Online Poker Strategy

Poker is an easy game to learn, but not such an easy game to profit from. That is, if you want to profit consistently, based on skill and not luck. After all, there are plenty of guys that get lucky and win big.

But we can’t teach you how to get lucky. What we can teach you is how to play better poker. And that’s why this page exists.

What you’ll find below is a list of all of 4Flush.com’s poker strategy articles. We cover a little bit of everything, from beginner to advanced. No matter your skill set I’m sure you’ll find a useful strategy or tactic that will improve your game.

• Online Poker Basics
• “ABC” Poker Strategy 101
• Advice on Becoming a Professional Poker Player
• How to Beat Bad Players
• Spotting “Tells” in Poker
• How to Count Poker Outs
• Continuation Betting in Poker
• Multi-Tabling in Online Poker
• Tournament Poker Antes: Why You Need to Adjust & How to Do It
• How to Play AK
• How to Easily Figure Out Pot Odds
• Utilizing Pot Odds & Implied Odds in Poker
• Value and Fold Equity
• Basics to Poker Table Position
• Why Calling Preflop is a Bad Strategy
• 12 Steps to Improving Your Game
• 10 Reasons Why You Suck at Poker
• Using Poker HUD Statistics to Your Advantage
• Beating Tight-Passive Players
• Beating Loose-Aggressive (LAG) Players
• Beating Tight-Aggressive (TAG) Players
• ‘Aggression Factor’ in Poker
• Hand Probabilities in Poker

5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Poker Strategy Articles

1. Realize That Strategy Articles Are Static

What I mean by static is that the strategy is only going to cover a couple of scenarios or examples of what you might come across. For example, if you read an article about how to play a short stack in a turbo sit and go, it’ll tell you what to do with 8 big blinds with 4 players on your left. But what do you do with 6 big blinds, 10, or with no fold equity? The article won’t cover every stack size, table image or history variable either.

You got to figure it out.

The point I’m trying to make is that strategy articles are very 2D, very one sided. You need to be able to take the information given and apply it to a dynamic, ever changing game. You have to be able to think on your feet.

2. The Real Benefit is in the Execution

You should realize that written strategy is mostly theory or best case scenarios. At the end of the day it’s just words on the page.

The best way to maximize the benefit you get from any strategy article is to take the advice given and go apply it. Go play. For example, read our poker table position article, and then go play a game and be mindful of where you’re sitting whenever you choose to play a hand. If you read an article on continuation betting, then go play and continuation bet. A lot.

The bottom line is that concepts will be easier to understand if you use them first hand. You’ll quickly figure out what works and what doesn’t, too.

3. Think for Yourself

You need to remember that strategy articles are written by players. Players with their own opinions, playing style, game preference and so on. Some players are good, and others, well… not so much. What you’ll find is that not every piece of advice is good advice, nor will it all apply to your situation.

You’ll also find that by thinking for yourself, you come up with ideas, plays or tactics that no one else using. A good example of this is my experience in sit and goes. My coach would teach me to shove with 10 or less big blinds, and he helped me to learn what hands to shove with. After a while, though, I started to experiment. Instead of shoving at 10 big blinds, I might min-raise instead. Or limp, and then shove the flop. However, it wasn’t long before my peers were coming up to me and saying, well [coach name] said to do it this way.

My response?

You’re right. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right play, let alone the only one. This works for me.

So find what works for you. Think for yourself and try new things.

4. Make Sure They’re Written By Someone Credible

Not a whole lot to say here.

If at all possible, make sure the strategy content you’re reading is by someone credible. What do I mean by credible?

Not necessarily someone who has made millions of dollars playing poker. But preferably someone who is a winner, and has at least used the advice he or she is teaching with positive results.

To check their credibility, you can look the author up on their about page. You can also use Sharkscope, ThePokerDB, or Poker Table Ratings. You might also look them up in a popular forum like 2+2, PartTimePoker or Pocket Fives. See what they’ve written, how much clout they have or if possible they’re just full of it.

5. Ask Questions

My last suggestion is to ask questions. Read the articles and post questions if they allow them, or take the article to a forum and ask questions there. Get a discussion going.

You don’t have to ask if the article is right or wrong. Instead, ask everyone’s opinion and then dig from there. One thing you’ll learn as you pick up strategy is that there are a lot of opinions out there, and in the case of a dynamic game like poker, there isn’t so much a right or wrong, but what can you take and apply to your own game.