Basic strategy

Playing poker’s more fun when you’re winning, so take heed of these simple strategies and you’ll be hearing the rattle of chips before you know it

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO PLAY WINNING poker? Patience and the ability to outwit your opponents are key attributes, but above all else, poker’s a game of skill. It’s the reason the same names win big year after year. Luck has nothing to do with it. When you’re just coming to terms with the game, it’s simple to split players roughly into two camps: those who have the above attributes – patience, cunning and statistical strategy – and are lured back through the thrill of victory and fi nancial gain; and the less successful players – invariably losers in the long run – who play for fun and in the vain hope of getting lucky. Get together a mixed table of the two and you’ve got a recipe for a fi ne game of cards.

Obviously you want to make sure you’re in the winning group. And, while you can’t completely remove the element of luck, you can maxim ise your chances by playing winning strategies. Here we’ll take you through six specifi c elements that will improve your all-round game, starting with the basics of Texas hold’em. Also over the page are the poker hand rankings, as well as a bit of peace of mind when it comes to playing online. If this all seems a bit daunting at this stage, turn to page 22, where we’ll go through the rules of hold’em in more simple terms, starting with the easiest format. Otherwise, follow these six basic guidelines and you’ll be on the road to poker success.