Advanced Poker Strategy & Tips

From James Bond’s’ Casino Royale to The Grand, poker is arguably the most famous and globally renowned casino game. Kiwis have enjoyed this complex and high-stakes game since the 1800s. However, until the emergence of NZ online casinos, most poker fans had to play among themselves at home. The reason why? New Zealand only has six established casinos, so playing the game in person is harder than elsewhere.

Never fear, though. We’re specialists in offering Kiwis the creme-de-la-creme of poker online entertainment at Guts. Check out our considerable array of poker rooms and MTTs for a world-renowned experience. You can enjoy classic poker variants like Texas Hold’Em and Omaha alongside more niche options.

Supplying you with trailblazing online poker technology isn’t the only thing Guts online casino NZ is known for. Our team of passionate casino professionals is also determined to help you enhance your playing. Keep reading for a recap of poker basic rules before we delve deeper into advanced poker strategy!

Poker Basic Rules

Learning how to play poker is slightly harder than other popular card games like blackjack or baccarat. The main thing to remember is that different variations may have slightly different rules. Nevertheless, a few general rules are present in anything from Texas Hold’ Em to Seven-Card Stud:

• Creating the highest-value hand is the ultimate aim during a poker match. The player with the most valuable hand at the end of a round takes home the chips. However, poker players often bluff their way into a winning position, convincing other players to fold even if their hand is weak.
• Generally, you can make a hand out of your personal cards and the community cards on the table. Different poker versions have contrasting rules regarding the number of community and personal cards that must be used. Small blinds and big blinds are essential parts of playing poker. Two players must place compulsory bets before the start of each round.
• You take turns to bet during poker games, with each wager before your turn directly influencing your options. You can call (match a bet), raise (increase a bet), or fold (drop out the current round).

These are four poker basic rules. It shouldn’t take long to get up and running once you have understood them.

A Recap of the Poker Hand Order

Knowing the poker hands order is one of the most important parts of ensuring your playing is strategically optimized. Without this knowledge, how do you expect to win anything? Even poker strategy guides start from this fundamental principle. Memorize the poker hand order below for a vital foundation:

• Royal Flush: A-10 (All same suit)
• Straight Flush: Five cards in numerical order (All same suit)
• Four of a Kind: Four cards of each suit with equal values
• Full House: Three identical value cards with an added pair on the side
• Flush: Five cards of the same suit (Don’t need to be ordered)
• Straight: Five cards in numerical order but not of the same suit
• Three of a Kind: Three identical value cards (All different suits)
• Two Pair: Two pairs of identical value cards
• One Pair: Two cards of the same value
• High Card: Play with your highest card if none of the above apply to your hand

Knowing these hands and their respective position in the poker hand rankings is absolutely vital to any success. You must reach the point where it’s unconscious knowledge, as this will allow you to focus on other more advanced poker strategy tips and tricks.

Advanced Poker Strategy: How to Get the Edge Over Your Opponents

Right then, this is where things get interesting. It’s probably no surprise that we love poker due to our acclaimed Guts poker online platform. This has taught us a range of advanced tactics that we cannot wait to share. Here are some of the best examples:

• Scheduling: You’ll have to put the work in if you really want to be an advanced poker player. This means playing regularly to hone your skills, bluffing expertise, and general experience. Create a calendar with strict poker playing times and corroborate this with a spreadsheet outlining your budget, wins, and losses. Statistical analysis can offer areas to improve and a general timeline of your improvements.
• Consider Population Analysis: This is an advanced and time-consuming strategy, but it can pay off handsomely in the long run. Population analysis requires a comprehensive database of hands and player behaviour over a period of time. Using poker tracking software, you can understand player tactics and move to exploit them with your own.
• Memorise Post-Flop Tactics: Advanced players still play poker off intuition, but it takes a backseat to preformulated and probability-driven tactics. For example, experts memorise their approach to post-flop spots to guarantee the best action in each situation. This also enables faster playing across multiple tables, increasing your chances of a positive win rate.
• Choose an Optimal Quantity of Tables: Ensure you are playing on the optimal number of tables if you’re an MTT fan. Too few can get boring and you can lose concentration, while too many can lead to mistakes or sub-optimal strategies. Hitting the sweet spot is important to get right.
• Don’t Be Afraid To “Squeeze”: So-called “Squeeze” tactics are effective once you have enough confidence in your ability to bluff. This can be fruitful even with a seriously weak hand. Bet high and aggressively from the start to scare other players into folding. Just make sure you analyse player behaviour to confirm they don’t have any high-value hands.

Enjoy the Magnificent Guts Casino Collection!

Playing poker online at Guts is seriously good fun. We have an extensive range of game types and tournaments. Additionally, we can even set you and your friends up with private poker rooms. What are you waiting for? Get started today!

Alternatively, we have an exceptional selection of live casino games from the industry’s leading lights like Evolution Gaming. Check out things like baccarat, blackjack, and roulette if poker isn’t your thing.

Use the Guts Blog For More Casino Tips & Tricks

Poker isn’t the only thing we’re knowledgeable on. We’re big fans of other online pokies, and we want to help our customers improve their skills as much as possible. Take a look at things like our baccarat strategy guide and poker guide for more information.