In poker, players place their chips into a pot when they call a bet, raise one or more bets, or fold. The action starts with the player to the left of the dealer and continues clockwise around the table. At the end of each betting round, any players still in the hand may decide to “cut” (take their share of a low-denomination chip from the pot) or leave the game.
A key aspect of good poker strategy is determining how likely an opponent’s hand is to beat yours. This involves working out their range and using the information you have about them to tailor your decisions about when to check, call, and raise accordingly.
For example, if an opponent takes a long time to check or call a small bet, it usually means they have a weak hand and are thinking about whether or not they should call your bets. By contrast, if they act quickly and immediately make a call or raise it’s likely they have a strong hand.
Another good way to work out your opponent’s strength is by watching how they play their hands. Many online poker sites offer a hand replay feature and there’s also plenty of software available that allows you to review previous hands. However, don’t just replay hands that didn’t go well. It’s just as important to review the way a strong hand played as it is to learn from mistakes that weren’t so successful.
