The Basics of a Winning Poker Player
Before even focusing on advanced strategies, it’s essential to master certain basics that form the foundation of a winning game. Without these fundamentals, it’s impossible to truly advance in your understanding of poker.
Understanding the Fundamental Rules
Knowing how the game works is the starting point. For that, you need to practice by playing
If you don’t know the rules, you can check out this article on the rules of poker, then practice by playing for free on a poker site or app.
The Importance of Mathematics and Probabilities
Poker is a game of probabilities where many decisions must be based on rational calculations. This includes understanding pot odds, drawing probabilities, and equity. These concepts help you know when to call or fold based on the likelihood of improving your hand. Without this understanding, you risk making non-optimal decisions that can cost you in the long run.
To delve deeper into these topics, we recommend reading our articles on poker probabilities, poker odds, et poker equity in that order.
Truly Loving the Game
Another key element that’s rarely mentioned but is nonetheless crucial is your attraction to the game itself. Your genuine interest in poker is what will motivate you to come back to the table, learn from your mistakes, and keep improving. It will also help you get through tough times and maintain your desire to get better.
<span class="inarticle_section">💕 Poker is an exciting game, but every regular player goes through difficult phases. In those moments, remember why you love the game and keep that passion in mind.</span>
Are there any prerequisites for being a winning player?
Yes and no
It’s important to clarify something: not everyone can become a professional poker player. While anyone can improve and probably reach a level where they earn money regularly, becoming a professional player and making a lot of money requires specific skills. Without certain abilities, such as strong memorization or impeccable emotional management, reaching the highest level becomes very difficult.
<span class="inarticle_section">🧠 These skills are accessible to most of us, but some will have to work much harder than others to develop them. Even with a lot of effort, the path remains long and demanding.</span>
Useful skills to have
There are certain personality traits that are particularly useful in poker and can be developed:
- Patience: Poker demands patience because you can’t always play winning hands. More broadly, you need to be patient during downswings, which can sometimes last a very long time. A winning player knows these moments are inevitable.
- Résilience: The ability to overcome tough periods without getting discouraged.
- Competitive mindset: Constantly seeking to improve and outdo others.
- Self-reflection: Successful players can review their actions and recognize their mistakes to improve.
Now that we’ve covered this, we can start focusing on poker itself. But where to begin? Let’s first look at the 7 strategies every poker player should know.
7 Strategies That All Poker Players Must Know
Once you have mastered the basics, it’s essential to deepen your game with proven strategies. We’ve written a dedicated article on these 7 essential strategies, which we encourage you to read for a complete understanding.
<span class="inarticle_section">⏳ These 7 key strategies, although they may seem simple, require time and practice to fully absorb.</span>
Here’s an overview of the strategies, and you can find a more detailed explanation in the article mentioned above:
1️⃣ Play fewer preflop hands
Being selective with your starting hands helps you avoid tricky situations and play more effectively.
2️⃣ Play ABC poker
A straightforward approach remains very effective against most opponents. There’s no need to try overly complicated moves.
3️⃣ Understand and accept variance
It’s crucial to recognize that poker is a game where variance can affect short-term results, even when you make good decisions.
4️⃣ Don’t be the first to limp
Generally, limping is a passive approach that puts you at a disadvantage. Raising allows you to take the initiative.
5️⃣ Play aggressively in a strategic way
Well-timed aggression can help you win more pots. It’s about knowing when to raise to maximize your winnings or make your opponents fold.
6️⃣ Use position to your advantage
Your position at the table gives you a huge edge by letting you observe other players’ actions before making your own decisions.
7️⃣ Choose the most profitable games
It’s important to select games in which you have the greatest advantage. Playing against weaker opponents can greatly increase your chances of success.
Some of these tips might seem a bit abstract or vague. For more details, refer to our dedicated article on this topic.
Bankroll Management: Never Play Above Your Means
This is about managing your money so that you never risk more than you can afford to lose.
<span class="inarticle_section">🚫 This involves setting clear limits for each session and maintaining strict control to avoid going broke during losing streaks.</span>
We’ve written a very detailed, illustrated article that explores every aspect of bankroll management. Don’t hesitate to check it out for an in-depth understanding.
Here are the basic principles:
1️⃣ Set aside a bankroll dedicated exclusively to poker
This is the amount of money you’re prepared to lose, specifically earmarked for playing.
2️⃣ Don’t mix your everyday finances with your bankroll
It’s important to separate the money you use for regular expenses from what’s intended for poker.
3️⃣ Play games that fit your bankroll
Choose games with buy-ins that match the size of your bankroll. This varies depending on formats (cash games, MTTs, spins, etc.).
<span class="inarticle_section">➡️ Good bankroll management will help you weather poker’s swings and be less emotionally affected by losses.</span>
Winning at Online Poker vs. Winning at Poker with Friends
Whether you play online or live (in person), the core concepts of poker don’t change. You need to apply the same strategic principles and best practices in both contexts. There’s no “secret” to winning exclusively online or live. However, there are a few minor differences worth noting:
Winning at online poker
One unique aspect of online poker is the timing tell—the reaction time of your opponents. Those reaction times (clicks) can give you clues about the strength of their hands. Often, for instance, a quick auto-check indicates that their decision was straightforward.
<span class="inarticle_section">📊 Online, you also have access to detailed statistics (via tools such as HUDs) that can help you identify opponents’ tendencies and adjust your play accordingly.</span>
Winning at poker with friends
In live play, particularly in home games with friends, you can pay attention to physical tells. This can be especially relevant if you know your friends well. However, be careful not to rely solely on these tells, as they can be misleading.
Winning live generally requires the same skills as winning online. Never underestimate the role of luck in these games—it’s the same as in online poker—and don’t overestimate your edge, even if you’re stronger than your friends (we have no doubt you are).
Continuous Study and Ongoing Improvement
Poker is a game where constant improvement is essential. Yet, many players fall victim to the Dunning-Kruger effect, overestimating their skills after a few wins. Unlike disciplines such as chess, where all players acknowledge the need to work on their game to improve, poker sometimes allows you to win even if you’re not very good. This reinforces the mistaken belief that there’s no need to get better.
It’s easy to think that winning a tournament means you’ve become skilled, when in fact your success may (very likely) have been due more to variance (luck) than to skill. This overconfidence bias prevents you from working on your game and questioning your decisions.
To progress continuously, there are many approaches. Here are a few suggestions to get started:
Read articles like this one
Taking the time to read in-depth poker articles helps solidify your understanding of the concepts and discover new strategies to put into practice at the table.
<span class="inarticle_section">🗝️ Remember: don’t waste your time searching for the secret to winning, because it doesn’t exist.</span>
Work on your preflop ranges
Preflop ranges tell you which hands to enter the pot with and which hands to fold. Understanding which hands to play depending on your position and the context is an excellent starting point for improving.
Strong preflop ranges help you avoid finding yourself in tough spots after the flop. You can access them for free on our site by creating an account.
Watch videos
One of the best ways to learn is to study professional players’ games. You can understand their thought processes and how they adjust their strategy depending on the situation.
Analyze your own games
Reviewing your sessions and analyzing hands you have questions about is vital. The best approach is often to find other players like yourself (for example, on forums), so you can discuss your uncertainties.
References
A link to Reddit that might interest you: How Do you Become a Consistently Winning Player
