Now that you learnt the basic poker rules and have already chosen the indian poker room where start your poker career from, a legit question might rise:

  • what’s the best poker strategy?
  • How should I play?
  • What do I need to study to shine at the poker tables?

All these questions will find their answers soon.

Before digging deep into poker strategy though, it’s indeed necessary understand some basic concepts that will help you at least if not more than mathematical analysis along the way. You will find four general rules to live by in the following lines and remember that these will be way more important than every other poker skill you will master in the future.

Rule #1 – be aware that poker is a skill game.

Is poker a skill game? Yes it is and not because some Courts decided so around the globe, but because the best players in the long run do win. And they do win BIG. Remember – always! – that skill does and will beat luck. You can be extremely lucky or unlucky in your poker career, but if you play solidly, if you study for real, if you commit to the game and its dynamics, you will win and you ego and your wallet will be both happy.

Rule #2 – play according to you bankroll

Never – ever – gamble. You are not playing roulette in a casino, you are building your poker career. It means that if you earned with no deposit bonuses or freeroll ₹10,000 you are not supposed to play tournaments for ₹2,000. Playing in bankroll means always have a deep reserve in case of negative variance or bad luck. You will have to play at least x25-30, which means that with ₹10,000 in your account you can play ₹300-400 buy in tournaments. Do you think it is boring? Poker doesn’t suit you then. Skill does beat luck, but it needs time and perseverance.

Rule #3 – do not play on tilt

Wondering what “tilt” is? Imagine you are losing several tournaments in a row, what’s your play now? Take a break. There are no reasons to play when you are not at 100% if your conditions because if you do it and keep losing, it’s not bad luck, it’s just a poor decision making process on your side.

Rule #4 – do not expect to get instantly rich

Poker is a marathon, it’s not a sprint. It’s extremely hard to win big sums in just one shot. It’s possible, but it’s hard. Do you know what isn’t hard? Grind. Learning to reason on the long run is one of the most important assumptions in your poker career. Keeping studying and always challenging your decisions is the best way to enhance your poker skills. Playing focused and a good amount of games is the only long term strategy to win at poker.

To summarize, if you study and play hard, never tilt, keep an eye on your bankroll management and truly believe that poker is a skill game where, in the long run, skill beats luck, you are starting your poker career with the right foot.