Practising Poker

Practising poker is essential for developing the skills you need to hold your own at a table of sharks. Anyone can learn the rankings of the poker hands and the theory behind the game, but putting it into action is when you start to really learn how that knowledge is applied in a genuine poker environment. If you meet a tricky situation while practising, you will be prepared for it the next time you sit down at the table or visit your favourite poker site.

Here are some ways you can rack up the hours at the table, physical or virtual, in order to fulfil your poker potential!

Play Free Poker Online

Most online poker sites provide free tables to help you to learn the ropes after you have signed up. You can afford to make as many mistakes as you like because you are not risking your own cash, it’s all virtual currency. Search the lobbies of sites like 32Red poker and Betfred poker for their free or fun play games to take advantage of this golden opportunity to get some hands under your belt.

Poker Freerolls

Many poker sites often offer freerolls, tournaments for which there is no entry fee but where you can win cash amounts. These games can give you a better impression of what it is like to play poker as opposed to free play cash games, as there is real money at stake in freerolls. When players can only pick up play money, they are likely to play more loosely and aggressively because they have nothing to lose. When there is a real prize at stake, they are less likely to recklessly continue to raise with a poor hand.

Freerolls can boost your poker balance as well as offering a great chance to experience the game before you put any of your own money down.

Organise a Regular Game at Home

Poker can be a fun, sociable game, so why not organise a regular night with your friends where you visit a different house each week, get in some snacks and beer and play a few hands of poker? It will help you develop your skills in a friendly environment where there is no pressure to hit the ground running. You can simply learn as you go, improving your strategy and tactics with every hand.

Take a Tutorial at a Casino

Poker cardrooms want to attract as much custom as possible and that means that many, including the genting casino at Resorts World Birmingham, lay on tutorials for beginners so they can learn the game. You are also often able to hire tables and dealers as part of a party package that could see you and your mates try out and hone your newfound skills in a cardroom environment.

Wherever you choose to practise your poker, make sure you analyse how you played and try to work out what you could have done differently to improve the outcome. Make notes and try out new tactics the next time you play to help you develop your game. Most online poker sites let you look back through your hand history, so you have logged evidence of what worked and what didn’t, which could prove invaluable in helping you become a better poker player in the future.