Tournament Strategies
After receiving pocket cards, you are immediately faced with a choice: play your cards and either raise or call the blinds, or fold.
Practice Matters
"You're right, Nick. If Marie hadn't left the table I would never
"You're right, Nick. If Marie hadn't left the table I would never have called your $80,000 bluff." So-called "innocent" kibitzers often work in collusion with a confederate to whom they signal the value of a player's hand. Kibitzers of any kind are a Poker liability and should not be allowed in high-stakes Poker, but at penny ante they perhaps can be tolerated. However, for the best protection, even in a friendly game, do not permit a kibitzer player or nonplayer to scout your hand; a nonplaying kibitzer will learn your style of playing simply by watching, and once he becomes an opponent, he'll be harder for you to beat.
Playing Positions
Playing Positions Generally speaking, the Poker player who must speak first is in a bad position. The player who speaks last has a superior position. This applies in all kinds of Poker.