How to Play Poker: Strategy for Beginners

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The Rules

Learning how to play poker takes some time and dedication. Players must have a thorough understanding of the rules, a grasp of basic strategy, and a determination to get better. With so much to learn and so much to understand, it can be overwhelming for beginner players.

This is why we at Tight Poker created the Strategy Roadmap; a comprehensive guide that brings players the information they need to kickstart their poker journey. We provide rules, strategy, and tools in an order that makes sense, with each lesson building upon the knowledge of the previous one.

Before you dive into the strategic elements of poker, you will want to learn the rules of Texas Hold’em, what the strongest hands are, and the common terms you will hear at the table.

Texas Holdem Rules 

ace and king of hearts cards with poker table in background

Poker Hands Ranking

someone holding a royal flush in their hand

Poker Terms

person holding a deck of cards shuffling them

Strategy Basics

To play consistent winning poker takes a good understanding of basic strategy. Learn the principles of position, betting, and folding to start building a sturdy foundation of poker strategy. 

Position 

two fingers holding a pair of kings near a bunch of poker chips

Betting

a case full of a couple boxes of cards and poker chips

Folding

someone tossing a pair of kings in the air at a poker table

Advanced Strategy

With a core knowledge of basic strategy, now it is time to delve into more advanced strategy and start utilizing math, instinct, and other techniques that will give you the edge over your opponents.

Pre-Flop/Ranges

a pair of aces underneath a stack of chips

Playing the Flop

The flop in poker with cards and poker chips

3-Betting

poker chips of a variety of colours

Poker Odds

a bunch of playing cards scattered everywhere

Bluffing

poker chips stacked to the left of the frame