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Wouldn't you like to know if your opponent is lying when he pushes all in? With a little knowledge and observation skills, you can apply some formulaic tricks to learn how to knock down that bluffing bully.

Steps

1. Don't look at their eyes! Your dear mom's advice of looking someone in the eye to see if they are lying is actually quite useless in telling you if someone is lying. Many liars have no problems looking someone in the eye, including poker players.
   
   • Strong means weak. When a player is trying to bluff you, their natural basic reaction is to try and look intimidating so that you'll meekly fold your hand away. This generally involves slamming down chips, talking loud and staring you down.
     
   • Weak means strong. On the other hand, when someone has a monster of a hand, they want to look as meek and passive as possible, to convince you to bet into them. This usually comes in the form of big sighs, slumping in their chairs, saying things like "I *guess* I'll bet.." or shaking their head. Never believe for a second the oscar performances you see at a table- if they're showing anything, it's usually on purpose.
     
   • The shoulder crunch. One of the most popular vacation activities is to get a good old massage. Why? Because of all that tension in our shoulders that we develop. Stress causes our shoulders to tense up, which if you're keenly observant, you can see in some of your opponents by a slight crunch. If you see it, it usually means your opponent is scared (read: bluffing) or has a weak hand.
     
   • The shoulder drop. When your opponent drops his shoulder (slightly) that usually means your opponent missed his or her hand. This is caused by a release of stress that causes the shoulders to unclamp. If your opponent had hit their card, the tension would still be in the game and you wouldn't notice any variation in their shoulders, since there was no release point. That said, if you see a huge shoulder drop, it's not normal (read: on purpose for you to see), which means a strong hand.
     
   • The heavy breathing. Another big indicator in the physiological stress game. Stress means higher pulse, which requires more air circulation to supply oxygen to the bloodstream. When an opponent starts breathing heavily in a deep up and down motion (as opposed to hyperventilating), that is a good sign that something is deeply stressing him or her out. If your opponent has just made a huge bet, chances are that he's bluffing. On the other hand, if he is not currently making the action and he's stressed, you'd better watch out for a monster! (This is why it's important to pay attention to everyone during a poker game.)
     
   • Talking or not talking. When a quiet guy at the game suddenly starts talking, it's time to pay attention. Quiet guys are quiet because they're introveted people. Introverted people don't talk because it tends to stress them out. This means that if a quiet guy is talking, he's quite relaxed, which means he's probably got a monster and isn't worried about his hand. On the flip side, if a big talker suddenly gets quiet, he's devoting most of his brain power to his hand. Chances are, he's got something good and needs to think about how to play it out.
     
   • Intently staring. If you've ever played any board game and wanted to know what part of the board your opponent was thinking about, just look at -where- his eyes are looking. Same goes with poker. If you're close enough, you can see if he might be staring intently at that Ace or King when the board flops. If he stares long, he's probably hit it, whereas a quick glance and lean back usually means it's not what he wanted to see.
     
   • Shaking hands (the tremors). This is a huge tell of a player holding a monster of a hand. Some people think this means a player is nervous as hell about a bluff, but if someone is this nervous, they aren't in any condition to make a bluff. Usually a tell given off by newer players who have trouble holding their emotions in, Aces, sets and other huge hands are what you can expect when someone bets with shaking hands.
     
     • On the other hand, when you see shaking stop, that is a big tell your opponent is bluffing. The best example of this, is seen right after your opponent bets into you, look for any signs that he is trying to control himself. This is especially apparent in people who shake/jiggle/bob their legs unconsciously, when they make a bluff all of a sudden this unconscious movement stops as they attempt to control all movement so as not to give away tells!
       
   • Betting patterns! Apart from a lot of the hocus pocus of tells and going to the nth degree of observing which direction your opponent spins his chips into the pot, the biggest indicator you can use are straight up in front of you- how your opponent bets. An opponent who normally raises pre-flop to five multiples of the blinds suddenly makes it 2x the blind instead. This is a major tell- he wants you to call. Or he makes it 10x the blind- he wants you to fold. Being able to observe these type of pattens in conjunction with your
     

Tips

• Just remember, while tells are scientifically based on the human reaction and physiological traits, not everyone reacts in the same way. Some people get stressed when they bluff, but not when they have a monster. Others get excited when they bluff but calmly handle huge hands. It depends on your opponents.
  
• Online poker is a completely different camp than real life poker. You can find good lessons and details for online poker tells here and information on bluffing here.
  

