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What is the best poker strategy?

Online poker has two major variables involved: human behavior and ever-changing odds. There's no doubt that luck plays a major role in short term poker success but over the long run, poker is certainly a game of skill. Like any classic game of skill, poker demands study and practice from those who want to achieve mastery.

Here are some the basic building blocks of a good poker strategy:

• As a poker player, it helps to have a conscious or unconscious understanding of odds and expectation.
• Pot odds are really just another way of looking at expectation. It compares the amount of money in the pot to the amount of money you would have put in to continue playing. It helps answer the eternal question in poker strategy: "Is it worth it to continue in this hand?" To answer that, you always have to have a sense of card odds. Lets say the pot contains $100 and you need to put in $10 to continue playing. The pot odds are 10-1. If you have a better chance of winning than that, it's worth calling. Have a 22-1 chance of making that hand? Time to fold.
• A number of players play too many hands. Most players play way too many hands. "Folding" is perhaps the most profitable play in poker. This sort of discipline is difficult for the recreational player. If you read the experts' books, you'll see how they preach patience and discipline, and you'll be shocked by how many hands they say to throw away. Aggressive players are successful only when they know when to jettison or get away from a hand.
• Another good poker strategy is to note that the bluff is not as key an element of the game as you may think. Clever deception has its manifold pleasures, but it shouldn't be done indiscriminately. As part of your poker strategy, you can use the concept of pot odds to guide your bluffing. An occasional, not-too-costly "discovered bluff" (one that doesnt work) may also help you win bigger pots in later hands. Players may think you are a 'bluffer' and stay in when you actually do have a good hand. Remember this - only try to bluff the good players (as they will lay down a hand). Don't bluff bad players.
• For the player seeking a profit, a good poker game is not one where titans of equal strength square off against each other. The law of the jungle rules the poker table. The secret of winning money consistently is to find games with players who play worse than you do. Successful players need weak players who obviously allow their money to be siphoned away by strong players. Guilt does not pay in poker, guile does, so make it a part of your strategy.

These are but a few poker strategy tips. In the long run, you have control of your own poker fate. Stay calm, don't play wildly and desperately and you should be alright.