that of the more mainstream versions of poker.