Warnings

• Don't get so caught up in tells that you miss out on the whole poker game. While the pros are able to take in information from multiple facets at once, the new player is so overwhelmed with all the information at the table that keeping up can be hard at times. Concentrate first on the game, then when you are accustomed to the game, focus then on your opponents' reactions and behaviors.
  
• After reading this How-To, don't make the mistake of putting out tells yourself! You should realize quite quickly that even attempting to put out a tell can have the effect of backfiring if your opponent knows what he is doing. So, if you are going on a bluff, the worst thing possible would be to stare down your opponent, start talking trash and act big. That's a big no-no!
  

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Sit N Go poker tournaments have become very popular lately. Applying the right knowledge can increase your chances of winning sit n go tournaments.

Steps

1. Play according to your position. You should play tighter (play fewer but stronger hands) in early position. In late position you can loosen up and play more hands, because you are last to act. Seeing what the other players have done gives you an advantage. And you'll keep this advantage in later betting rounds.
   
2. Get a feel for the other players at the table. Watch the cards the other players play. Weak tight players will give away chips in the face of raises. Aggressive players will force you to make hard decisions, so stick to premium starting hands against them.
   
3. If everyone is folding when you get a big hand, you will need to mix up your game. Change your style and limp (just call the bet) in. Or show a bluff once in a while to confuse your opponents.
   
4. When you get to the bubble (one position from the money) or four players left, try to make your move before getting short-stacked. Players tighten up on the bubble, so be aggressive and steal some of the blinds.
   
5. Instead of becoming desperate, steal some pots. Especially if everyone is folding to you. Stolen pots will build momentum and carry you into the money finishes.
   
6. Pay attention to the player stack amounts. If there is a player who is short stacked, expect 2 things. First they will go all-in when they have ACE anything or 2 high cards. Second there will be good chance they will be taken out shortly. So play accordingly. Don't take chances against the big stack while there is a short stack soon to be blinded out.
   
7. The $5 and $50 Sit n go's are much different. Beginners usually play the smaller buy-in tournaments. More experienced players will play the bigger buy-in tournaments. Be careful not to blow your bankroll when you move up to the higher stakes.
   
8. If you're going to play in the $50 Sit and Go's make sure your game is sharp. Just watch a few before joining.
   
9. Some players find the higher stakes games to be easier than the lower stakes ones because the players are more predictable.
   
10. Play tight against loose players and loose against tight players
    

Tips

• Don't go all in the first few hands unless you have KK or AA.
  
• Don't get involved with the player who pushes all-in every other hand. (Although a player who goes all-in a lot is probably bluffing.)
  
• Play good starting hands: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 99, 88, AK, AQ, AJ, QK, AT.
  

Warnings

• Don't play in a game that you can't afford. The lower limits are all you should play until you really understand the game. Just because you go out 4th doesn't mean you should be playing a bigger buy-in tournament.
  
• Be careful if drinking alcohol while playing. Once good judgement is gone, typically your money will follow.
  

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If you lost some chips in Texas Hold’em, and you are the new short stack (person with the least amount of chips) then it may be time to go all-in and double up.

Steps

1. You have to look at the two cards you were dealt-
   
2. What position are you in- the small blind or big blind? If you are in the big blind and someone raised to get other people out of the pot, then you might consider raising all-in for a show down. (A show down occurs when there are two people in the pot and one is all-in, and both players’ cards are flipped over.)
   
3. What to base the decision on -If you want to go all-in, you should go all-in with good cards.
   
4. If you decide to go all-in, you can just hope the other person doesn’t have better cards than you. If they do have better cards, then you just have to hope you get a good card/cards on the flop, turn or river. (See tips section)
   
5. Win or lose you have a next time- If you win then you get to double up or if you called an all-in then you get the opponent’s/opponents’ chips. But if you lose well, better luck next time.
   

Tips

• If you try to bluff then you might get caught and someone will call you. So make sure you have decent or good cards.
  
• If before the flop you have pocket aces, kings, queens, jacks or maybe tens, then you might want to go all-in. If you have same suited cards that are good, like ace king, ace queen, ace jack, ace ten, king or queen, then it might be a good idea to go all-in or just call. If you got these cards but not in the same suit, then just call because they are good but not great. But if you got a four or six, and cards that are low like those, then just fold. If you are feeling lucky or you’re in the big blind, then just check or call if the bet isn’t much.
  
