Simple Tips
From Poker Legends

Poker Champs share their top poker tips

One of the things I like about poker and poker people is their willingness to share what they've learned. Big name professionals are exactly the same, and are often giving out advice to newcomers who may well turn up at tournaments a year or so later and trounce them with their own advice.

We've compiled a useful list of simple poker tips from a variety of celebrated players for new players among you to cut out and use as inspiration.

1. The check-raise is an excellent tool in no-limit because you can win all of your opponent's chips at one time. So if you get a hand to trap them with, you can open the noose with a check and then tighten the noose with a check-raise when they bet.

2. Don't ever be a calling station in pot-limit or no-limit. When you do call, make sure that you have rewal purpose.

3. If you are last to act in no-limit tournaments, you can often pick up the pot with a modest bet when it's checked to you.

4. Changing gears is one of the most important parts of playing poker. It means shifting from loose to tight play and vice versa. Don't do it gradually. It works better if you switch suddenly. Once the opposition catch on, change gears again.

5. Remember, in no-limit you only have to win certain key hands. This is true because the pots that you win in no-limit are usually much bigger than they are in limit games.

6. Having position in hold 'em or being one of the last players to act in a hand is a great advantage. You can just sit back and wait for everyone else in front of you to act. If your opponent bets and you have a good hand, you can raise, effectively doubling the amount of money that is put into the pot  and raising other strong hands out of the pot by making it twice as expensive for them to call.

7. Don't play games just for the sake of wanting fast action. Don't play a shorthand game just because you want to play more hands. If you're in that state of mind you'll lose more often than you'll win. Take a break. Watch some TV and relax. Come back when you cool down and have tie to play solid poker.

LEGENDS OF POKER

Gus "The Great Dane" Hansen has taken only three years to make himself a legend. This rampaging Viking has cut a swathe through the poker ruling elite. He even managed to top the earnings league a year or so back with a whopping $2,150,000 catapaulting himself into the World Poker Walk of Fame alongside poker royalty like Doyle Brunson.

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