What is fantasy poker?
Fantasy poker is the means of betting online on poker players or teams. These teams then play a poker tournament. If the player you bet on wins the matches, you get your money back according to the multiplier decided. Knowing your team beforehand and watching their track record help a great deal. If you think you can’t play poker well enough, fantasy poker is a game made for you.
Ever wondered about how to earn a lot of money in a short amount of time, without any risks? Well, that’s not possible. But if you are ready to take risks and enjoy the thrill of it, you would consider gambling as your prime option. So if you want to gamble through the means of poker, going in blindly would be a foolish task right. If you are going to risk everything, you at least need to minimize the risks and strategize your action. That is where I come in. Here, you will get all the information you need to get started and blaze through the trails of poker. In a universe of over 100 million poker players, you need to stand out to earn a living out of it.
So what is poker?
Poker is a strategic game which includes the use of personal skills, tactics and intuition, while its main component is gambling. Being dealt with a hand of cards, out of which some cards are hidden till the end of the round. The whole game revolves around listening to your intuition and making the right call. One right decision could make you rich, while a reckless unplanned decision could lose you all your money.
The basic rules of poker
The main rule of poker is to get a stronger hand and win. Each player is dealt with five cards, and the player with the better set of cards wins. A deck of cards used in a poker deck consists of a normal deck excluding the joker. In some scenarios, the jokers are used as wild cards( it can be used as any card the player wants it to be).
The order of the sets will be in descending order.
The order of the sets will be in descending order.
Five of a kind– if a player is dealt with five cards, all of the same number or value(for.eg A-A-A-A-A BEING THE STRONGEST) it is five of a kind. This is only possible if wildcards are into play. If two people have this, the person with the higher card wins.
Straight flush– Having a set of cards in a continuous sequence and also of the same symbol. For eg.1-2-3-4-5, all belonging to spades is a straight flush. K-1-2-3-4 is not considered as a straight because they are not allowed to wrap around. A-K-Q-J-10 is also called a royal flush and is the strongest possible natural hand.
Four of a kind– Having received all four of the same value cards(e.g. 4-4-4-4) makes you the possessor of four of a kind. If by chance, both the players have four of a kind, the player with the higher kind wins.
Full house– When you have three of a kind and a pair, it is considered to be a full house. If two people have full houses, the person with the better 3 of a kind wins. If both players have the same 3 of a kind(only possible if wildcards are used) the person with the better 3 of a kind wins. (for e.g. Q-Q-Q-A-A is better than Q-Q-Q-K-K and this is better than J-J-J-A-A)
A flush- when all the cards aref from the same suit, it forms a flush. 2-4-6-7-K all of spades would be an example of a flush.
Straight– When all the five cards are in direct sequence, it is known to be a straight. The straight with the highest card wins. For eg.K-Q-J-10-9 beats Q-J-10-9-8. When there are 2 straights of the same value, you have to split the pot.
Three of a Kind-when three cards of the same rank appear, it is known to be three of a kind. The other 2 cards have different values, and cannot be a pair.
Two Pair-when there are 2 pairs different pairs and a single card. If more than one person has two pairs, then the person with the higher pair wins
Pair-if you have only one pair and three distinct cards, then your hand will be called a pair.
High Card– if your hand does not fall under any of the above categories, then your hand is considered to be a high card. The hands of you and your opponent are compared based on the highest card you have. For example, an Ace willl beat a King and so on. The deck is judged based on a single card and the values of the other cards do not matter.
Betting
Now you know which pair you possess has the most likely chance at success. So how do you proceed with the betting?
Firstly you need to pay the table money. This is the charge which is decided pre-game and must be paid compulsorily just to play the round. After the table money is paid,
Call– if your friend has bet 100 rupees while playing the first hand, you must call by matching the same amount of money. The call is the process of furthering the round by placing bets.
Raise– Tf you are confident of your set winning the round you raise the money, to say 200 rupees. Your opponent now also has to pay 200 to further rounds of betting.
Fold- if you think that the set of your cards is basically useless and you can’t win, you fold. You are then set out of the round and have lost any possibility of winning that round, but simultaneously, you don’t have to bet anymore in that round.
Now that you know the basic rules of poker, you already have a fair chance at winning, but you would be asking, how is that possible? Using the knowledge of the basic rules, you can formulate may strategies
Strategizing
If you are a beginner, these poker tips will take you a long way. You will have already started to win a lot of rounds against most of your friends.
1. Don’t play all the hands you are dealt with
You might be thinking that this is basic knowledge, but actually, this is quite important. Knowing the chances of your set to achieve victory is an important aspect of winning
2- Learn the art of bluffing
Bluffing is the method of betting in which you act like you have a good hand by betting a large amount of money, to chicken your opponents into folding. This works sometimes when none of your opponents has a really good hand. So know when to bluff. The art of bluffing is cultivated through learning how to read people. But don’t overdo it, because generally, it can backfire.
3- Play against other impulsive players
Being a beginner, play against other players who are worse than you. This way it guarantees your victory in the long run. Playing against a stronger player is a foolish task, as your money is on the line.
4- Analyze your position-
The time when you play is also important. If you are the last one to play in the round, you have more time to analyze what cards the other players might have. Having a later position assures your victory while having an earlier position helps you in bluffing.
5- Analyze the patterns
Paying attention to how your opponent plays throughout the round makes a huge difference. Knowing if your opponent has some physical quirks before he wins, or whether if his expression changes before he bluffs has a great impact on the game
6- Don’t overestimate your cards
Generally, never play the round if you have a high card or a pair(unless you plan on bluffing but generally don’t), double pairs can also be generally outclassed, and slushes are not so rare. I recommend you to pay if you have a straight and definitely bet high if you have a three of a kind or higher.
Once you master these rules, you become a pretty good player. But if you want to get even better and already have mastered the basics, you need to start analyzing people by using the following poker strategy
A deeper look at bluffs– The best times to bluff are, if you know that these players only play safe, or if there is a small player pool. Also, bluff, if u had just won the previous pool because psychologically people are more inclined to believe that you have a good hand after u had just won the last round.
The amount of money your opponent has– People with larger stacks of money tend to have more leniencies towards which hand to play. You can play a risky hand with the players with more money. Similarly, people with smaller stacks of money tend to play strategically and tend to take fewer risks.
Variable strategies– Becoming unpredictable yourself helps you to raise your game a great deal above others. If u just played a high raise round, playing a safer round next time keeps your opponents guessing
Showing your hand– Never show your hand to your opponents, where you don’t have to. This helps you hide your strategy from others and also keeps your game unpredictable.
Knowing all these poker tricks you are likely to succeed in the local poker tournaments, which are held physically and online. And as you gain more practice, your chances of winning increases and as you get more adept with the psychology of your opponents, you start becoming a pro at this game. But just knowing poker tips and tricks isn’t enough, consistency is key.