• Have a good poker face; don’t smile and give them a tell because you want someone to call you if you have really good cards.
  
• The flop, turn and river are community cards. You can use any of these but you can only have five cards altogether. The flop is the first three cards that come up, so maybe after you limped in and you hit a big flop, then maybe it’s time to move all-in. Then the turn is just one card that comes after the flop. The river is the very last card that comes after the turn and if you go all-in then, it may be riskier then going all-in before the flop.
  

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Pocket aces (that is a concealed pair of aces) in Texas Hold'em Poker is the best hand out of a possible 169 hands. Unfortunately, its effectiveness is so easy to spot that if it isn't played properly, you won't make the best out of the perfect situation. This article is also relevant for pocket kings, queens and jacks (but be slightly more careful, particularly if aces appear in the flop).

Steps

1. Maintain your poker face after reading your cards. Don't do a doubletake, or laugh, or smile, or play a smokescreen by frowning. All you need to do is remain neutral. Look at your chips, or even think about what you had for breakfast yesterday. This way no one will guess you have pocket rockets (A-A).
   
2. Play the right bet. If you are big/small blind, you might like to just call if someone raised before you. If you are the first to bet, just call the big blind, or if you want, you can raise by a small portion (eg. If it is 4 to call, bet 6 or 8). Don't push all in, or bet something like 5 times the blind. Put in as many raises as possible, especially if you are out of position. Never re-raise pre-flop.
   
3. Call all you need within reason. If someone goes all in preflop, you should call them. Let some people get out, and then win that money back over time. That's how pros play.
   
4. Read the flop. Play accordingly to the following situations (play the style that is most like the flop):
   High cards: K - 10 - J = Raise to about 10, or call a bet of a similar value (up to 30). Be wary of all in because it is possible to have a straight.
   The triple: A - 6 - 10 = Do a small raise on most anything.
   Quick straight: 5 - 7 - 6 = Be wary, but call for now.
   Nothing: 4 - 8 - 2 = Small raise on anything.
   Dangerous: K - K - Q = Call for now, but later on, fold to a raise from a conservative player.
   
5. Now raise on the flop if no apparent danger is present. If the river shows there are 4 cards in a row, be wary of the small raise. Play likewise for suited cards (of which you have none). Play a small raise here.
   
6. Read the river. If this doesn't give you 3 aces, be wary of a large raise. If you are looking good though, raise the raise. If they then raise, just call.
   
7. Show the cards...mysteriously. If you win the hand, allow yourself a small smile, but don't gloat. If you lose, keep thinking about yesterday's breakfast. Don't let them get an idea of how you react.
   
8. Congratulate the player next to you. And say good game. People will play worse when you mess with them.
   

Tips

• Always remind yourself of the Best Possible Hand. Chances are you don't have it.
  
• Pocket Aces is a one-pair hand. Nothing more, nothing less.
  
• Keep as many people in that you can to win more money.
  
• Don't kill yourself for folding it. This is the mark of a patient poker player.
  
• Go all in on the last card if you are short on chips. People like to call this, assuming that you're bluffing.
  
• Fold to any aggression. Be a patient player and the money will roll in. No need to force it.
  
• These instructions are for No Limit Hold 'em.
  

Warnings

• The only time that you should really go all in is if you have a great hand (e.g., Full house, A high flush, A high straight, [maybe] three of a kind) after a raise on the river, or if you are short on chips.
  

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Knowing how to calculate your odds of building a strong hand is a key step in becoming a good poker player. The calculation used in determining poker odds is influenced by a variety of factors but can be deduced using simple arithmetic. By understanding your chances of drawing a desirable hand, you can increase your long-term profitability. If you want to learn poker percentages, follow these guidelines.

Steps

1. Learn the percentages of your favorite poker game. Determining poker odds depends in large part on the game you're playing. For example, the formula for getting a particular hand in 7-card stud is different from that of Texas Hold 'em, arguably the most popular poker game in the world.
   
2. Consider all cogent variables before calculating hand odds. Hand odds represent the chances of the turn and/or river cards helping you make a good hand.
   
   • Make your calculations after the flop. In Texas Hold'em, you'll be dealt 2 cards. The dealer will then unveil 3 cards, called the flop, which all players can use to build the strongest hand possible.
     
   • Base your calculations only on the facts available to you. Resist the inclination to make projections on what cards other players may be holding. For the purpose of accurately determining your chance of building a strong hand, only concern yourself with the cards you're holding and the flop.
     
