**
**
**
**
ADVANCED POKER STRATEGY SECRETS REVEALED AND EXPLAINED
Unless you're a seasoned player, it's unlikely that you've fully mastered all of the basic poker strategy principles, but this should not prevent you from taking your first step towards more advanced subjects. In this section, I'll step you though some of the areas of advanced poker strategy that you'll need to consider and understand if you want to step up a level.

As an online poker beginner, you'll have seen that winning with good hands is fairly easy as long as you've followed basic principles. When you step up to higher value tournaments and cash games the opposition becomes much stronger - the players and competition you will face are more experienced and hungry for victory, and to win against these better quality players you'll need to use more advanced poker strategy in your games.

Advanced poker strategy involves understanding the more complex elements of the game, including slow playing, game selection, changing the pace of your game, and relative hand strength. The use of mathematics becomes increasingly necessary, and you may also need to compliment your playing style with the use of poker tools. 


Calculating Pot Odds


This is one of the core mathematical elements of poker, and refers to your ability to calculate the odds of making - or winning - a hand, balanced against the size of the pot. The target is to calculate the odds for or against you to determine your next move, with the aim of ensuring you bet only when the overall odds are in your favour for the specific hand or on a longer term basis.

This skill is especially critical when there is an absence of other information, with a good example being in online games where there are few 'tells' that you can receive from your opponents.

The most straightforward way to gain this skill is by using a poker odds calculator, but there are also quick manual solutions. If you want to become an advanced level player, you must learn how to calculate pot odds.....read more on calculating pot odds.....


Poker Tools


There are various types of poker tools available to assist in your advanced playing strategies - one of the most popular of these is the Poker Odds Calculator which is described just above. This will complement your skill and strategic abilities to gain an added advantage. ....read more on Poker Tools and Poker Odds Calculators.....



Bankroll Management

Bankroll management is a complex advanced poker strategy subject and needs to be understood from a variety of perpectives. There are some valuable resources available on some of the more established poker websites....Pokerworks has some great articles on advanced poker strategy in general, and specifically some detail on how to manage your bankroll effectively.


Understanding Your opponents

Knowing your opponents and understanding how they operate and what drives their actions is yet another critical skill to master when you're playing more advanced poker. Again, PokerWorks have some superb articles that cover the subject in depth. Just click on the link in the paragraph above.


Changing Gears or Changing Your Speed of Play

Playing with the same style all the time is one of the most certain ways to lose in high skill games. This section covers your ability to change gears during a game, and use different styles and speeds of play with the aim of misleading opponents and avoiding becoming too predictable. It's a great strategy to mix up your style of play at random points over a series of hands.  Loose players can periodically play tighter, and vice versa.


This strategy is most effective for no limit or short handed (few players) limit games, where bluffing and your  appearance to the other players are important. Changing styles becomes much less important against lesser skilled players, where it's unlikely they're paying much attention to how you are playing anyway. 


Slow Playing

Slow playing is a valuable strategy to be used when you're holding a good hand, but want your opponents to believe it's weaker than it is. When it works, you'll reap the benefits, but be careful of allowing your opponents the chance to improve.


Relative Hand Strength

Relative hand strength refers to the skill of understanding which hands do better in certain situations than others.


Projecting an Image

Another element of strategy that's designed to mislead opponents. Projecting an image can set you up for big wins when the situation is right by playing the opposite of the image you've presented in previous hands.


Advanced Strategy For Play Before The Flop

Optimum playing decisions before the flop. How to play your hole cards effectively.


How To Play After The Flop

Optimum advanced stategies for playing hands after the flop.


Choosing a level

Clearly it's wise to play at the level which gives you the best possible chances of success. This section shows you what to consider when choosing your game level.


Poker Position - Choosing A Table Position

Your table position can have a huge impact on your determine your level of profit, and should be chosen carefully with respect to the playing styles and skills of the players positioned before or after you.


Counting Your Outs

One of the critical mathematical skills. Knowing your percentage chances of making a hand helps determine whether it's going to be profitable to play, and whether you should bet or not. Learn to count your outs.



Continuation Bets

Continuation bets are post-flop bets placed in an attempt to force your opponents to fold - thereby reducing the field against you and the chances one will hold an ultimately better hand.


Playing Strong Hands - The Nuts

Maximising winnings and limiting losses is a key skill. Know how to play strong hands to get the biggest profit.


Playing Drawing Hands

You'll need to play drawing hands very carefully. Find out the best strategies to use when looking to make a hand on the next turn.


How To Play Tight Tables
Often you may get involved in games where all or most of the players are cautious. Discover the best strategies for playing tight tables.



How To Play Loose Tables
Discover the best way to play at loose tables filled with loose players


Stealing Blinds
The poker term 'stealing blinds' refers to the betting moves you take when raising before the flop and trying to encourage all other involved players to fold. If successful, you'll have won all the cash in the pot without showing your cards, effectively you'll have 'stolen the blinds'. 


Poker Equity
Poker equity refers to the percentage value of the pot thatb you stand to collect based on the percentage value of the odds that you're likely wo win.


Value Betting
Value betting is the term given to the bets you make once you're fairly sure you have a better hand than you're opponent. You're then betting in such a way as to extract the maximum value from the hand.


Relative Position
Understanding relative position can help win some nice pots. It describes your table position in relation to any initial raiser before the flop.
Advanced Poker Strategy Resources

The popular well established poker websites all have either detailed advanced strategy sections, and one or two are solely focussed on the subject. You'll also find that some of the more popular poker forums contain comprehensive material which will have come straight from experienced players.

We're currently growing our advanced poker section, in the meantime here are some valuable resource links to some of the authorative sites.


www.PokerTips.com

www.PokerWorks.com


If I haven't covered what you need here, the major search engines - Google, Yahoo, and Bing/MSN will all help with further info.

And as a last resource for helping you with advanced poker strategy, this video below should do the trick.
You Are Here             Advanced Poker Strategy   Visit the play poker hub to read up on all of the elements which make poker a popular game.
**
Want to see what the mad scientists are cookin'? Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook!