Poker is a card game in which players place bets against each other in order to win a pot. The game can be played with two or more people and is a combination of chance, psychology, and mathematical strategy.
The goal of poker is to have the highest-ranking hand at the end of a betting round. Players may also try to win the pot by bluffing, in which case other players must call the bet in order to remain in the hand. A player’s hand is ranked according to its mathematical frequency; the higher the ranking, the rarer the combination of cards.
While some elements of luck are involved in poker, like other competitive skill games the best players will always win in the long run. Winning at poker requires a high level of raw technical skill and a strong understanding of probability, game theory, and psychology.
Narrowing your opponent’s range of starting hands is one of the most important aspects of a winning poker strategy. To do this you must study your opponents’ betting patterns & categorize them into 4 basic player types: LAG’s, TAG’s, LP Fish & Super tight Nits. Once you know your opponent’s player type you can start to exploit them.
Narrowing your opponents’ starting hand range is key to playing a good bluff in poker. You can do this by studying your opponent’s betting habits & by keeping a file of hand histories (or importing them from another source). This way you will know what your opponent is likely to hold on the flop, turn, & river.