3. Determine the number of outs available to you. Outs are cards that directly contribute to the hand you're trying to build. In some cases, you may have only 2 outs, meaning your chances of attaining a desirable hand is remote. Under ideal circumstances, 1 of 15 different outs can complete a strong hand. To tally your outs, you'll need to carefully assess your hand after the flop and then decide what hand you can attain. For example:
   
   • Nothing: If your hold cards are unsuited and lower than at least 1 of the cards in the flop, you have 6 outs to achieve a pair. For example, say you drew a 5 and a 9. Any of the 3 remaining 5's or 9's in the deck would give you at least a pair. Therefore, you'd have 6 outs for the turn and river.
     
   • Pocket pair: If your hold cards are a low pair (meaning at least 1 of the flop cards is higher, possibly giving another player a higher pair than yours), you have only 2 outs to make 3 of a kind or better.
     
   • 2 overcards: If you're holding 2 cards, say an ace and a queen, that are higher than any of the 3 flop cards, you have 6 outs: the remaining 3 aces and queens.
     
   • Flush draw: A flush draw occurs when your hold cards are suited and the flop contains 2 cards of that same suit. With 4 suited cards in your hand, and 13 cards per suit, you'll have 9 outs to achieve a flush.
     
   • Flush and open-straight draw: To illustrate this scenario, say you've drawn the jack and 10 of diamonds, and the flop is the 9 of spades, and the 8 and 4 of diamonds. You're in a very advantageous position with 15 outs. Any diamond (9 outs for a flush) or any queen or 7, (6 outs total to complete the straight).
     
4. Calculate the percentage of the time you will hit your hand with a single card.
   
   • To determine the chances of the river card being the one you need to complete your hand, subtract your outs from the number of cards remaining. Only consider the cards you have in determining the number remaining. So for the river, there are 46 cards left: 52 -6 (2 hold cards, 3 flops and 1 turn).
     
   • Divide the result by the number of cards remaining to find your hand percentage.
     
5. Find the flop-to-river percentage: This is a more difficult calculation because it involves 2 cards in separate draws, the turn and river.
   
   • To find the hand percentage for a flush draw, subtract the number of outs from the number of cards remaining for the turn (47-9) and divide by 47. The quotient is 0.81.
     
   • For the river, subtract the outs (9) from the cards remaining (46) and divide the result by 46. This quotient is 0.80.
     
   • Multiply the 2 quotients. The result is 0.65.
     
   • Subtract 0.65 from 1 to find the hand percentage. The result is 0.35, meaning you have a 35 percent chance of getting a flush off a flush draw.
     
6. Turn your hand percentage into an odds ratio. This is an important step in becoming an effective Texas Hold'em player. The hand odds will need to be compared to the pot odds to determine whether to stay in the game. To find hand odds, follow this procedure.
   
   • Express your hand percentage as a whole number. For example, 24 percent becomes 24.
     
   • Divide 100 by this number. The result is 4.17.
     
   • Round the result to the nearest whole number, which in this example is 4.
     
   • Subtract 1 to find the ratio. The hand odds in this example are 3-1.
     
7. Determine the pot odds. The pot odds represent the number of times out of 100 you need to achieve a hand to break even. Professional poker players compare the pot odds to the hand odds before calling bets on the turn and river. When pot odds exceed hand odds, a solid betting situation exists.
   
   • After the flop, there is $50 in the pot. The first player raises $10.
     
   • To stay in the game, you must match the raise, or "call" the bet.
     
   • A $10 bet into a $50 pot represents pot odds of 5-1.
     
   • Bet into the game if your hand odds are better (lower) than the pot odds. Otherwise, fold.
     

Tips

• When adding up outs, be careful not to over-count. Under some circumstances, certain cards can contribute to 2 or more hands. For example, it after the flop you have both flush and straight draws (say, the 10, 9, 7 and 2 of diamonds, and the 8 of clubs) you might deduce that you have 17 outs. There are 9 outs for any of the remaining diamonds and 8 outs for any jack or 6, which would complete the straight. In reality, there are 15 outs because the jack and 6 of diamonds would complete either hand.
  
• Sometimes outs aren't true outs. In certain situations, an out may be more beneficial to your opponent than you. A good example is when you're playing an open- straight draw but the flop produces 3 suited cards. You have 8 outs � 4 on each end of the straight � but the cards suited to the flop actually benefit your opponent more because they hold a potential flush draw. Therefore, your outs are reduced to 6.
  
