Poker is a beautiful game, the strategies can be complex, and once you’ve got the rules sorted, you also need to learn how to use body language to your advantage. Rarely is a great poker player made without the ability to bluff. One thing is for sure, despite clarity about the rules and professional players’ ability to remain cool under the most knee-trembling of circumstances, there is an occasional mixup. Below you’ll learn about some of the most controversial poker hands of all time.

Justin Schwartz at the 2016 World Series of Poker

Although the rules of poker are relatively simple and followed closely by most players,  there are some unwritten rules that basically come down to etiquette. Schwartz definitely showed disregard for them in this hand, which ended up sparking a hot debate. It’s common knowledge that you shouldn’t talk about a hand if you’re not in it. However at the 2016 World Series of Poker main event Justin Schwartz really riled up the rest of his poker table by doing just that. After folding his hand, he commented on the play between the remaining Daniel Negreanu and Federico Butteroni. Eventually, Max Steinberg decided he’d had enough and pulled Schwartz up on it (presumably much to the delight of his fellow players!)

This One is Just Bizarre

This video made the rounds as possibly the most ridiculous hand ever played, and to be honest, we’re inclined to agree with this diagnosis. Thinking that all of the other players had folded, Vicente shows his cards, not realizing that Alfredo could still call.

It turns out that both of the players have a solid hand. The only thing is, Vicente is now playing with all of his cards on show. As the hand progresses, both positions of the players strengthen and Vicente tries to goad Alfredo into folding. The strategy doesn’t work, but miraculously he manages to beat Alfredo’s hand purely on the luck of the deal. Eventually, despite showing his hand it looks like Alfredo wins it. It’s a bizarre twist of fate and surely down to player fatigue. A hand like this is the kind of thing you don’t expect to see more than once in a lifetime.

Estelle Denis at the 2009 World Series of Poker

Even the best players in the world get it wrong sometimes, and at the 2009 WSOP, Estelle Denis was about to find out how wrong can one go. While the dealer should, of course, remain vigilant when scooping up the cards, it is technically up to the player to look after their cards, or disastrous hands like this one can happen.

First of all, JC Tran put out a bet of $32,000, and when it came time for Denis, she put in her remaining 142,000 chips. The next part is almost inexplicable, but the dealer swipes Denis’ cards right into the muck. Denis immediately notifies the dealer who asks if she protected her cards, to which she explains that she was all in. The floor person was asked to pull Denis’ cards from the top of the pile, and if she described the hand that she’d said, then she’d be allowed to continue to play. Denis claims she had two aces, but the cards the floor person pulled didn’t match. Denis was ordered to forfeit the $32,000 as JC Tran had bet and her hand was proclaimed dead. Denis was understandably mortified, but despite this blunder, she still went home with $36,626 in her pocket, which isn’t to be sniffed at!

Poker tournaments are so much fun to play because of the small stakes that are involved. Of course, some players may find them to be frustrating but for the most part, you get to enjoy yourself and are quite lucrative if played right. Most best online casino usa offer Poker tournaments so they shouldn’t be too difficult to find. Below are a few tips to winning at Poker tournament.

Prepared For a Long Session

Usually, the tournaments take long to complete. Because of that, you really need to be prepared. Remember, patience pays. Make sure you have everything you need before getting started.

Prepared For Some Crazy Swings

There is a huge variance in small stakes poker. This is because there are many opponents to deal with. Also, the opponents may call your raises with some crazy holdings, which makes the outcome unpredictable. This makes the situation frustrating in the short term. However, it can actually be favourable in the long run. Therefore, we suggest that you make sure your bankroll is good enough just in case you need something to fall back on.

Value Bet Your Hands to the Max

Make sure that you keep everything simple and just letting the cards fall however they want to. In addition, it’s important that you get the maximum value from the hands that you would have made. Consider betting more as this allows you to take advantage with your strong holdings or online casino games, in case other players call your bets.

Don’t Worry About Playing a “Balanced Style”

Remember, when playing small stakes poker tournaments, you can be as unbalanced as you want. In fact, you don’t even need to worry about revealing you playing patterns. Just make sure that you vary your bets just so that you are not read easily. Who knows, you might just be playing against skilled poker players who can pick up those things quite easily.

If you decide to disconnect from virtual play for a while to play in a live setting, you need to think about how body language and physical appearance are going to affect your performance. In a real-life setting, poker players try to read other players by looking at the way they are dressed, the way they hold themselves, and their facial expressions, so you need to be careful not to give the wrong impression (unless you want to give them false tells, of course, but that’s a risky strategy). 

I’m not saying you have to wear a big cowboy hat like those guys in poker movies, but you will need to think carefully about how you dress and how you’re presenting yourself to the other players at the table.

