It’s time to take a look at the pros’ winning secrets. The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is one of the most prestigious and competitive events in the world of poker. It attracts some of the top players who are searching for a shot at fame and substantial rewards.
These pros have developed strategies that can help any player improve their game, no matter what level they’re currently playing at. From understanding pot odds to sizing your bets, these strategies will give you an edge over other players when making decisions during a tournament or cash game session. Read on to discover how to play like a WSOP poker pro!
1. Know Your Starting Hands
Knowing what starting hands to play is critical if you want to increase your chances of winning a pot. It’s also crucial to be conscious of your position since this will influence the range of hands you should be playing.
While there are numerous starting hands, only a handful are regarded as the finest. These include pocket aces, kings, queens, jacks, and high-suited connectors like Ace-King or Queen-Jack. You should always play these hands when you get them, as they have the highest chance of winning you the pot.
Big pocket pairs are strong by themselves and can improve into a two pair, three of a kind, full house, or even a four of a kind. High suited connectors will require you to make it past the flop but give you a decent chance to make a big hand like a straight, flush, or straight flush.
Hands you should avoid are ones that are offsuit and have a large gap between the highest and lowest card, like 2-7 or 8-3, as you won’t be able to make a straight or a flush, and the chances of making a strong enough hand to win at showdown are too slim to consider playing them.
Hands not mentioned above fall into the middle ground, where it depends on your position and other factors to decide whether or not they should be played. Generally, the later your position, the wider the range of hands you can consider playing.
2. Practice Regularly
It is critical to set aside some time each day to play and become acquainted with the game. This will offer you an advantage over other players because you will be more at ease and confident when playing. Consider downloading the WSOP app so that you can play WSOP online with real players from around the globe. One advantage of this is that you may study and learn from your opponents’ techniques, allowing you to eventually improve your poker game over time.
3. Understand Pot Odds
Pot odds are the ratio of money in the pot compared to how much it will cost to call. For example, if there is $40 in the pot and it costs you $10 to call, your pot odds are 4-to-1. Converting this to a percentage will allow you to determine whether it’s profitable to call, and to do so, you must divide the amount to call by the sum of the amount to call plus the pot (10/50 = 0.2 or 20%).
Next, count the number of outs you have. If you have a 10-J and the flop shows 7-Q-K, your outs to draw a straight are four 9s and four aces (total of 8). Using the rule of 4 and 2—multiplying your outs by 4 on the flop and 2 on the turn—your chances of drawing a straight are 8×4 = 32%.
Since 32% is bigger than 20%, it is statistically profitable to call, but just keep in mind that poker involves luck, which means there’s no guarantee that you will win the pot.
4. Exploit Your Table Image
The table image shows other players’ perceptions of you based on your behavior, actions, and betting patterns. It is critical to be aware of how you are regarded by others so that you’re ready to capitalize on any opportunities that may arise.
For example, if you are playing tight and don’t make many bluffs, other players at the table may perceive you as a conservative player who only plays when they have a strong hand. This allows you to take advantage of that perception by making more frequent bluffs or playing a wider range of hands. If they think you are a loose player, this can be used to your advantage as well by tightening up and playing aggressively if they call you.
5. Size Your Bets
Bet sizing is a more advanced strategy and can be very effective in certain situations. The idea behind bet sizing is to vary the size of your bets depending on your hand strength and what you want to achieve.
For example, if you have a powerful hand, such as a full house, and want to get as much money into the pot as possible, make a smaller bet than usual. This will encourage opponents with weaker cards to call or raise, increasing your chances of success.
If you have a mediocre hand and want to deter others from calling you, you should place a larger-than-normal bet. This will give the impression that you have a stronger hand while simultaneously giving other players unfavorable pot odds, which should stop them from calling your bet.
Wrap Up
Becoming a successful poker player requires practice and dedication. Utilizing pot odds, exploiting your table image, and sizing your bets are all important skills that every player should learn. The strategies outlined in this article can help get you started on the path toward playing like a professional World Series of Poker player. Start putting your newfound knowledge into practice today by signing up at GGPoker, the world’s largest poker room!