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November 23, 2006

How to Win at Poker

Whether you want to win big or just impress at boys' poker night, these tips should help any aspiring woman learn to play.

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World Poker Tour Champion, frequent poker tournament player, and mother of two, Clonie Gowen has provided tips on how to play poker — and win.

Know your facts — Before you sit down at any table you should freshen up on the rules of your game of choice. Know which hands beat which, and what kind of stakes you are playing for.

Be observant — A huge part of poker is watching other people. Watch what they do, how they do it, and when they do it. Watching people when they are in a hand with other opponents can tell you a lot of information to help you out when you are involved in a pot with them.

Don’t be intimidated — Confidence is key! You shouldn’t feel timid at the poker table; this is the time to play your confident card.

Have fun — Winning money and socializing is enjoyable, so don’t forget to have fun and get your chips in good!

Tips to Bluffing:
You don’t have a hand but the pot in the middle is just too good to give up. What should you do? Ah, one of the greatest parts of poker ... bluffing. If you are ready to take a stab at the money but don’t have the cards to pick it up, you should attempt to steal the pot by betting and pretending you have a big hand.

Bluffing is an art form, and you must know when to bluff and if the bluff will be successful. Use the below tips to ensure your bluff wins you the pot.

• Make sure there is a significant enough amount in the pot to go after. You don’t want to risk half your stack to win a small pot.

• Know who you are up against. There are several types of opponents at the table, such as the players who think anytime you bet you must have a huge hand and will always fold to you, and those who don’t want to believe you could ever beat them and will call anything you bet. The first type of opponent you definitely want to bluff, and the second type you should avoid.

• You want to have a nice balance between bluffing and not bluffing, and you actually should bluff less often than you think. The threat of being the type of player that is capable of making a solid bluff is very important, so when you have the goods, go for it and get paid off.

• When you are making a bluff you must know when to stop if it isn’t working. When you have bet at the pot and you are raised and re-raised, the bluff is obviously not going to work. When you get resistance from your opponent, you have to be able to back away from the hand.


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