How to Read Your Opponents in Poker

The game of poker requires a combination of skills, not the least of which is reading your opponents. A lot of the time this can be done through subtle physical tells and other actions. However, it’s also important to read their betting patterns. This is particularly true in early position where you can often pick up on a player’s aggressiveness and their tendencies to call or raise.

When you’re in the early position at a poker table and you’ve got a strong hand like pocket kings or queens, bet aggressively. That’ll force the weak hands to fold and drive up the value of your pot.

Once everyone has their 2 hole cards there’s a round of betting that’s initiated by the two mandatory bets called blinds that each player puts into the pot before they see their own hands. After that the dealer deals 3 more cards face up on the board which anyone can use – this is called the flop.

From this point on it’s a good idea to keep your ego at the door and consider folding your strong hands whenever a player with a better one is at the table. This is because even though you might have a great pair of pocket kings, if the flop contains ace high cards then they could get beaten by a straight or flush. A top player will know that and not be afraid to make a bet with their strong hand to build the pot and hopefully chase off any potential opponents.