• To quickly calculate your hand percentages, multiply the number of outs by 4 for 2-card draws. Multiply by 2 when calculating the percentages of a single draw, as with the river.
  

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1. There are two approaches you can take with step one:Don’t play bad hands: Limit your game to pocket pairs, Suited Aces(a suited A-4,A-5) Ace King off suit , or suited connecting cards. For now, all the other hands are just not worth playing and you should just throw them away. This requires great patience
   
2. Otherwise, personally I try not to fold before the flop unless sombody is preflopping some ridiculous bet like 100 grand and your cards are two and six. You never know however when that two and six could create a straight, two pairs, three of a kind, or even a full butt. You've seen pairs in the flop before, it just takes one of the pair and one of any other kind. You'd be suprised what you can do with that two and six.
   
3. Be aggressive: You’ve waited for solid hands, now its time to pound your opponents. Raise before the flop and if you hit your hand keep firing bullets, but don’t go nuts , one pair won’t often win big pots. When you play aggressive , you force your opponent into the defensive. You also force a lot of people out , making it less likely for someone to make a better hand than you.
   
4. Play your position: When you are later to act in a round of betting you are at great advantage. This is helpful against predictable players who check with weak hands and raise with good hands. You can play marginal hands and bet when they check to you. You can also re-raise players who bluff to much.
   
5. Play the man (or woman) : If your opponent is a tight player. You can loosen up and play weaker starting hands like K-J un suited “bad aces” like A-3 or the like. If he comes at you with a raise , you know your beat and should throw away marginal hands.
   
   • If he or she likes to get involved in a lot of hands, wait for a good hand and you will get paid off when you do.
     
6. Small pockets: Hands like 2-2 ,5-5 or 7-7 lose most of their value after the flop unless you make a set (three of a kind), you should throw them away after the flop and maximize profits after making a set with the right bets for that opponent.
   
7. Straight and Flush draws: Before calling a bet with a flush draw, make sure your getting the right “pot odds”. If there is $100 in the pot and your opponent has raised another $100 , than it would be a big mistake to chase that flush or straight. You will , at least in the long run , lose more than you win. If he or she is betting $10 than you are getting 10/1 on your bet and you should chase it. Be aware that a skilled opponent will not let you see the next card that cheap unless he has your draw beat.
   
8. Bluffing: Bluffing is an art learned only over time. You should begin by learning the semi-bluff. Betting with a hand that is not best but may improve with more cards to come is very profitable play. You have two ways to win. Your opponent folds or you make the best hand (usually flush or straight). This tactic works best in later position if everyone checks to you.
   
9. Reading: Reads are a very important part of poker. Practice putting your opponent on hands and profiling what type of player they are based on the hands they play and how they play them. Remember a tight player is not always so and vice-versa. You will soon see that you can narrow your opponents hand down to a few possibilities.
   

Tips

• AGGRESSION IS THE GAME — but you need to have a solid hand to play aggressively.
  
• Read up on poker. Nothing like a good book to improve your game
  
• Practice online or with friends, play for whatever you can all agree on , if no one wants to play for money ($1 or $1000) then play for a symbolic reward (like "Champion of the Universe") If you're only in it for the money, then it's not worth pursuing this. Go to MTLPoker.com and download the Tiger Gaming poker software.
  
• There are lots of ways to win at poker. Good players always adapt to the game they play.
  
• Every hand you win and especially the ones you lose are valuable lessons that in some cases you may have paid a steep price for. If you payed for it, you might as well use it. Learn from your mistakes.
  
• There are many different approaches on playing Texas Hold Em. Expeiriment and find out what works the best for you, and then practice to improve your strategy.
  

Warnings

• Don't try to bluff a bad player. They won't get out of the way. They are too stupid for their own good.
  
  • "Donkeys always suck out" Don't get mad when someone else gets really lucky on you — it's part of the game. If bad players didn't get lucky, then they wouldn't play. That means less money for you.
    
• Going on tilt is the fastest way out the door or worse, to the ATM. If you're too steamed to play, then go home and sleep it off.
  
• If the stakes are too high for you, no matter how good you are, you are gambling. Only play games that you can afford or quit altogether.
  
• Don't run your mouth, unless you are 10 time world champion Phil Hellmuth Jr., then by all means you can.
  
• Dont go playing for big money when you have only just learnt how to play, play your friends for a couple of years before you start betting, this way you wont lose all of your money.