14 Ways Fish Can Level Up On The Felt

Are you the guy at the table who’s always being outsmarted? Well then you might be a fish in poker.

It’s not a nice thing to realise, we get that. But it’s actually not that hard to outgrow your status as fish and master some skills. We’re going to tell you exactly how you can do that…

1. Watch your cash

Poker is all about control. And if you’re playing for real money, you’ve got to keep a handle on your wallet. Before you do anything else, work out your gambling budget. And stick to it.

2. Study the game

Whether it’s books, podcasts or articles you’re into, swotting up is your secret to upping your skills. And it never hurts to check into poker news sites too, they’ve often got great strategy sections.

3. Observation

You can learn a whole lot from just seeing what your players do. Watch out for their tendencies and betting patterns and, if you’re playing in person, their body language too. When you start figuring out what makes them tick, you can predict their next moves…

4. Keep your emotions in check

There are always going to be highs and lows in a poker game. But remember, you’ve got to stay rational. Don’t let your emotions dictate your decisions. Whether it’s from something that’s happened on the table like a bad beat or off. Stay cool, calm and collected so you can avoid poker tilt. And absolutely never bet under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

5. Smart, well-timed bluffs

If you watch poker flicks, you might think that the game is all about bluffing. But one key way you can dodge being a fish in poker is by knowing when you should bluff and when you definitely shouldn’t.

6. Be flexible

Strategy is great in poker. But strategies have to be adjusted. You’ve got to make sure you change your strategy based on the table dynamics and your position in the game.

7.Unpredictability

Just like you should be flexible to adjust your strategy to the table dynamics, you should also mix it up with a little unpredictability. If you always play the same hands the same way, your opponents will cotton on to the fact pretty quick.

8. Noted

Take notes throughout the game on your opponents. That means if you come up against them again, you can quickly reference their playing style.

9. Stop chasing

It costs you valuable chips when you chase an unlikely draw. So know your hand ranges and get a handle on what you should and shouldn’t be playing.

10. Size matters

The amount of chips you bet can reveal a lot about your hand. Too small or too big a bet can blow your cover. So think carefully about your bet size before you place that bet…

11. Value betting

Following on from our last point, extracting value is so important when you’re holding something juicy like pocket aces. Get as much as you can from those strong hands.

13. Be ready to fold

We’re not saying you’ve always got to back down from every fight. But sometimes folding is simply the best thing you can do for yourself and your chip stack. Fish in poker always seem to get that one wrong!

14. Choose your table wisely

We’re not talking about buying a table. We’re talking about sitting down at a table with a skill level you feel comfortable with. Usually the lower stakes games have slightly less experienced players, while the higher you go, the better they become, This is a rule of thumb of course, but going to a poker room with a good variety is key. One of the top spots we’re loving right now is bet365. And you can use this bet365 bonus code to get a wonderful welcome offer.