8 Poker Tips Only Pros Know

With its combination of strategy and luck, poker is undoubtedly the world’s best-loved card game. Over the years, thanks to numerous movies and exciting tournaments, this game has achieved cult status, captivating millions of players worldwide. Playing it is not difficult either, and it often only takes 2 to 3 games to start getting the hang of the rules and the possible combinations.

However, playing with a winning mentality and starting to win big is not as easy. In this article, we will help you do that by revealing 8 poker tips only the pros know. Here is a little anticipation of what is about to come:

• Folding strong cards
• Mastering pot odds and probabilities
• Strategic check-raising
• Betting patterns recognition
• Hand range analysis
• Table talk
• Managing tournament pressure
• Advanced blind stealing and defence

Do any of them sound familiar? Are you already trying to practice them? Even if you have never heard of any, we are here to help. While explaining them, we will discover how the world’s best players think, using examples of tournament champions such as Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Hellmuth. This way, we will illustrate the concepts in a simple and practical way, without thinking only in theory.

1. Folding Winners

We are talking about professionals here, so we will not waste time reminding you of the rules of poker online. We will assume that you already know them, and will immediately focus on poker tips from the pros.

The first one we want to talk about is the most counterintuitive move in poker: folding winners. Amateur players would never do this: if they have strong cards, they usually fall in love with them and are ready to all in. On the other hand, pro players understand that folding can be just as powerful as betting or raising.

But how do pros determine when to fold? They do that by combining opponent profiling, board texture, and bet sizing. An excellent example took place in the 2003 WSOP Main Event. There, Chris Moneymaker famously folded a strong hand (A-9) against Sammy Farha’s bluff, realizing in advance that Farha’s top pair was no good and allowing him to preserve his stack.

2. Mastering Pot Odds and Probabilities

Unlike amateurs, professional poker players are masters of math, which means they use pot odds and probabilities to make informed decisions. It’s important to mention that while playing online poker, you often get the option to see on the screen what your probabilities are, so this tip does not really apply to the online world.

However, being able to do that on a real table in a physical casino with no statistics whatsoever is something else. In a high-stakes cash game, Daniel Negreanu once called a large bet on the turn with a flush draw, as he quickly calculated that the pot odds justified the call.

3. Strategic Use of Check-Raising

If you have a strong hand, would you check? Probably not. Yet, pros do that all the time. It’s called check-raising, and it is a technique used to extract maximum value or bluff opponents out of pots. It involves checking with the intention of raising after an opponent bet, creating a decisively aggressive image.

This is done when a player senses weakness in their opponent’s betting pattern, or when they have a strong hand. In the 2019 WSOP, Hossein Ensan used a well-timed check-raise with a set of sevens on a board of 7-5-2. His opponent, holding a top pair, called the raise and ended up losing a massive pot.

4. Advanced Betting Patterns Recognition

Betting patterns reveal a lot about a player’s hand strength and tendencies. Of course, it’s very hard for amateur players to focus on other players’ betting patterns, as they are too busy thinking about their own cards.

On the other hand, pros look for inconsistencies in bet sizing, timing, and frequency. For example, a sudden large bet on the river after small bets on earlier streets often indicates a bluff or a monster hand.

In a televised game, Phil Ivey once noticed an opponent’s tendency to bet small with strong hands and large with bluffs. He exploited this pattern by calling down with marginal hands when the opponent bet large, winning several key pots.

5. Hand Range Analysis

Among the most interesting poker tips from pros, we have hand range analysis. This is the process of narrowing down an opponent’s possible hands based on their actions. Pros use this technique to make more accurate decisions and avoid big mistakes. They assign ranges based on preflop action, position, and post-flop betting. For example, a tight player who raises from an early position likely has a strong range (e.g., A-A, K-K, Q-Q, A-K), while a loose player in a late position might have a wider range.

Let’s make one more example to explain this better. In a tournament, Fedor Holz, known for his analytical play, faced an opponent who raised from a late position. Holz carefully considered the types of hands his opponent was likely to have, concluding they probably held medium-strength pairs or connected suited cards. When the first three community cards revealed a very low flop, Holz realized his opponent likely hadn’t improved their hand. Using this information, Holz made a well-timed aggressive bet, successfully convincing his opponent to fold a potentially better hand.

6. Utilizing Table Talk

Here, things get more complicated and psychological. Table talk is simply conversing with other players before and during a casino games. Yet, it’s more than just casual conversation. It is a tool for gathering information and manipulating opponents. Pros like Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu are masters of using table talk to their advantage.

The latter is particularly known for his ability to extract valuable information while table talking. Once, he asked an opponent if they had a flush draw, and the opponent’s hesitation revealed they did not. Negreanu used this insight to make a successful bluff.

Sometimes, the tone and body language matter even more than the words. In some cases, players even use table talk to spread false information about their hand or their betting pattern or to provoke reactions and distractions.

7. Managing Tournament Pressure

Any tournament poker is a high-pressure environment. That’s why pros have developed mental routines and techniques to stay calm and focused. An example is Phil Hellmuth, who often takes deep breaths and reminds himself to stay patient during long tournaments. Amateur players already used to stressful and high-pressure situations might be ready for it, but those who aren’t need to develop their own routines.

8. Advanced Blind Stealing and Defense

Blind steals and defence are important skills in tournament poker, where the blinds increase, and the stack sizes become more relevant. Pros steal blinds aggressively in late position with a wide range of hands, especially against tight opponents. They also defend their blinds selectively, considering their opponent’s tendencies and stack sizes.

Let’s now go back to the 2021 WSOP. There, a pro player used a small 2x raise from the button to steal the blinds multiple times against a tight player in the big blind. When the big blind finally defended, the pro had a strong hand and won a significant pot.

Start Playing Like a Pro

These are just 8 of the tricks that some of the world’s greatest poker players use. If you’ve read this article and you’re an amateur player, don’t think you can immediately put them into practice in your games. Some of these online poker tips from the pros are the result of years of study and practice: think for example of advanced betting pattern recognition, or mastering probabilities.

Others, however, can be put into practice immediately, especially if you play for free without risking your money. A few examples? The strategic use of check-raising: it can be a fun and adrenaline-pumping experiment to try and incorporate into your games from time to time. The same goes for folding winners: playing all in when you have a strong hand is an understandable temptation, but sometimes you have to go beyond these amateur instincts and see the game from another perspective.

We hope that this article has allowed you a peek from this perspective, using examples of great champions. As in all aspects of life, there is nothing wrong with copying the greats at the beginning of your career.