What to wear

The number one tip would probably be this: don’t try too hard! If you show up at a live poker game wearing a tuxedo like a James Bond wannabe, people are not going to take you seriously. This isn’t a movie! Lots of poker players favor clothes that cover their faces, such as hoodies, hats, and sunglasses, as these can help to minimize visible physical tells. But, conversely, they can also draw attention to you, perhaps mark you out as someone who lacks the experience to control their physical tells and might, in specific contexts, be perceived as a sign of weakness. 

Another potential downside to covering your face with hoods and glasses is that you may be preventing yourself from using your facial expressions to give false tells. As we mentioned earlier, this can be a risky strategy, but if you’re an experienced live-action player and confident in your ability to manipulate your opponents’ thinking with false physical tells, then ditch the sunglasses and hoodies.

You need to think carefully about all of these variables, where you’re playing, who you’re playing with, and what you feel comfortable wearing when planning your outfit for a live poker game. As it’s essential to stay relaxed and calm during a poker session, choosing clothes that you feel most comfortable in is probably the best approach.

Body language

The other factor in this equation is body language beyond the facial expressions mentioned above. It’s common to hear statements such as “80% of all communication is non-verbal,” and, while there is some debate on the exact figures, what is doubtlessly true is that non-verbal communication, i.e., body language, is incredibly important, especially in the context of a live-action poker game. 

Strong = weak

A very general rule to follow is this: strong body language means the player has a weak hand, and weak or disinterested body language means the player has a strong hand. For instance, if a player puts on a brash and confident air when making bets by raising their voice, slamming chips about, and being very emphatic in their movements, then they may well be trying to overcompensate for weak cards. If, on the other hand, a player sighs dejectedly, folds their arms, and leans back from the table during play, they may well be sitting on a great hand. 

These are very general rules of thumb, of course, and you’ll also need to observe other player’s behavior over time, looking for patterns and trying to construct some frame of reference. Try and gauge what their normal behavior is and watch out for deviations from it, then you will start to get a more definite sense of how to interpret their body language.

For example: what is their regular breathing pattern? Can you notice their breath becoming heavier or shallower? Do they like to maintain eye contact, or do they prefer to look away? Is their general body language open, or closed? When you have established some reference points, you will notice when their behavior deviates from this norm, which may well indicate that the player is holding some good cards. Be observant of and responsive to changes in your opponents’ body language, and you could find yourself improving your game.

In short, poker is a complicated game, and successful players have to be able to process large amounts of information from several channels to win. Your opponents’ physical appearance is one of those channels. Tune in to it.

Mastering poker is no easy feat. Whilst most card games have a relatively straightforward set of rules, to start with, poker requires a good understanding of the ranking value of different card combinations which include:

• High card
• One pair
• Two pairs
• Three of a kind
• Straight
• Flush
• Full house
• Four if a kind
• Straight flush
• Royal flush

As you can see, there are quite a few combinations and rankings that you will need to understand. Then, you also have to get your head around the tactics involved and the psychological side of the game. You will have heard the term ‘poker face’, which originates from the way poker players are able to conceal their expressions, so they don’t give their game away to their opponents.

When you’re sat with an unbeatable hand, you need to make key decisions regarding psychology – raise the stakes too much and you could cause your opponent to fold early. This is just the start; there is so much more to understand and get to grips with if you are to become a good poker player.

Learning the basics

Different people like to learn in different ways, so it is best to find the right way for you. Some people prefer to watch YouTube videos that explain the rules, whilst others like to read books. There are loads of websites dedicated to teaching novices the ropes if you like to do your research that way.

Other people prefer to learn poker by playing the game, either without any money at stake or using very small sums whilst they develop their understanding. You can take a look at our recommended live games to have a go at one of the poker games if that is your favorite way to learn how to play games, or just come back to it when you have built a good understanding of the game.

Like most games, the more you play, the more you improve, so playing regularly will help to get you quickly up to speed. As your understanding of the rules advances, you can start to think about applying more complex tactics to your game. David Sklansky’s books on poker, such as The Theory of Poker, are a good place to start if you are looking to take your poker to the next level after mastering the basics.

As a successful professional poker player, Sklansky has been sharing his tactics and insights into poker through numerous books and videos; there are few players in the world who can offer his experience and knowledge.

“poker 005” (CC BY 2.0) by raffaelesergi1977

Styles of play

Poker players tend to rotate through different styles of play:

Tight – A more cautious approach with few risks

Loose – A high-risk approach

Aggressive – Putting pressure on other players with big bets

Passive – Allowing the opponent to dictate play, with more calling than betting

The more comfortable you become with floating in and out of these styles, the better chance you have of success, as you become less predictable. This is particularly important if you play with the same players on a regular basis.

This is just a very quick introduction to the best ways to develop your poker knowledge and skills but, in reality, it can take years to master. However, if you spend the time to educate yourself and practice, you will have a really good chance of becoming a poker master.