With all forms of poker being as popular as they are these days – in-person games, the live dealer format, online poker tournaments, and video poker – players’ skills and knowledge of the game are increasing. With this in mind, a few unconventional poker tips just might be enough to give you the edge. Let’s start with the poker playbook.

Don’t stick to the playbook

Whether you regularly play poker online, have more than a few live tournament events under your belt, or you’re still thinking about trying out some of the best online casino poker options on offer, knowing the basics is crucial. It’s the fundamentals of poker that will eventually serve as your launchpad to take your game to the next level.

Think of it this way: before a musician gets to do crazy things on stage with their guitar or even invent a new genre, they spend years practising their scales and learning the basics. It’s no different with poker, except getting on top of the basics won’t take you nearly as long.

Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, find a forum where you can experiment with your game. This is one of the greatest attractions of poker. You don’t have to stick to the playbook. Speak to most professional players, and they’ll tell you that there is no such thing as a standard game. Taking part in online casino live dealer games is a great way to think out of the box and come up with your own unconventional moves.

Range of hands

While some of the most successful poker players could keep up a conversation for hours about the perfect poker range, here’s the concept at a glance.

A poker game involves several hands. What some serious players have started to do is look at the bigger picture in a game, or even across several games, to help better inform their decisions at the table.

For example, Opponent X has the nuts 15% of the time, a strong hand 10% of the time, a medium-strength hand 15%, weak hands 30%, draw 20%, and air 10% of the time. This takes into account that particular player’s range of hands in a game or over several games.

If you know Opponent X has the nuts or a strong hand just 25% of the time, you’ll want to avoid re-raising if you have a strong hand (chances are, he’ll fold most of the time). So, play flat and let him bluff. Conversely, if you have a weak hand, 3-bet bluffing or folding are solid options. Keep in mind that using a playing range is not an exact science. It’s more an exercise in logic.

Don’t go with your gut

No matter how long you’ve been studying body language, one of the most difficult things to accomplish is going against conventional wisdom by not listening to your gut. We’re hardwired to respond to verbal and non-verbal signals. Training yourself so you’re less likely to make decisions, even subconsciously, based on tells from other players, is one of the best unconventional poker tips you’ll ever get.

Here are two examples. The player in the casino online chat who has the most to say about strategy is probably not the best player. Great players don’t advertise. Weak players talk up a storm to cover their insecurities. If you instinctively feel on the back foot because another player seems clued up on strategy, there’s probably no need to feel that way! You almost certainly know more, or you’re observing and learning with the help of players and friendly online poker dealers. Either way, it’s easy to get in on the action with a no deposit casino bonus at The Phone Casino.

Turn a weak hand into a bluff

Most lower stakes players fear the turn and river raise with good reason – it’s usually the nuts. So, take advantage by using this unconventional poker tip. While most low-stakes players will only raise the river with the nuts and believe that their opponents are thinking in the same way, do the opposite of what’s expected of you and raise with a decent or weak hand.

Turning a decent hand (middle, bottom pair) or a weak hand (third, fourth or fifth pair) into a bluff can turn mediocre players into good players.

Set a buy-in stop loss

One of the best-kept secrets in pro poker is that the biggest difference among top players is the mental game and not technical ability. Players who have the edge know that they can’t afford to be on tilt.

So, if your best poker hands have, for now, deserted you and you’re having a problem with tilt, set out a plan to walk away from the tables when your game’s in a dip. Some players have a three buy-in stop-loss strategy, while for others, it might be six.

It’s a fact that a thought-out buy-in loss strategy will help you increase your winnings over time and give you the edge as a poker player.

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