If you are a beginner at poker I hope this article helps you in your poker-playing journey. If you're a regular or professional at the game it's good to stay sharp on the basics. Whatever your level of Poker playing, I hope you enjoy this article and get something out of it.
In Poker, there are a ton of strategies and opinions on how to play the game. I'm not going to pretend like my way is the only or the best way to play for beginners. But this strategy worked for me in the beginning (especially in tournament play) and I don't see why it wouldn't work for you.
Two sayings I was taught about 13 years ago that helped me as a beginning poker player was “Tight Is Right” and “You Have To Be In It To Win It”. These are like yin and yang sayings. “Tight Is Right” means to only play the best hands in the best positions. But “You Have To Be In It To Win It” sounds like you need to be in every hand to be able to win.
The first saying, “Tight Is Right”, is the one I want to stress the most. For beginning players starting out playing tight will teach you discipline, patience, how to read the flow of the game and can give you an image at the table that you can capitalize on later in the tournament. All with letting the cards pretty much play themselves. Playing one of the top 10 to 15 hands is much easier than playing Jack nine or nine seven suited.
How tight to play will depend on what position you are in for each hand. The different positions at the table are as follow Button, Small Blind, Big Blind, Under The Gun (UTG), UTG+1, UTG+2, LoJack, HiJack, Cut Off.
<grammarly-btn>Another way to think of your position on the table would be Early, Middle or Late position. Early position would be the first three player to the left of the dealer button. The next three players would be middle position and the three players after that would be the late position (at a 9 player table).
When you're in early position you should be playing the top 10 to 15 starting hands. In the Middle position, you can loosen up a little bit more and play the top 20 starting hands. Being in late positions at the poker table is the best position to be in. Because when you get to see what your opponents do before you have to act that gives you more information plus an advantage. In late position you can widen your range of starting hands to the top 25ish.
When having a tight image at the table, it's a lot easier to get your Bluffs through without them being called. This is where the saying You Have To Be In It To Win It comes into play. Sometimes you can get caught up in playing too tight and slowly get blinded out because you never played a hand. You have to be in it to win it reminds you to loosen up a little bit in the late position and later in the tournament. There's no way you'll be able to win if you fold every hand. So if your card dead and getting a bad run a rags. Remind yourself You Have To Be In It To Win It and don't be afraid to mix it up a little bit in late position. You tight image will help you get bluff's through.
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